How to change region on PC

Changing your region on PC mostly comes down to switching a few location and format settings, using a VPN, and making sure apps can’t see your real location. If you’re wondering how to change your region on PC, the key is to hide your IP and remove anything that might override it (such as a GPS feature or saved cookies).

This guide covers how to change region on a PC with a VPN, how online services detect your location, and how to turn off system and browser location settings. It also explains why your device setup region matters and how to change it for EU-specific Windows benefits.

How to change region on PC with a VPN

If you’re just looking to change your PC region to stream Netflix, bypass pesky geo-blocks, or get around internet censorship, the easiest way to do so is with a VPN. These apps let you change your IP address by connecting to a server in a different country. This is also known as geospoofing.

Here’s how to change your region with a VPN, whether you’re on a Mac or Windows PC:

1. Sign up for a VPN with reliable PC apps. We recommend NordVPN, though Surfshark and Total VPN are great budget options.
2. Download and install the VPN on your system. Another option is to use a VPN browser extension if you don’t want to install another app.
3. Open the VPN and log in with your account details.
4. Connect to a server outside your region (double-clicking usually works).

How online services determine your PC region

Now, most services you access while connected to a VPN will detect your new virtual location. However, a few stubborn ones will look past your IP and figure out your real region through other means, including:

• Cookie files and cached data: Websites can read old cookies or cached content from past visits. This info may include location preferences or tracking IDs that reveal your real region, especially if you haven’t cleared your data after switching locations.
• Browser fingerprinting: Some sites can read your PC timezone settings and other info through your browser, so make sure to adjust them according to the VPN server’s location to avoid detection.
• GPS data: Some laptops with built-in LTE or 5G can access GPS data. If location permissions are on, apps and websites can use this info to pinpoint your real location, even when you’re connected to a VPN.
• Wi-Fi network identifiers: Nearby Wi-Fi networks expose unique identifiers (like MAC addresses) that location databases map to physical places. Services can use these signals to estimate your region even without GPS access.
• Cellular towers: Laptops with mobile data or tethered connections can reveal location through nearby cell towers. This method places you within a general area rather than an exact address.
• Smart devices connected to Wi-Fi: IoT devices like smart plugs, speakers, and TVs broadcast unique IDs that companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google collect through crowd-sourced location services. Those IDs get linked to a physical address and later help determine the location of your PC and other devices on the same network.

Other PC location features

Beyond the detection methods above, your PC also has a few built-in features that manage how location data is stored, triggered, or used when real-time info isn’t available:

• Location history: Your PC can store recent location data used by system features and apps for a limited time. You can view or clear it through your settings, which will affect suggestions or location-based behavior (e.g., nearby search results, location-based Focus on Mac).
• Geofencing: Some system features and apps react when your device enters or leaves a specific area. Of course, these triggers rely on location services being active, so just disabling those should prevent issues when switching regions with a VPN.
• Default location: When your PC can’t detect a real location, it falls back to a manually set default. This helps apps function without live data, but it can also influence region-based results if the default is outdated.

How to disable location services on PC

Here’s how to disable location services to avoid any interference when changing your region on a PC with a VPN:

How to turn off location services on Windows 11

1. Click the Start button, then press Settings.
2. Next, click Privacy & security in the sidebar.
3. Under “App permissions”, click Location.
4. Switch off the toggle for Location services.

How to turn off location services on Windows 10

1. Click on Start > Settings.
2. Then, click Privacy.
3. Press Change.
4. Finally, toggle off Location access for this device.

How to turn off location services on macOS 13 and later

1. Click the Apple icon.
2. Next, select System Settings
3. In the sidebar, click Privacy & Security.
4. Select Location Services and turn it off.
5. Enter your password if prompted, then hit Unlock.

How to turn off location services on macOS 12 and earlier

1. Click on the Apple menu.
2. Then, choose System Preferences.
3. Press Security & Privacy in the sidebar.
4. Go to Privacy > Location services.
5. Unlock the preference pane by clicking the lock icon (if applicable).
6. Turn off Location services.

How to disable location settings in your browser

Browsers may use their own geolocation APIs to provide location data to websites, separate from IP-based detection. Disabling these settings blocks access to device-based location sources that may override your VPN region.

Here’s how to do so in the most popular browsers.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Location.
3. Set Don’t allow sites to see your location so websites can’t request it.
4. Remove any existing site permissions listed there if needed.

Edge

1. Launch Edge and click the three dots on the top right.
2. Head to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Location.
3. Toggle off Ask before accessing, which blocks all location requests from sites.
4. You can also remove any allowed sites from the list below that setting.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox and click the three lines in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll to Permissions > Location.
3. Click Settings… next to Location, then check Block new requests asking to access your location.
4. Remove any sites listed under Allow and click Save Changes.

Safari

1. Launch Safari, then click Safari > Preferences in the menu bar.
2. Go to the Privacy tab.
3. Look for Website use of location services and choose Deny without prompting so sites can’t ask for your position.
4. You can also remove specific site permissions here.

Why should you change your device setup region on PC?

Let’s say you just bought a new laptop that came with Windows 11 pre-installed. One thing you can do is set your PC’s region to a country in the EU or EEA. This changes how Windows behaves in some useful ways. For example, Microsoft now has to let you remove apps like Edge entirely, which isn’t normally possible in other regions.

You also gain more control over how Windows handles search. Results from the taskbar can finally open in your chosen browser instead of being forced into Edge. On top of that, you’re allowed to swap out Bing for a different search engine, like Google or DuckDuckGo.

Even the Widgets pane becomes less locked down. You can choose a different news provider instead of being stuck with MSN. Windows also installs fewer preloaded apps, and features like Windows Spotlight and others won’t have as many ads.

How to change the device setup region on PC

Windows saves your device setup region during first-time setup, but you can change it later by rerunning the setup process. No worries, these steps let you do that without reinstalling Windows or deleting your files:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type or copy and paste %WINDIR%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe into the dialog box and press Enter.
3. Leave the default options selected and click OK to continue.
4. Let your PC restart and load the Windows setup screen.
5. Choose an EU or EEA country during setup, such as Germany or Norway.
6. Continue through the setup screens until you reach the sign-in page.
7. Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
8. Type start ms-cxh:localonly and press Enter.
9. Create a local account to finish setup without adding a Microsoft account.
10. Complete the setup and reach the desktop.
11. Sign out of the temporary account and back into your main account.

Afterwards, you can delete the temporary account if you no longer need it. Enjoy Windows 11 with less bloat and restrictions!

How to change region on PC FAQs