Short answers
How do I see search results from another country?
Change the search region in Google. On a computer, open Search settings, choose the country under Region Settings and click Save. On a phone, use the Google app: the setting is under Language & region on Android and under Language and region settings on iPhone and iPad. The steps for each device are below.
Do I need a proxy just to select another country?
Start with the engine's region setting if that answers your question. A proxy becomes relevant when the network path is part of the test. It is not a substitute for recording browser and search settings.
Does a country-specific domain prove I am seeing local results?
Do not use the domain name alone as evidence. Check the selected region and the location reported by the service, then record the result you actually received.
Does a country-targeted proxy prove Google used that country?
The country in your connection settings is a request. An echo endpoint records the address it saw; a geolocation lookup and Google's result-location label are separate observations. Google can also use device location, account activity and saved browser state. Record those observations separately instead of treating the country token as proof.
Can I use one screenshot as a ranking report?
One screenshot records one result under one set of conditions. Keep the same method across multiple observations and distinguish a page-layout change from a movement in the result you are tracking.
Change the search region in Google
These steps come from Google's help page for results in a different country, read on 29 September 2026. It has separate versions for the computer, Android and iPhone and iPad, and the menu labels differ between them.
On a computer
- Open Search settings.
- Scroll to Region Settings.
- Select a region.
- At the bottom of the page, click Save.
In the Google app on Android
- Open the Google app.
- At the top right, tap your profile picture or initial, then Settings, then Language & region, then Search region.
- Tap the region you want results for. If it is not listed, Google says the feature is not available for that location.
In the Google app on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Google app.
- At the top right, tap your profile picture or initial.
- Tap Settings, then Other Settings, then Language and region settings.
- Under Region for Search Results, choose a region. If it is not listed, the feature is not available for that location.
- Tap Save.
Google's region page gives no separate steps for a phone browser. Its browser-settings page gives one general route for Android and iPhone: go to google.com, tap your profile picture or initial at the top right, choose your search settings and save. If no region option appears there, use the Google app steps above.
Changing the region does not change your internet address or your device location, which Google lists among the sources it uses to estimate where you are.
Why results differ
A search result depends on more than the words in the query. Location, language, device and personalisation can affect what appears. Turning personalisation off does not remove all location or language effects. Google explains the distinction.
A regional preference also differs from the location the service estimates for your connection. Google can use device location, account information, previous activity and the internet address. Check the location information at the bottom of the results page; it can identify the signal Google used. Location sources and controls
Choose the question before choosing a tool:
| What you need to learn | Start here | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Results with another country selected | The engine's documented region setting | A country preference does not recreate a local browser or network |
| What changes with network location | A controlled test through the selected country | Other location signals can still affect the result |
| How a page renders on a phone | A physical device or matching mobile browser profile | A mobile network address does not set the browser's screen size or device features |
| Repeated ranking measurements | An authorised reporting interface and a recorded methodology | One snapshot is not a stable ranking |
Keep a record of the signals
Write down the exact query, result type, selected region, language, device profile, date and time. Record whether the account is signed in, the personalisation setting, the consent choice and whether the browser has existing cookies. Keep these consistent between runs unless one is the subject of your test.
Changing the connection does not clear cookies or a previously supplied device location. Google documents that it can reuse device location stored in a cookie for up to six hours. If the result-location label still names the earlier place, record its stated source before interpreting the country comparison. Google's location sources.
For an automated browser check, a separate browser context gives you a defined starting point for cookies and storage. It does not make every other signal identical. If the page asks for device-location permission, record how that request was handled rather than assuming the network address is its only source.
Keep four fields separate: the country requested in the proxy username, the address returned by an echo check, any country reported by an independent lookup, and the search page's displayed location and signal source. An echo request does not prove the route of a separate search request when connections rotate. A mismatch needs investigation; changing the query until the label looks right would change the experiment.
Run a country comparison
- Define the question. Choose a country, query and result type. Decide whether you are testing the selected region, the connection location or the device layout.
- Take a baseline. Record the settings above and save the result page. Keep screenshots and notes for the same run together.
- Change the intended setting. For a region-preference check, use the documented region control. For a connection-location check, select that country in the connection configuration while keeping the other settings steady.
- Inspect the result. Record the final URL, displayed location and language. Note redirects, consent prompts, errors and any change in result type.
- Repeat the defined comparison. Keep timestamps and compare more than one pair of observations. Results can change while you are testing, so a difference alone does not establish its cause.
For a manual check, set the proxy in Chrome with an extension. For permitted browser automation, the Playwright proxy guide explains how to configure a connection. Use the search service's authorised interface for programmatic collection where available, and follow its current terms. A proxy supplies a connection; it does not grant permission to query a service.
If the browser cannot reach the proxy at all, start with connection refused and timeouts. If the tunnel answers with an error before a page loads, use the CONNECT tunnel troubleshooting guide. If the returned location looks unexpected, use the country-check guide. Treat an echo response as evidence of the address seen by that endpoint, not confirmation of a search engine's regional classification.
Choose the network and device separately
Portproof offers mobile 4G/5G and residential traffic on a shared GB balance. Choose a pool because its connection type is part of the question you are testing. Choose the browser's device profile separately. A desktop can use a mobile connection, and a phone can use a home network.
Check the locations page for the pool and country available when you run the test. Do not treat a saved country list as a supply guarantee. A sticky session keeps the same device while it remains available; the carrier may still change the IP. It does not freeze the search result or browser state.
Make comparisons repeatable
Keep a small record for each capture:
| Field | What to save |
|---|---|
| Query and result type | The exact text and whether the check concerns web, images or another surface |
| Requested settings | Region, locale, pool, country token and device profile |
| Returned evidence | Final URL, displayed location, screenshot and relevant page text |
| Run context | Timestamp, account state, cookie baseline and permission choices |
| Outcome | Result, redirect, error or access refusal |
Store credentials separately from this record. Redact account identifiers and private page content before sharing diagnostics. Stop if the service refuses access; do not turn a failed check into repeated requests without resolving the cause.
Measure a small representative run before budgeting a recurring job. Count the traffic transferred by page requests and retries, not the file size of a saved screenshot. Use the traffic-planning guide for the calculation and pricing for the current order rates.
What is not allowed
Use these checks for work you are authorised to perform. Follow the destination's terms and Portproof's acceptable-use policy.