Last Updated: February 2, 2026
ISSUE
When working with Word files in the Word Desktop Application, a message appears in the top corner stating: "Location is turned off in system settings."
This occurs in environments where Windows Location Services are disabled.
Affected Builds
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Version 2511 (Build 19426.20260)
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Monthly Enterprise Channel
STATUS: INVESTIGATING
The Word team is investigating the issue.
WORKAROUND
Important:Â Please be aware that incorrect changes to the registry can cause serious system problems. Always back up the registry before making any changes.
Deploy the following registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\WebView2 DefaultGeolocationSetting = 2
Setting this key to value 2 will deny geolocation access for all sites, effectively disabling the warning message.
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