Answer
Device location is preferred when you permit it and it is available. Otherwise, Hashchats can use an approximate area from your network address. That estimate may be wrong, especially with a VPN. If neither source is available, include the city in your request.
A place you explicitly name takes priority. A genuine follow-up about that place keeps it rather than switching back to your current location. Available location and request time stay with the search through preparation and provider fallback.
This works in private and People chats on web and native mobile. It uses the requester’s context, not another participant’s location, and cannot track someone else. Asking about a named destination does not require device location permission.