Cannot locate the current position

[sparky672]

I have two Macs:

• Mid-2012 Mac Pro (High Sierra 10.13.6)
• 2024 MacBook Pro M4 Pro (Sequoia 15.5)

The problem or question:

For years, my Mac Pro has intermittently given me the "cannot locate the current position" error when I open the Maps app. Sometimes it works fine for weeks and then other times, it just stops working for days or longer. Sometimes, it fails immediately and then works a few minutes later.

It was working up until a week ago, but I had to reinstall High Sierra and now I am back to "cannot locate position". What are the root causes of this issue and are there any good solutions or workarounds?

I've read in the past that the router's MAC address needs to be in a geolocation database at Apple in order for the location to be determined. However, this no longer makes any sense to me given that the other Mac is on the same router and wifi and it's working fine.

My new MacBook Pro, which has yet to even be used away from my home, is having no trouble putting my location on the map every time.

Both Macs are on the same network and wifi. As far as I know, Location Services is properly configured. The Privacy settings show everything enabled on the Mac Pro and my house even shows up in history under "Significant Locations". I've tried using a different Admin account with the same results. I am signed into iCloud and have "Find My" turned on.

At this point, given that my MacBook is having no trouble finding my location, I do not think it has anything to do with Apple's geolocation servers. Any ideas about where to look or what to try? I am suspecting perhaps some bad permissions someplace since that was one of my issues on the system restore.

Thank you.

 

[sparky672]

So I flew from Chicago to California and back last week with my MacBook (MacOS 15.5). Location services was working at home near Chicago when I left. It worked during my trip in CA.

Now back in Chicago area at home and the MacBook cannot find my location! There's no location found when using Maps app, the Google Maps website, Find My, or anything else that needs a location.

I've tried the common suggestions such as toggling Location Services options and nothing is working. I've also connected via my mobile hotspot to rule out my router. Also tried Safe Mode and Guest Login with the same results. The MacBook location cannot be found, however in FindMy, it shows the last location, which was a grocery store on my way home yesterday. Weird.

 

[iliesaya]

Same issue here with a mbp m4 , tried everything, even re-installing sequoia 15.5 , tried all stuff with chatgpt help (csrutils disabled ...), new user, cellular instead of wifi , wifi settings, no automatic timezone ... nothing worked.
09:53:19.581 [2] POSITION_UNAVAILABLE – The current position could not be determined


update :

in the console, in crash , i see a crash of locationd :

The crash log confirms a code signing violation when launching locationd. This is a system daemon, and its failure indicates severe integrity issues:

Diagnosis:​

• locationd was killed due to CODESIGNING 4 Launch Constraint Violation.
• The path to the binary is reported as:
  • dyld_path_missing
  • main_executable_path_missing
• dyld_process_snapshot_get_shared_cache failed suggests dynamic linker corruption or missing shared cache metadata.
• This happens even after reinstalling macOS, which indicates a persistent issue outside the user space (e.g., corruption in the system volume, sealed system integrity, or low-level NVRAM/SIP/bridgeOS anomalies).

You already:​

• Reinstalled macOS Sequoia (clean install).
• Disabled SIP temporarily and recreated /var/db/locationd.
• Attempted to restart locationd manually — it gets killed.
• Verified corelocationcli always returns kCLErrorDomain error 0.
• Console logs show location authorization succeeds, but always ends with "location unavailable".
• Created a SwiftUI macOS app — gets permission but no coordinates returned.
• Your system is in a state where location requests are handled up to the daemon level, but the daemon cannot operate due to launch constraints.

Conclusion:​

• locationd cannot launch due to broken or invalid system signature.
• macOS Sealed System Volume may not be functioning properly, despite the reinstall.
• System Integrity Protection is active, so no third-party tampering is possible — likely a corruption in the base system image or failure in verifying dyld shared cache.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Intermittent or otherwise consistent problems are the toughest. And reading your post, I’m failing to come up with solutions offhand.

I've read in the past that the router's MAC address needs to be in a geolocation database at Apple in order for the location to be determined. However, this no longer makes any sense to me given that the other Mac is on the same router and wifi and it's working fine.

How Devices Use Wi-Fi to Determine Your Physical Location

Modern devices can find your precise physical location even without GPS---all by using Wi-Fi. Here's how that works.

www.howtogeek.com

You have a strong GPS signal---great, your phone knows where you are via GPS. Now, your phone scans your nearby wireless networks and uploads a list of them to Google's Location Services database along with your current location.

Everyone using Location Services is continually updating the database with more current data. Of course, companies promise that this data is anonymous and not connected to any individual.

For example, Apple's Location Services & Privacy policy describes it in this way on an iPhone:

"If Location Services is on, your iPhone will periodically send the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers (where supported by a device) in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple, to be used for augmenting this crowd-sourced data of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations."

