Location Services Always Uses Wrong Location

The Mac does not have GPS, so the location is determined by the WiFi network/IP Address. You will want Location Services turned on. When you add a Location in the Network Settings, it is not a geographical location, it is simply a name used for those network settings to make switching a combination of settings easier. For example, the articles below suggest naming them something like Work or Home when you want to switch the settings all at once depending on your network connection in each environment.

• Use network locations on Mac - Apple Support
• Manage network locations on Mac - Apple Support (SA)

There are a couple of reasons the location will be wrong:

• Location Services not turned on
• Use of a VPN
• Moved router from another location. Did you previously use the router in Washington DC?

dogsnack wrote:

Hello,

Thank you but the issue still remains. In the Network settings I had Automatic as well as the name and zipof my town. I deleted the town and added just "Home". I left Automatic. Location Service is turned on; I have a VPN but it is rarely activated . Its used for occassonal entertainment only, I have never lived in DC. I restarted my mac and currently the nearest dry cleaners to me in CA are still in DC :)

Again, the location in network has nothing to do with the physical location of the Mac. It is not a geographic location whatsoever. A Mac uses Wi-Fi triangulation to determine location. It will get the location using the available Wi-Fi signals. It can see that have a known location in Apple‘s database.

From where are you determining the location of the nearest dry cleaners? Are you using a web browser? Are you using maps? Speaking of Maps, does it show your accurate location in the Maps app?

are both maps and your browser given permission to access your location in privacy and security system settings? If using a browser, did you give the website permission to access your location in the browser settings?

dogsnack wrote:

No use of a VPN

Not the same as not having one installed. Once installed it will change the Hosts file used for network connections and continue to launch files on startup, whether you have it turned on or not. The first thing I would recommend is go to this site below that determines an approximate location based on your IP Address. Are you seeing Washington DC there?

https://whatismyipaddress.com/

To verify that there are no remnant VPN files launching on startup or changes to your HOSTS file, I would suggest to post the free EtreCheck report using the Additional Text option when posting. The report contains no personal information.

How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community

Yep, that confirms that the VPN is running on your computer whether you think you are using it or not. It is noted in your LaunchDaemon folder that the process is [Running]. You can also see that the Top Processes Snapshot by Network Use lists ExpressVPN. You must actually uninstall it before you are able to further troubleshoot any location issues.

If the VPN is not used to connect to a private network like your employer, get rid of it entirely. It serves no legitimate purpose and can really bork your network settings.

If that doesn't fix it, that means the location is being determined either by the location of the IP address of the ISP you're using or by referencing a database of "known" WiFi networks, where the information in the database is incorrect.

There is nothing you can do to fix either one.

Bhadboi438 wrote:

How can I change my Location

System Settings > General > Language & Region. Change the Region.

I was under the impression you were not using a VPN. The report you posted disagrees with that.

How can I change my Location

As noted, ExpressVPN is in fact a VPN.