MacOS detects location but doesn’t Set Time Zone Automatically

geolocationmacossystem-prefs

Recently my automatic timezone update stopped working. (i.e. it used to work but now it doesn't)

The Troubling thing is that my Mac detects the correct location (e.g. Golden, CO), but it doesn't use this to update the timezone despite Set my timezone automatically using current location being checked. See screenshot.

Time & Date preferences showing correct location (Golden, CO), but incorrect timezone (Pacific)

Does anyone know how to fix this?

This issue now occurs with every network I have tried: work, home, airports, hotels, etc. and, I have already tried the usual set of fixes such as toggling auto timezone off and on, closing system preferences, rebooting, and repairing permissions.

OS: OS X 10.9.5 (13F1112)

System: MacBook Pro Retina, 13-in mid-2014

Best Answer

This just happened to me on High Sierra. Kept trying to change so that the Mac's location would automatically update the timezone. The Mac could detect where is was (both using the Maps application and the red pin in System Preferences / Date & Time / Time Zone showed the correct location) but the time zone was 'stuck' in the place where I was last week. This continued through reboots and toggling all the options in Date & Time.

Here was the fix for me. In Bash (ie, launch Terminal):

$ cd /etc
$ ls -l localt*

It should be a link to the IANA timezone database like so (assuming this Mac is near LA):

lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  45 Aug 30 17:32 localtime -> /var/db/timezone/zoneinfo/America/Los_Angeles

If it is not:

  1. Turn off the automatic time zone in System Preferences / Date & Time / Time Zone
  2. In Terminal sudo rm /etc/localtime to remove the incorrect link
  3. Reboot (localtime will be recreated)
  4. Restart automatic time zone in System Preferences / Date & Time / Time Zone

That worked for me after Googling and pulling hair for a few minutes. YMMV.

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