Google Chrome location services won't stay enabled!

I am also experiencing this with Google Chrome and Catalina and Big Sur, on MacBook Pro 2015 and M1 minis, with both non-admin and admin users. It seems to occur after every Chrome update. I noticed it happening within the past 6 months or so, and not prior, so it must be related to more recent versions of Chrome.

I first posted on this topic in https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252095684 and will file a ticket with Google.

This same thing has been happening to me every since I "upgraded" to Big Sur (on a 2018 Mac Mini). The first few times, I had no idea that my locations services had been disabled for Chrome (without my consent)...and I spent HOURS trying to troubleshoot my code (I'm a developer) attempting to determine why chrome, which appeared to have my permission to get my location, wouldn't fetch my location. This is seriously crippling to any web apps that require location permissions...because it's not evident that a user's locations services have been disabled...and most users wouldn't think that their OS has surreptitiously disabled location services without their consent. After a few months of this bug (which has now happened to me at least a dozen times or more), it feels more like an anti-trust issue...in which Apple is crippling the Chrome browser from working correctly. Safari's location settings are NEVER disabled, just Chrome's. If I were Google, I'd be calling my attorneys.

For many web developers that rely on their user's being able to give permission to share their location so they can get accurate location-based listings on websites they visit using Chrome, this is a serious business harming concern. Apple, you need to fix this asap.

It's not Big Sur only, happens on Mojave too. I skip OS updates because of issues like this, but Chrome is updated and this has been a constant issue for the last few months. I've not changed anything on this mac in two years because I do not need to.

I just tried chrome://settings/help and relaunching, then redoing the location services. We'll see if it stays this time over the next few days.

Everyone should create a case ID and report it here - mine is 101360080194

Yes. I think this happens when Chrome auto-updates itself, and Big Sur appears to treat Chrome like a new app all over again, so the previous permission for location services is reset back to default "no". It's hugely annoying.

#knot2afrayed, the site memory is a function of Chrome. The location services permissions is a function of Mac OS. Try checking the Chrome access in Location Services after restarting your computer, to see if it's been changed. I'm experiencing the change in permissions without any kind of update from any software.

I don't know why this is marked as solved. A lot of people are still having this problem. This is not a Google Chrome issue. Google Chrome does not have access to change this permission. This is an issue with macOS. It was working for a while and then with the recent update it's broken again. Please reopen this and escalate.

This issue is definitely not fixed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.6...and has been going on for some months now.

My problem is exacerbated by the fact that Google Chrome won't even appear as an option in System Prefs/Privacy/Location Services...i.e. it's not even listed in the apps & services that require location access.

So even though macOS is blocking location access for Chrome, I have no actual way of enabling it.

So annoying 😔

For me, this setting stays enabled for a while. Weeks maybe, but eventually reverts. It could be happening when Chrome gets updated.

I do exactly that. Eventually, I have to "enable" it again within a week.

Yeah, this is not a permanent resolution. The issue is not with Chrome, it is with MacOS...Chrome has no authority to change this setting so an update to Chrome wouldn't fix the problem.

i experience the very same problem. I wouldn't call that problem "solved". After every chrome update the setting gets reverted and one has to reenable it again. It also happens with Chrome 90

You have a different issue from what is discussed here. The issue was definitely with Chrome. Affected all version of macOS and was clearly fixed with Chrome 91

Why are you saying things like that ? The issue was within Chrome and not macOS. Google resolved the issue with Chrome 91

Hey Kelvs11,

Good job going over what you are noticing with Google Chrome. We are here to help go over your Privacy preferences on the Mac together.

Have you already checked if there are any updates to the Google Chrome app or macOS?

Change Privacy preferences on Mac using this article to see if the same thing happens with another application like Safari.

How to use safe mode on your Mac will go over another step we want to check. Does the System Preferences revert while using safe mode?

Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac with the steps here. If you don't have another user, let's create a test user and set it up. Does the same thing happen if you use Google Chrome?

We hope this helps.

Cheers.