How to Fix Geolocation Permission Denied in Vue

When your Vue app throws a Geolocation Permission Denied, it can be frustrating. Let's look at why this happens and how to resolve it.

Root Cause

Geolocation Permission Denied fires when the user or browser blocks location access. This happens when the page isn't served over HTTPS, the user clicked 'Deny' on the permission prompt, or browser privacy settings restrict location APIs.

Step-by-Step Fix

The key is to check error.code for permission denied and display a helpful fallback message:

<script setup>
import { ref, onMounted } from "vue";

const coords = ref(null);
const error = ref(null);

onMounted(() => {
  if (!navigator.geolocation) {
    error.value = "Geolocation not supported";
    return;
  }
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(
    (pos) => { coords.value = pos.coords; },
    (err) => {
      error.value = err.code === 1
        ? "Location denied. Enable in browser settings."
        : "Unable to get location.";
    },
    { enableHighAccuracy: false, timeout: 8000 }
  );
});
</script>

<template>
  <p v-if="error">{{ error }}</p>
  <p v-else-if="coords">{{ coords.latitude }}, {{ coords.longitude }}</p>
</template>

Common Pitfall

A systematic approach works best here: isolate the failing component, verify its inputs, check the Vue docs for breaking changes, and test the fix in an environment that mirrors production. As a follow-up, set up automated tests that would catch this regression. Even a simple smoke test can prevent this from reappearing after a dependency update.

Validate the Solution

Verify by triggering the same action that caused the original error. In Vue, you can also enable verbose logging temporarily to confirm the fix is applied correctly. Once verified, remove or reduce the logging level to keep your logs clean in production.

Stay Ahead of Errors

Tip: Use [Bugsly](https://bugsly.dev) to automatically detect and alert you to Vue errors like this in production before your users notice them.