Google search results using Firefox no longer location aware

[DKEBeck88]

I'm using Firefox 65.0.1 64 bit on Windows 10. All of a sudden one day earlier this week, my Google search results are no longer location aware. For instance, up until this week if I search for McDonalds, within the first few results would be McDonalds near my location, a map with McDonalds locations mapped out, etc. If I search for Craigslist, it would default to the craigslist closest to me. You get the idea. Now when I search, I get only the most generic results. Unless I type "McDonads in CityName", nothing location-specific shows up. Googling "Where am I" shows a zoomed out map of the entire globe.

Best I can tell, I have made no changes whatsoever. I have three other computers (one Windows 10, two GNU/Linux), all on the same version, all configured the exact same way, and none are experiencing this issue. If I search for "what is my IP", the correct IP comes up, so I don't think there is malware, VPN, or anything else with the browser. On other browsers on the system in question (Edge, Chrome), I am not experiencing this issue (other than Chrome incognito mode, which is to be expected), so I don't think it is a system-wide issue. Just to be sure, I've run Malware Bytes and found no threats. I've also done an uninstall and reinstall of Firefox, and reset the settings to the defaults, and still experience this issue.

I'm not even all that upset about this as the less Google knows, probably the better. But I'm just so confused as to what happened to this browser at this time that isn't happening to any of my other machines or browsers on this machine. Would love to get to the bottom of this.

[dfoulkes]

I guess a couple of things to start with.

- Have you checked you Options/Privacy-Security and then the Location line Settings to made sure that Google didn't get in there?

- And one of the first steps in figuring out stuff like this is to restart Firefox in safe-mode and then test out your issue.

Try running Firefox in safe-mode... NOTE: This is a testing procedure only ... NOT for normal browsing.
-- On the menu bar, click the Help menu and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled....
Firefox will start up with the Firefox Safe Mode dialog. Click continue in Safe Mode and don't check any items.

Note: You can also start Firefox in Safe Mode by holding down the shift key while Single/Double clicking on the icon.
* (option key while starting Firefox on Mac).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>What safe-mode does ..... Safe Mode temporarily affects the following:
* All extensions are disabled. --- * The userChrome.css and userContent.css files are ignored.
* The default theme is used, without a persona. --- * The default toolbar layout is used.
* The Just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compiler is disabled. --- * Hardware acceleration is disabled.

-- Safe Mode has no effect on the following --
* The status of plugins is not affected.
* Custom preferences are not affected.

This is the link to the main KB article for Safe-Mode ... but, use the above info 1st...
Safe Mode - MozillaZine Knowledge Base

[DKEBeck88]

Thanks for the reply.

1) Nothing has hijacked the Location settings in options->Privacy/Security

2) Unfortunately, using the browser in Safe Mode doesn't fix the issue. I still get the most generic non-location-specific search results.

[DKEBeck88]

Another thing of note - using Bing search engine in Firefox works as expected - search results are specific to my location. It's as if somehow Firefox is secretly using DuckDuckGo whenever I'm trying to use Google. Very strange.

Also, I am NOT logged in to my Google account for any of this browsing and searching, so it's not a setting in my google account. I do all my logged-in Google "stuff" (gmail, drive, docs) in Chrome and then all my browsing/searching in Firefox to limit my Google exposure.

[Grumpus]

Google may be playing with their setup.
I noticed this at the bottom of a search result:
New York NY, New York - From your Internet address - Use precise location - Learn more

Also you could search in about:config for the follow ing:
browser.search.geoSpecificDefaults - should be true
browser.search.geoSpecificDefaults.url - should have a url showing
browser.search.geoip.url - also should have a url showing

[DKEBeck88]

The bottom of my search just says "United States." Which corresponds with my very generic results. When I follow some of the "help" links, it gives me links to see where Google thinks my IP address is, and all of those results are correct. So confusing! Literally nothing has changed in my setup, other browsers work with google and other search engines work with firefox, and the places Google says it finds location from all show the correct location in Firefox.

Oh, and those three about:config settings all are correct.

[dfoulkes]

I'd give this a try ... it only takes a few seconds and would at least indicate something.
Use it as-is for your testing. I don't remember what search engine is used when you first create that test profile so if it doesn't use Google change it in Options. But make that the only change....

Creating a new Firefox profile on Windows - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
And,.... DON'T TOUCH THAT "Choose Folder..." BUTTON! ... unless you fully know all about it.

[DKEBeck88]

Creating a new profile did not fix the issue, unfortunately. As soon as the profile was created (I did nothing else), search results are exactly the same. Google provides generic "United States" results. Bing provides geographically targeted results. Soooo strange.

[dfoulkes]

I'm at a loss then... creating that new/UN-altered profile should have worked 'if' the problem was within Firefox... I don't use Google... I use Startpage so I changed my search engine to Google and searched for McDonald and the resulting map showed where that store was near me.... I also tested that out with the portable version of the latest Firefox and it also showed my local store.

You got something in there (I don't think it's related to Firefox code) that is messing with stuff... if I were you I'd reboot your system if you haven't already tried that... and/or reboot your system into safe-mode with Network active... you know... just to see if it makes a diff.

Other than that... I'm lost here .. and I know that Grumpus is one of our top fixers... but there other very sharp people who hopefully will post suggestions here.

[Grumpus]

I believe this locale issue has come up before and I honestly do not remember the particulars but it may have to do with the ISP, whether you are on a dynamic or dedicated connection and whether the locations you visit are on a different sub net. On wireless your location could be anywhere within a region; Ex: A location in Maryland USA could be New York as mentioned above, Georgia or some where else near an actual location. Some of this could be due to the business registration of the ISP you are connected through or whatever connection is available at the time, say a connection from the US to Britain.
There is also the possibility your location domain is not set on your system.
The registered domain of a Linux system will only use the two letter code for the country and not reach to the State level, otherwise you are at the mercy of Google or Bing or whatever system to select your actual location. On some searches I've gotten search data from Michigan and Minnesota though I am located in neither as the search does a "nearest possible" on the spelling and not an actual location. The general nature of a search engine, without being a member and having member specific settings could also play apart in the location stated.
But never fear, the GPS licenses are going to expire in a few months so your Garmin, if you have one, may send to Oshkosh instead of Orlando along with your computer.

[DKEBeck88]

And.....just like that, things started working fine again. Technology is frustrating.

[Grumpus]

Give it a week, you'll show up in Madagascar or Timbuktu.