MacOS Tahoe: WiFi SSID shows as when scanning from command line

Summary

The issue of WiFi SSID showing as <redacted> when scanning from the command line on macOS Tahoe 26.x is due to Location Services privacy restrictions. This restriction prevents applications from accessing location information, including WiFi network names, without explicit user permission.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is:

• Location Services privacy restriction introduced in recent macOS versions
• Terminal.app not appearing in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services, making it impossible to grant permission
• system_profiler and networksetup commands not having the necessary permissions to access WiFi network names

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue occurs in real systems because:

• macOS prioritizes user privacy and security
• Location Services are restricted by default to prevent unauthorized access to location information
• Command-line tools are subject to the same restrictions as graphical applications

Real-World Impact

The real-world impact of this issue is:

• Inability to scan WiFi networks with actual SSIDs from the command line
• Limited functionality for command-line tools that rely on WiFi network information
• Increased complexity for users who need to troubleshoot WiFi issues from the command line

Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)

/usr/sbin/system_profiler SPAirPortDataType

This command will output the available WiFi networks, but with <redacted> SSIDs.

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers can fix this issue by:

• Enabling Location Services for the specific command-line tool or application
• Using alternative tools that have the necessary permissions to access WiFi network names
• Running commands with sudo to bypass the Location Services restriction

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers may miss this issue because:

• Lack of understanding of macOS privacy restrictions and Location Services
• Insufficient experience with command-line tools and their limitations
• Overlooking the <redacted> SSIDs as a minor issue rather than a symptom of a larger problem