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On a recent trip I took my MacBook running Mavericks and Maps worked just fine knowing where I was. Upon returning home it appears that Maps can no longer find my location, the arrow button in the upper left corner does nothing. Is there a way to fix this or a setting I need to change? I am using the same mobile WiFi device and have a good connection.
Thanks!
Hi David@BAO,
Based on your description, it sounds like Maps may be having issues determining your location from Location Services. One way Macs determine location is based on the local Wifi networks that it can currently see, since these tend to be stationary. On occasion, mobile WiFi devices (the ones that connect to a cellular network and create a WiFi hotspot) may throw this off, as they don't have a fixed location. You may want to try testing it in a different location and/or with the mobile WiFi device off. For more information about Location Services, you may find the following article helpful (it is aimed at Mountain Lion, but should still apply for Mavericks):
Apple Support: About Location Services in OS X Mountain Lion and Safari 6
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5403
Regards,
- Brenden
Hello Brenden,
Thank you for the response and link. After reading that article I thought it prudent to check the Date & Time settings in Preferences. I had the option selected to automatically set the time zone using my current position but when it tries to locate my MacBook it just states that it is unable to determine the current position. Based on that in System Preferences I am assuming that all apps on it that use Location Services will also not know location. I am sort of in a very rural location but there is a cell tower about 10 miles from here and it is situated such that my iPhone gets three of five signal bars. It is also odd that Google Maps on that phone does know where I am.
At any rate I do thank you for responding and providing relevant information. The next time I go to town I will take the MacBook and use one of the free WiFi places and see if that makes a difference.
Cheers,
David
Brenden,
As I said I have brought my MacBook into town and am sitting in a Loacl McDonalds using their WiFi. When I opened Maps the last place, in this case a view of my home, was still shown. I clicked on the location arrow in the upper left a couple times and nothing happened. Here I should note that I had Maps in Hybrid mode, if that makes a difference. I minimized Maps to open up my browser and make this update post. While typing this I went back to Maps and changed the view to Standard and just as quickly it scrolled the location to where I am sitting. I'm not sure if changing the map view had any effect or it just took a bit for Maps to figure out where I am.
Now I am wondering if the view has something to do with being able to be located or if I am remote enough at home to be outside the range of being located. That said, however I am only a couple miles closer to the same tower I use at home.
Have a great weekend!
Originally I reported that Maps on my MacBook OS X 10.9.2 could not determine my current location. I also reported that I took the machine into town and was able to have Maps determine my current location. Since that time I have done some further testing with my iPhone 4, iOS 7.1 and 1st generation iPad, iOS 5.1.1 and both of those devices has no problem determining my current location in Maps. Does Apple investigate reported problems from within the app or would I be wasting my time even reporting one?
You'd have to report feed back to the correct actual Apple division
and not a user-to-user community discussion area.
• Apple - How to Contact Us:
Tell us how we’re doing. Select the appropriate feedback option
(we read everything, but can’t always respond):
So there are a few options to check into.
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂
Thanks K Shaffer,
Within Maps there is the option Report a Problem... and that was what I was referring to. On both my iPhone and iPad Maps finds my current location within seconds of opening at my home but on my MacBook OS X 10.9.2 clicking on the arrow which should bring up my location on the map it simply goes into a search for nearly two minutes and then returns a message that states it is unable to find my current location. All the devices are within a few feet of each other so I am at a loss as to why this is happening.
How far from the Kilcher Homestead near Homer?
OS X
