Does NetworkInformation.GetInternetConnectionProfile require location service to be turned on?

Question

I’m using NetworkInformation.GetInternetConnectionProfile() to get Wi-Fi details like signal strength and SSID for my application.

I noticed that when Location Services are turned off, these details are not returned. But as soon as I turn Location Services on, everything works fine.

Is this expected behavior across all architectures (ARM, x86, x64), or is it specific to certain setups?

Also, why does accessing Wi-Fi details depend on Location Services being enabled?

Answer 1

Hello @Sreekanth N Kartha ,

This behavior is consistent across all architectures. To put this simply, GetInternetConnectionProfile() itself doesn't require location services, but the sub-properties it exposes, like GetConnectedSsid() and signal strength, do. Without location services enabled, those will simply return null.

Microsoft covers this in more detail under Changes to API behavior for Wi-Fi access and location. If anything is still unclear, feel free to follow up in the comments.

I hope this clarifies your issue. If you found this information helpful or informative, I would appreciate it if you could leave some feedback following this guidedance.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Yes. Access to Wi‑Fi details that can be used to infer the device’s physical location (such as SSID/BSSID and signal strength) is governed by the Windows location platform and its privacy settings. When Location services are turned off, apps are blocked from using certain Wi‑Fi APIs and related information, so NetworkInformation.GetInternetConnectionProfile() will not return those details. When Location services are turned on, the same call can return them.

This behavior is by design and is not tied to a specific CPU architecture. It comes from how Windows treats Wi‑Fi information as location-related data:

• Windows uses Wi‑Fi access points, routers, and similar signals to determine device location and improve Microsoft location services. This is explicitly described as part of the location system, together with GPS, cellular towers, and IP address.
• Apps that request access to Wi‑Fi APIs that can be used to determine location are surfaced and controlled through the Location settings page. If Location services are off, those apps cannot use such APIs, which is why Wi‑Fi details disappear until Location is enabled again.

So the dependency is intentional: Wi‑Fi network characteristics are considered sensitive because they can reveal or approximate the device’s location, and therefore they are protected behind the Location services switch and per‑app location permissions.

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References:

• Windows location service and privacy