Google Maps Shows the Wrong Location? Check the Blue Dot

A gray or missing dot means Maps cannot find your current location. A wide pale blue circle means your position could be anywhere inside it. The beam extending from the dot shows the direction your phone is facing. Check which of these symptoms you have before changing a setting.

Touch and hold the Maps icon, then open App info > Permissions > Location. Choose Allow only while using the app and turn on Use precise location if the switch appears. Also check that location is enabled in the phone settings. If the circle is still wide, look for Location Accuracy in the device's Location settings. Menu names can vary by phone.

Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and make sure Location Services is on. Select Google Maps and choose While Using the App. Turn on Precise Location. These settings let you test the blue dot with Maps open.

Leave the garage or building, turn off Airplane Mode and turn on Wi-Fi or mobile data. Open Maps and tap the location button again. If your position becomes more accurate outside, signal conditions at the original location are a likely cause. If only the beam points the wrong way, move the phone in a figure eight. Use the Calibrate prompt if Maps offers one and follow the onscreen instructions.

If both map apps show a similar error outdoors, recheck device-wide location settings and restart the phone. If the blue dot is correct but a shop or address pin is wrong, that points to the map listing. Changing the phone's location settings will not move that pin.