ChromeOS 144 Regression Third Party Apps Unable to Access Location

Hi VishalSanap08​ thanks for reaching out,

It appears that the update to ChromeOS 144 introduced several security and privacy enhancements that may be impacting how third-party applications interact with system-level permissions like location services.

According to the Chrome Enterprise release notes for version 144, there are two specific changes that might be relevant to this regression:

1. Preference Protection and Encryption: Chrome 144 now includes more aggressive measures to protect "sensitive preferences." If the system detects that a preference has been modified by unauthorized means, it may automatically reset it to the default value. It is possible that third-party app permissions are being flagged or reset under this new security logic.
2. Privacy Sandbox API Deprecation: This version begins the deprecation of several Privacy Sandbox APIs (such as Topics and Protected Audience). If these third-party applications rely on these specific APIs for data retrieval, it could explain the loss of functionality while Google-native apps like Maps remain unaffected.

Suggested Resolution Steps:

• Verify Policy Settings: Check if the or specific policies have been affected or need to be explicitly defined for these third-party origins in the Admin Console.
• Reset App Permissions: Manually toggle the location permissions for one of the affected apps within the ChromeOS settings to see if re-authorizing them bypasses the new protection reset.
• Check for Isolated Web App (IWA) Updates: If these are web-based applications, ensure they are compatible with the new requirements introduced in this version.

For a full breakdown of the architectural changes, please review the Chrome Enterprise Release Notes (Version 144).