OurStreet

How the location check works

Everybody who joins OurStreet does a one-time device location check. This page explains what it does, what it does not do, and what to try when it will not run.

Why there is a check at all

Each OurStreet Hub is private to the neighbours within it. When everybody has passed a check, everyone can be assured of their privacy.

The check asks your device for its position once, compares it to the address you gave, and confirms you are eligible to join. It is not a login, it does not run again, and it does not keep running in the background afterwards.

What is recorded, and what is not

What we record
  • That the check passed, and when
  • The address you were confirming
What we do not record
  • Your position, once the comparison is done
  • Any trail, history or later readings
  • Anything shared with your neighbours or anybody else

Your neighbours never see a location. They see that you live at your address, which is the only part that matters to them.

Turning location back on

Once you have chosen Don’t allow, most browsers stop asking. Nothing is broken, but the setting has to be changed by hand before the check can run again. Find your device below.

iPhone and iPad

Settings, then Apps, then Safari, then Location

Settings›

then

Apps›

then

Safari›

then

LocationAsk
Tap Location and choose Ask or Allow. Come back to this page and try the check again.

Android

The icon at the left of the address bar

ourstreet.community
Tap the marked icon. Choose Permissions, then Location, and turn it on. Come back to this page and try the check again.

Computer

The same icon, at the left of the address bar

ourstreet.community/join
Click the marked icon. Set Location to Allow. Then reload the page.
If none of these look like your device, look for the location setting for this site in your browser settings, then come back and try again. The wording differs between devices, but it is always attached to the site rather than to the browser as a whole.

When the check will not work

  • You said no to the prompt. The commonest one, and the section above is the fix. Your browser will not ask a second time on its own.
  • The check ran out of time. Once you allow it, your device has about thirty seconds to produce a position, and sometimes it does not manage it. Trying again is usually all it takes.
  • You are deep inside a building. A position can take longer to arrive indoors. Near a window, or just outside the front door, is usually enough.
  • The device has no location hardware. Some desktop computers work this out from the network instead, and the answer can be a long way off. A phone at the address is the easier route.
  • You are on a VPN. This mostly affects computers rather than phones, because a VPN changes where the network thinks you are. Turning it off for a moment is usually enough.
  • It is a work device. Some employers turn location off for every site and the setting cannot be changed on the device. Your own phone will not have this restriction.
  • You are using a privacy browser. Several block location silently, with no prompt and no error. Opening this page in Safari or Chrome on the same device is usually enough.

If you cannot do it right now

The check only works from your own address, so if you are out, it is worth leaving until you are home. Nothing expires while you are away and your place is held.

On the joining screen, choose I can’t share my location right now and we will email you a link that brings you straight back to the same step.

If none of this gets you moving, get in touch through the contact page and somebody will sort it out with you.