---
title: Get Location
description: How to get your user's location
---

# Get Location

To get the location of the user, you can simply use

```dart
Future<LocationData> getLocation()
```

By default, the call will try to **request permission** if needed, **activate GPS** and return the location without anything needed from your part.
If something goes wrong the call will throw.

The accuracy, interval and distance filter used for the request come from the
global settings. See [the settings](/features/settings) page to change them with
`changeSettings`.

## Devices without Google Play services (Android)

On Android the plugin uses the Google Play services fused location provider when
it is available. On devices without Google Play services (many Huawei devices,
some Chinese ROMs, AOSP builds) it automatically falls back to the Android
framework `LocationManager` (GPS and network providers). `getLocation`,
`getLastKnownLocation` and `onLocationChanged` all work through this fallback,
returning the same `LocationData`. No configuration is required, and devices
with Google Play services are unaffected.

Note that on non-GMS devices `requestService()` cannot show the in-app
"turn on location" dialog (that dialog is a Google Play services feature). When
the location service is off it reports the service as disabled so you can direct
the user to the system location settings instead.

## Examples

### Getting location

```dart
final location = Location();
final locationData = await location.getLocation();
print("Location: ${locationData.latitude}, ${locationData.longitude}");
```

### With custom settings

Configure the request beforehand with `changeSettings`:

```dart
final location = Location();
await location.changeSettings(accuracy: LocationAccuracy.high);
final locationData = await location.getLocation();
print("Location: ${locationData.latitude}, ${locationData.longitude}");
```

## Last known location

If you want to show something immediately instead of waiting for a fresh fix,
you can read the location the platform has already cached:

```dart
Future<LocationData?> getLastKnownLocation()
```

Unlike `getLocation`, this returns right away without acquiring a new fix. It
returns `null` when no cached location is available (for example on a fresh
install). This is handy for displaying an approximate position — for instance a
grey marker with its timestamp — while a precise location is still being
acquired.

```dart
final location = Location();
final cached = await location.getLastKnownLocation();
if (cached != null) {
    print("Last known: ${cached.latitude}, ${cached.longitude}");
}
// Meanwhile, request a precise fix.
final fresh = await location.getLocation();
```

Web has no cached-location concept and always returns `null`.