What is locationd and why does it want to use Location Services?

2012-05-21 17:00

locationd is the process behind every location-related feature on your Mac.

What is locationd?

locationd is the Location Services daemon. It works out your Mac's geographic position and shares that with apps and system services that ask for it. It is the central gatekeeper for all location data on macOS.

How does it work out your location?

Unlike iPhones, most Macs do not have GPS hardware. locationd uses other methods:

Wi-Fi positioning: matching nearby Wi-Fi networks to Apple's database of known access point locations (the most accurate method on a Mac)
Bluetooth: using nearby Bluetooth devices with known positions
IP address geolocation: guessing location from your internet connection (least accurate)

These methods can usually place your Mac within a city block or so. Less precise than GPS, but good enough for most needs.

What uses Location Services?

Many macOS features and apps use locationd:

Weather: showing local weather
Maps: centring on your position
Find My: reporting your Mac's location
Time Zone: setting the correct time zone automatically
Safari: websites asking for your location
Spotlight: location-based search suggestions
Photos: adding location data to photos taken with the camera

How do you control it?

You can manage Location Services in System Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Location Services. From there you can:

Turn Location Services on or off entirely
Control which apps can see your location
See which apps have recently used your location (shown by an arrow icon)

Does it use a lot of resources?

No. Location lookups are rare and light. Wi-Fi positioning uses data from Wi-Fi scans that are already happening.

Should you worry?

No. locationd respects the permissions you set in System Settings. No app can see your location without your clear permission. If you prefer not to share your location, you can turn off Location Services entirely or for individual apps.

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