whereami

Whereami is a term used in computing to describe a function or tool that determines a user’s current geographic location and provides that information to an application. It is not a single standardized product; rather, many libraries, APIs, and applications adopt the concept or the name in various forms.

Typical functionality includes returning coordinates such as latitude and longitude, and may also provide altitude, accuracy, and a timestamp. Some implementations offer a human-readable place name through reverse geocoding. Location data can be derived from multiple sources, and modern systems may combine them to improve reliability and power efficiency.

Common methods for obtaining location include GPS or GNSS receivers, Wi‑Fi network positioning, cell-tower triangulation, and IP address geolocation for web services. On mobile devices, location services often fuse data from several sensors to balance accuracy with battery consumption. Platform-specific implementations include the HTML5 Geolocation API for the web, Core Location on iOS, and location services on Android. In many cases, developers may also rely on external location services or geocoding APIs to translate coordinates into readable place names.

Privacy and security considerations are central to whereami implementations. Location data is sensitive, and applications usually require user consent and transparent data handling practices. Uses include navigation, weather and local content delivery, augmented reality, and targeted services.

See also: geolocation, reverse geocoding, privacy in location-based services.