Location Services allows several websites and applications to gather and use information based on the current geolocation of your Mac. Since the Apple device doesn’t have a GPS, location can be determined from your Wi-Fi based on your IP Address. You simply have to ensure Location Services are turned on. This is especially invaluable for things like Find My Mac, which helps users to track misplaced or stolen Mac.
On the other hand, if you are someone who is highly concerned about your privacy and doesn’t want anyone to track your location, you can turn off the Location Services on Mac.
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Where To Find Your Location Services Settings On macOS?
Similar to iOS devices, you can find the Location Services settings on your Mac. All you have to do is:
STEP 1 = Click on the Apple icon, located at the top-left corner of the screen.
STEP 2 = Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
STEP 3 = Navigate to the Security & Privacy module.
STEP 4 = From the Security & Privacy window, head towards the Privacy tab and hit the Location Services from the left panel. Now, if you need to start making changes, you need to authenticate yourself. This can be done by clicking the Lock icon, located at the bottom-left of the screen. (Enter your admin password to proceed)
How To Enable/Disable Location Services On Mac?
Well, after you’ve authenticated yourself by entering your device ID and password, you will be able to alter the Location Services.
STEP 1 = After that, you need to check the box next to ‘Enable Location Services.’
STEP 2 = This way, you will be able to successfully enable Location Service. You can follow the same instructions mentioned above, except unchecking the box next to “Enable Location Services” to turn off the service.
That’s all! Quit System Preferences and you are good to go. Isn’t it super-easy to turn on/off Location Services on Mac? Do share your experience in the comments section below!
Remember: When Location Services are turned off, make sure no applications or websites will be able to access location data on your Mac. This will certainly affect the way how applications like Maps, Weather, and other third-party services work.
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How To Specify Which Applications Can Use The Location Services?
To ensure specific apps and web services uses your Location Services, this is what you need to do:
STEP 1 = Click on the Apple icon, located at the top-left corner of the screen and select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
STEP 2 = Navigate to the Security and Privacy tab. Head towards the Privacy tab and click on Location Services from the left-side panel.
STEP 3 = Once successfully enabled, scroll a bit to find the list of applications and system services. Now, uncheck the ones you don’t want to access your location.
The services that are using your location lately would be reflected as flagged ones with the Location Services icon.
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How To Fix If Location Service Is Not Working On Mac?
Follow the workarounds shared below, if you are having trouble while enabling/disabling Location Services on MacBook.
- Update your Mac – Make sure that your Mac is running the latest version of the operating system, which is free from all the potential bugs from the last OS. To check for a new macOS update, navigate to the System Preferences > Software Update > Update Now!
- Review Mac Settings – Make sure to turn on Location Services on Mac. You can follow the aforementioned steps to enable it.
- Verify Location Services are allowed for certain apps – If you are having trouble with specific apps accessing Location Services, simply select their checkboxes after turning on Location Services functionality.
- Check Your Region Settings – Navigate to the System Preferences > Language & Region > Make sure that your region is correctly selected.
- Check Your Date/Time Settings – Navigate to the System Preferences > Date & Time > click on ‘set date and time automatically. Also, check the box next to “Set time zone automatically using current location”.
Once you’ve made all the necessary tweaks, restart your Mac and apply the steps to turn on/off Location Services on MacBook. Hopefully, you will not face issues related to Location Services anymore!
If none of the solutions helped you to fix “Location Services Is Not Working On Mac” you can get in touch with the official Apple Support team to get reliable fixes!
That’s A Wrap!
Well, Location Services are certainly an integral part of Privacy and Security, so we highly suggest our users take out a significant amount of time before configuring it. If you want specific Mac Apps and Services to work properly, ensure Location Services are turned on. If you don’t want to get tracked by third-party apps and prevent intrusion, you can simply put a stop to it by turning off Location Services on Mac.
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