Basically, your GPS-equipped devices update where (i.e., geolocation) your Wi-Fi network err router is. This can be evident when you move residences. For a brief period, non-GPS devices may indicate you’re at your previous address.

 

[sparky672]

Basically, your GPS-equipped devices update where (i.e., geolocation) your Wi-Fi network err router is. This can be evident when you move residences. For a brief period, non-GPS devices may indicate you’re at your previous address.

I get it. That makes sense. It's always how I understood this to work. But I have not moved - the router is in the same house as always.

And the following makes no sense:

• The router at my rural home is the only wifi source I have had for last several years. No other wifi networks are within range of my house. Nothing has been changed on my network and my TPLink router is configured to reboot once per week.
• 2012 Mac Pro location was working most of the time until I reinstalled High Sierra a few weeks ago and now location cannot be found. Tethering to iPhone 15 Pro does not help or make any difference.
• Brand new 2024 MacBook Pro location was working at my home for last several weeks while 2012 Mac Pro location was not.
• 2024 MacBook Pro location stopped working upon return from CA a few days ago. Tethering to iPhone 15 Pro does not help or make any difference.
• FindMy simultaneously reports 2024 MacBook Pro as "with me" (I'm at home) while also showing it at the grocery store parking lot last Sunday. Toggling the iCloud "Find My Mac" setting off/on cleared out the grocery store and now it just shows it nowhere (does not say "no location found", but also will not show location)
• iPhone 15 Pro has no trouble accurately reporting location while on cellular or wifi.
• There is only one Wifi SSID and iCloud account. Everything is connected to these.

 

[MacCheetah3]

I assume IP-based location (mostly) works? — ISPs vary a lot on this. For example, if you go to an e-retailer like Best Buy or Amazon.

The culprit seems like a caching or related issue, but a reboot (or certainly a reinstall) should trigger a refresh.

One other thing comes to mind — although, I figure you’ve tried many of the general troubleshooting steps by now — Apple advises ensuring the Time Zone is set correctly.

 

[sparky672]

I assume IP-based location (mostly) works? — ISPs vary a lot on this. For example, if you go to an e-retailer like Best Buy or Amazon.

I don't know what you mean. When I use online tools to reverse lookup my IP address from my ISP, it is a few cities away, but that location never appears anywhere in any apps using location services.

The problem is "location not found" or endless spinning when using Maps App, Find My, automatic Time Zone, etc.

The culprit seems like a caching or related issue, but a reboot (or certainly a reinstall) should trigger a refresh.

The Mac Pro is rebooted daily, and the MacBook Pro has already been rebooted several times during troubleshooting. Makes no difference.

Mac Pro: High Sierra was just re-installed several weeks ago and is precisely the thing that triggered this problem. I don't see how doing it again will fix anything.

MacBook Pro: This machine is only a month old. Came with Sequoia and is up to date at 15.5. Was working perfectly until I traveled to CA. I don't understand why reinstalling the OS should already be required.

One other thing comes to mind — although, I figure you’ve tried many of the general troubleshooting steps by now — is the Time Zone set correctly on the affected Mac(s)?

Yes. All the basic things are set on both machines. logged into iCloud, Find My is ON, Time Zone is correct, All Location Services are ON, everything has been toggled, rebooted ... etc. etc.

When I originally posted this thread, I was only mildly annoyed that the Mac Pro stopped working when High Sierra was re-installed. However, now I am really really annoyed that my brand new MacBook Pro started having the same issues just after I traveled with it. The latter may end up at a Genius Bar on the general principal of the thing.

 

[DeltaMac]

What do your 2 Macs share?
How old is your router ?
Have you considered clearing the router, then re-setting your router and wifi settings?

 

[sparky672]

What do your 2 Macs share?

• Same house
• Same room
• Same iCloud account
• Same time-zone setting
• Both have Find My turned on
• Same ISP, public IP address, router, wifi, and network
• Same iPhone 15 Pro on the same network on same iCloud account, etc.
• Both recently tethered to the iPhone 15 Pro personal hotspot for troubleshooting

How old is your router ?

• TP-Link Archer AX1500 v1.0 (Wi-Fi 6) with the latest firmware

Have you considered clearing the router, then re-setting your router and wifi settings?

I have not considered that.

• I applied the latest firmware and rebooted it twice today. Location services still not working... but how could it be the router when reinstalling High Sierra was the first failure trigger? The second failure was triggered by taking my MacBook away from home.
• Location services do not work while tethered to the iPhone personal hotspot, which I think completely rules out the router?

If non-GPS devices obtain location from an iPhone on the same network, maybe it's my iPhone 15 Pro not doing something properly? That was rebooted today too.