Allow Location Services in macOS for Teams Calling to enable E911

Issue

MacOS must be configured to allow Microsoft Teams to use the device's location information. Without it, E911 won't work well.

Environment

In order to allow Microsoft Teams to communicate correctly with 911 Emergency Services, the application must be allowed to access a Mac's location services. Without this permission, 911 will work, however emergency services will only be given an approximate location on your whereabouts rather than a more exact location.

Resolution

To enable Teams Location Services, follow these steps:

• In macOS, click on the in the menu bar.
• Choose "System Preferences"
• Click on the Security & Privacy icon (looks like a house with a combination lock on the front).
• Click on the Privacy tab
• Click the Lock icon in order to unlock the settings for you to change
  NOTE: You may need to elevate your permissions using the Privileges app in order to unlock the settings. For more information, see the "Related Articles" section on this page.
• Choose "Location Services" from the list on the left.
• On the right-hand side of the pane, make sure that "Enable Location Services" is checked.
• Scroll through the list and check the box next to "Microsoft Teams Helper (GPU).
• Close System Preferences.

To verify these settings are working:

• Close and re-open Microsoft Teams.
• Click on the elipses (three dots) to the left of your name in the upper-right corner of the application window.
• Click on the Settings icon.
• Choose Calls on the left.
• Scroll down on the right-hand side of the window until you see the "Emergency Location" section.
• Your current campus location should be shown.

If you need further assistance, please contact the Bowdoin College Service Desk