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Some of our managed macOS laptops show location history in Hexnode, but others do not. A Location policy is already configured, but I’m trying to make sure location history is always available where possible. Is there a way to enforce this on Macs, especially if users turn off Location Services?
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Replies (2)
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Hexnode Expert
16 hours ago
Jun 25, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review
On macOS, location reporting that depends on Apple’s local Location Services can be affected by user permissions and system-level privacy restrictions. If Location Services is disabled on the Mac, precise location data may not be available through the usual macOS location framework.
For this scenario, enable IP-Based Tracking in the Location policy. IP-Based Tracking does not rely on the Mac’s local Location Services, GPS, or Wi-Fi triangulation. Instead, Hexnode estimates the device location using the public IP address used by the Mac when it checks in with the Hexnode server.
This means:
- Location can still be reported even if the user disables Location Services on the Mac.
- The device must be connected to the internet and checking in with Hexnode.
- The reported location will be approximate, since it is based on public IP geolocation.
If rough location is sufficient for your use case, IP-Based Tracking is the recommended option for improving location availability across macOS devices.
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Participant
13 hours ago
Jun 26, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review
That makes sense. We don’t need exact GPS-level location, just a general idea of where the laptops are. I enabled IP-Based Tracking and will monitor the devices after they check in again.
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