the location services on my macbook pro doesn't work.

the location on my macbook pro doesn't work. in default maps, google maps, weather app etc, it cannot see it's location. i've checked settings (privacy, date and time), rebooted the machine, and nothing seems to help

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.0

Posted on Oct 13, 2024 10:07 AM

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30 replies

Oct 14, 2024 7:04 AM in response to milesmode

then my anecdote does not apply to your situation.


For a new model of Router, you could ask the maker if they know of any reason location should not be available.


generally, if specific information is not available, software uses "best guess" based on your IP address published by your ISP. When my Router did not know its exact location, software would decide I lived six towns away, where my ISP (Verizon) has a center located.


generic internet lookup sites such as:

https://my-location.org/

use your Router's IP address for this id specific information is not available.

Oct 14, 2024 9:45 AM in response to milesmode

milesmode wrote:

by the way ip adress of my Mac that is showing up in my router app is different.

the IP address of your Mac will be from a range of 'strictly local' IP address used for Routing INSIDE private networks. when you send something toward the Internet, your Router acts as your agent on the internet through a device called Network Address Translation, and its firewall discards any Unsolicited replies that are sent to it. Only responses you deliberately asked for are translated back to your local IP addressed forwarded to your computer.


these are the private ranges:

24-bit block 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255

20-bit block 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255

16-bit block 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255


When you ask 'what is my IP', the expected answer is the Internet-visible address of your Router, NOT the local Router address.


Typically this will be a nearby location of your internet service provider.

Oct 15, 2024 2:37 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I saw a post on another forum where a person faced exactly the same problem and eventually found a solution. Here's what they wrote "In the end it had everything to do with how I initialized the OS when setting it up from scratch. I would always untick the options that I wasn't interested in, for privacy reasons, and it turned out to be one of those settings. I can't for the life of me see why I couldn't re-enable the problematic setting once the OS was set up."

Perhaps this is my problem, but I don't really know much about it. I hope this can be a hint for you, as you are obviously much more competent than me …

Oct 13, 2024 3:41 PM in response to milesmode


We live "in the woods" -- far enough off the street that you can not read the Wi-Fi signal driving by. Before any of us had smartphones, my Router had no idea of its location. Then we had a garden party, and friends with iPhones visited and stayed for hours. Right after that, my Router knew EXACTLY where it was, because there were multiple reports of its exact position reported to the Internet aggregator of such information, and the Router then could look up, internalize, and report where it was.

Oct 14, 2024 8:12 AM in response to milesmode

I am really not sure what's up with your iPhone used as a hotspot. I would think that having GPS, it would know your location exactly.


Maybe you have to enable some extended permissions on the iPhone?


it does not seem to dun you incessantly the way the Mac might:


Settings > Privacy > location services


Control what you share on iPhone - Apple Support



Oct 15, 2024 2:04 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I checked on another website and it turns out that the internet can see my IP address, which accurately points to my internet provider and MY city. But it can't see my latitude and longitude and shows an error when it tries to do so. All the location settings are turned on, find my in iCloud is turned on, but it shows that the computer is online, but it can't see where it is. I’m so upset and confused with it, since this is nothing to do with a hardware…

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the location services on my macbook pro doesn't work.

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