Parsecd running on my Mac even when it is not installed

Short answer: parcecd is part of macOS. Your Mac is NOT hacked!

A bit longer answer: parsecd is a legitimate macOS system process, not an app you installed. It’s related to Parsec, Apple’s framework for location and context awareness, which Siri and other system features use. The “cd” at the end usually stands for “daemon,” meaning it runs quietly in the background to handle tasks for other apps.

That said, `parsecd` is not something a hacker would typically plant on your system — it’s been part of macOS for years. If you’re concerned about security, you can still take a quick precautionary check:

1. Open Activity Monitor, find `parsecd`, and verify its path (it should be under `/usr/libexec/parsecd` or another system location).
2. Run a full malware scan using XProtect (built into macOS) or a trusted third-party scanner like Malwarebytes. If you want to force a check right now, here’s the closest you can get to a “manual scan” with XProtect: Open the Terminal app, and run the following command: /usr/libexec/XProtectScan You won’t see a progress bar, but if XProtect finds something, macOS will alert you and block or remove the file.
3. Check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services to review what apps are using location data.

You have not been hacked.

This is a normal system process.