Location Services not Working on Mac Mini

[mjt57]

Bought a new Mac Mini M2 Pro. Running Sonoma 14.xx

I've just noticed that Location Services is not allowing apps to access the service. Despite it being switched on and all apps which require it are allowed to access it, none of them can.

For example, Google Maps (under Chrome) says this:


"Google Maps does not have permission to use your location."

As you can see with the screen shots, everything is enabled. The Apple help pages only tell me how to turn on Location Services, not to tell me why they aren't working.

Thanks.

 

[chabig]

Your first picture doesn't show Google Maps installed on your machine. Are you speaking about the website? If so, web access to location is in Safari (and probably Chrome) settings.

 

[bogdanw]

Chrome - Change your default location settings https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/142065

 

[mjt57]

Your first picture doesn't show Google Maps installed on your machine. Are you speaking about the website? If so, web access to location is in Safari (and probably Chrome) settings.

As I said in the original post Google Maps under Chrome isn't seeing my location.

And the app Day One, isn't seeing it either.

 

[mjt57]

Chrome - Change your default location settings https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/142065

Thanks. Just looked there. Chrome hasn't got any locations blocked by website.

I'll keep looking.

 

[mjt57]

Update:
After rechecking all settings and doing more research, I think that it may be working now.

One thing that Location Services uses is the wifi service to help determine location. When it's not on it uses the computer's IP address as set by the internet provider.

Before turning WIFI on I checked the settings and ran google maps (via Chrome), I entered a town and asked for directions. Google Maps determined that my location was some 150km/90miles away. Maybe that's where the internet provider's servers are? Don't know as Maps showed it to be a residential suburb of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia).

I turned WIFI on and clicked on my wifi network to join it which it did briefly. I don't know why but it turned itself off again. Related to an active ethernet connection, perhaps?

Whatever, AFTER that I loaded Google Maps into Chrome, picked a town and then directions. This time it selected my location correctly.

Another app that couldn't (or wouldn't) use Location Services is the Weather app. I have a widget showing local weather. Under "My Location" it would only show --- and no info. I had to manually enter my town in order for it to collect the weather info. After turning WIFI on (and it turning itself off) it now shows my correct location.

The Day One app is also now seeing my location.

I'll see how long this lasts.

It's got me, though, why it picked my location some distance away (which incidentally, was about 3 blocks from the hospital in which I was staying last week, but I didn't take my Mac with me).

Thanks to everyone for your help, too. It's appreciated.