4 Ways to Fix Location Services Not Working on Mac

Quick Tips

• Open Settings > Security and Privacy > Location Services > Enable Location Services > Click on Details > Enable Setting Time Zone.
• Open Settings > General > Date and Time > Enable Set Date and Time Automatically and Set time zone using your current location.
• Use Safe Mode ̌that prevents third-party app interference and loads only system apps on startup.

Basic Fixes

• Restart your Mac: Sometimes a simple restart will solve a lot of issues on your Mac.
• Check for software update: Open Settings > General > Software Update and then install it if one is available.

Fix 1: Check if Location Services Are Enabled on Your Mac

To solve this issue, you’ll need to check if Location Services is actually enabled on your Mac or not. Many native apps and third-party apps like Microsoft Teams and Slack use your exact location data. If your apps cannot determine your current location, this is the first place to fix the issue.

Step 1: Open Settings > Security and Privacy.

Step 2: Click on Location Services > Enable Location Services.

Step 3: Scroll down and then click on Details.

Step 3: Enable Settings Time Zone and then enable Significant Locations.

Fix 2: Enable Location Services for Mac Apps

The next thing that you should check is whether you have enabled location access for the apps installed on your Mac or not. There are times when we install an app and forget to allow location access for the app. This is why the app is not able to fetch the information or content that’s available as per your region. The most important app that requires your location access is Find My, which is connected to your iCloud account.

Follow these steps to enable location services for apps.

Step 1: Open System Settings > Security and Privacy.

Step 2: Enable Location Services and then enable location access for apps.

Fix 3: Check Date and Time Settings of Your Mac

You have to ensure that your Mac’s date and time settings are that of your current location. Only then will your apps work properly and provide relevant suggestions for you. Follow these steps to check the date and time settings of your Mac.

Open Settings > General > Date and Time > Enable Set Date and Time Automatically and Set time zone using your current location.

Fix 4: Use Safe Mode

This built-in troubleshooting method for Macs prevents third-party app interference and loads only system apps on startup. You can try this if none of the solutions have worked for you so far.

For Macs with M-Series Chip

Step 1: Shut down the Mac.

Step 2: After your Mac shuts down, press and hold the Power Button till you see the two startup options – Macintosh HD and Options.

Step 3: Select Macintosh HD while holding the Shift key and then select Continue in Safe Mode.

For Macs with Intel Chip

Step 1: Restart the Mac.

Step 2: Press and hold the Shift key when your Mac restarts. Release the Shift key when you see the login window.

Step 3: Sign in and check if the problem is solved.