How does Google Maps guess my location without browser permissions or Google account permissions? [duplicate]
I haven't granted location privileges to the Google Maps website. If I choose a destination for a route, and then click the suggestion Your location for an origin, the browser prompts to grant the location privilege. If I then click Block, Maps rightly complains that it doesn't have access.
And yet a link to the Maps API with a destination given can trigger an interesting behaviour:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=41.6584924,-79.4921797
If you're not signed into your account, this prompts you for an origin. But if you are signed into your Google account, it can automatically select your location as an origin. In my case, it was approximated to within two blocks.
I suspected this is controlled by the Google account setting Data & privacy > Things you've done and places you've been > Web & App Activity, which is described as:
Saves your activity on Google sites and apps, including associated info like location, to give you faster searches, better recommendations, and more personalized experiences in Maps, Search, and other Google services.
However, when I turned that off and deleted all activity, the approximation still worked and in fact became perfectly accurate rather than two blocks away. Note that I use a VPN on both my computer and (Google account–linked) phone, so in theory my IP address should not reveal my location. Also, under Data & privacy > Data from apps and services you use > Maps, I don't have the timeline turned on nor does it have any data saved. I do have some saved locations, but those should be irrelevant for deducing my current location.
Any insights: What shenanigans are they playing to be able to do this?
