macOS detects location but doesn't Set Time Zone Automatically

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.

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

Solution 1:

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.

Solution 2:

Here is another work around:

1. Launch the command line terminal (Launchpad-->Terminal)

2. Run the following command:

   sudo ntpdate -u time.apple.com (It will ask for your password)

That's it! Your clock is now updated with Apple's time server

Solution 3:

Apparently at least a few others have had this problem. See [ https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7126456 ]. The only solution found to work in that discussion is to:

Solution: Re-install the OS. (Yikes!)

Other attempts in that discussion, including a few beyond those I mention above, didn't work. A new OS install seems rather drastic/painful, so for now I will stick with the

Work around: Switch to manual timezone control.

Hopefully Apple will push a fix soon for Mavericks users, though perhaps all of the focus is on Yosemite and (soon) El Cap.

Any simpler solutions still welcome!

Solution 4:

After updating to Mojave some location functions were not working despite being enabled i.e. the precise location in setting the time zone and anty location being reported in 'Find My Mac'

The problem was fixed by following advice to reset accessibility in Terminal (taken from here):

tccutil reset Accessibility

Doing so fixed the precise location feature for setting the timezone and enabled the location of my computer to be determined in 'Find My Mac' in iCloud (and in 'Find My iPhone' app in iOS) instantly.

Solution 5:

@drewk's answer worked for me with the addendum that you must have location services turned on and, under the System Services menu, have the Setting Time Zone option ticked: