At Meetup, we want to make it easy for you to discover groups and events happening near you. To do this, we use several methods to determine your location and show you the most relevant local content.
How We Determine Your Location
We use a smart system that prioritizes accuracy and respects your preferences. Here's how it works:
Your Recent Search Location
If you've recently searched for or selected a specific location on Meetup (within the past 2 weeks), we'll remember and use that location. This happens when you:
Manually enter a location during signup
Use the search bar to look for groups or events in a specific area
Visit a location-specific page on our site
We save this preference and store it only for 2 weeks, so you don't have to keep entering it during that pweiod, and it takes priority over other location methods since it's what you explicitly told us you're interested in.
Your Device Location (With Your Permission)
If you give us permission, we can use your device's GPS or location services to show you what's happening right where you are. This is especially helpful if you're exploring a new area or traveling.
However, we only access your device location if you explicitly allow it through your browser or device settings. You're always in control of this permission.
Your Profile Location
For members who are logged in, we'll use the location saved in your Meetup profile. This is typically your home base and helps us show you groups and events in your community. If you change it, recommendations will change accordingly.
Your General Area (IP-Based Location)
If we don't have a more specific location from the methods above, we'll use your internet connection to estimate your general area. This gives us a rough idea of your region or city so we can still show you relevant local content.
Location recommendations
Meetup also selects and sends new location recommendations to users related to groups and events, so to always stay in touch with new groups and connect with new people,
If you receive location recommendations that are far away from where you live, it is likely due to one of the following scenarios:
Youâve joined groups that have a different location from where you live
Youâve changed your place location but didnât update it in your Meetup account
The recommendations you receive are for online events (and so you can participate even if youâre in a different location)
If you feel that the geolocation isnât working properly, donât hesitate to share screenshots with our Support so we can better investigate your case!
Want to change location?
You can update your location preferences at any time. If you want to change the location we're using to show you groups and events, simply use the location search on any Meetup page or change your profile's location from your account's Settings. Your new selection will be saved and used for your next visits.