Why You Often Need Both
When you want to appear to be in a different location online, there are two independent signals that reveal where you really are:
- Your IP address — changed by a VPN
- Your browser GPS coordinates — changed by Location Guard
Using only one tool leaves the other signal intact. A sophisticated website can cross-reference both, notice the mismatch, and either show your real region or flag you as suspicious.
The complete solution: run both simultaneously.
What the Combined Setup Achieves
| Signal | Without Tools | VPN Only | Location Guard Only | Both Together |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP geolocation | Real city | VPN city ✅ | Real city ❌ | VPN city ✅ |
| Browser GPS | Real location | Real location ❌ | Fake location ✅ | Fake location ✅ |
| Timezone | Real | Real | Real | Real* |
| Streaming unblock | ❌ | Often ✅ | ❌ | Usually ✅ |
*Add a timezone extension for full consistency.
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Connect to Your VPN
Open your VPN client and connect to a server in your target location. For example, if you want to appear in Tokyo:
- Select Japan or Tokyo from your server list
- Wait for the connection to confirm
- Verify: visit ipinfo.io — the city should show Tokyo
Step 2: Set Location Guard to the Same City
- Click the Location Guard shield icon → Options
- Under Default Level, select Fixed Location
- Type "Tokyo" in the location search box, or enter coordinates: 35.6762° N, 139.6503° E
- Click Save
Step 3: Align Your Timezone (Optional but Recommended)
Websites can also check your browser timezone. Set it manually:
- Windows: Settings → Time & Language → Date & Time → Time zone → (GMT+9:00) Tokyo
- Mac: System Settings → General → Date & Time → Time Zone → Tokyo
Or use a browser extension to override timezone without changing your system clock.
Step 4: Verify the Setup
- Visit browserleaks.com — check the IP tab and Geolocation tab
- Both should show your target location (Tokyo in this example)
- The timezone should match
Recommended VPN Services
We don't have affiliate relationships with any VPN — here are commonly used options:
| VPN | Free Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ProtonVPN | ✅ Unlimited bandwidth | Privacy-focused, based in Switzerland |
| Mullvad | ❌ Paid only | No accounts, cash payments accepted |
| Windscribe | ✅ 10 GB/month | Generous free tier |
| NordVPN | ❌ Paid only | Large server network |
For basic SEO research or geolocation testing, ProtonVPN's free tier + Location Guard is a solid zero-cost setup.
Use Cases for the Combined Setup
SEO & SERP Research
Check organic search rankings as if you're a user in your target market. With both tools active, Google personalizes results for your target city.
- Connect VPN to target city
- Set Location Guard to same city
- Open Incognito tab (clears cookies/history)
- Search your target keywords
Watching Region-Locked Sports Broadcasts
Many national broadcasters (CBC, BBC iPlayer, etc.) verify both IP and user region. With a matching VPN + Location Guard setup, browser-based streams work more reliably.
Accessing Local Pricing
Some e-commerce sites and SaaS platforms show different prices by region. See what local users see by making your browser appear to be in that region.
Privacy from Analytics Trackers
Ad networks and analytics tools combine IP + GPS + timezone + browser fingerprint to profile you. Changing all three layers makes your browsing session much harder to attribute to a real-world location.
Common Questions
Does Location Guard slow down my browsing? No. It intercepts the Geolocation API call locally — there's no network request involved. You won't notice any performance impact.
Do I need to install both tools in a specific order? No. You can install and configure them in any order. What matters is that both are active before you visit the target site.
Will streaming services still detect a VPN? Some do — Netflix in particular has aggressive VPN detection. Location Guard won't help bypass VPN detection, but it ensures the GPS layer is consistent with your VPN's IP location.
Install Location Guard free — open-source, no account, works with any VPN.