Buzz
Want your phone to appear somewhere else instead of your actual location? A GPS spoofing app can make that happen. (Photo: Shannon Fagan/Getty Images)Your smartphone's GPS feature is vital for location-based services, such as weather apps and mapping tools. However, sometimes this kind of tracking can feel intrusive, whether you're a teenager hiding from your parents or someone in an unhealthy relationship who is constantly monitored. Fortunately, there are ways to outsmart the location tracking on your phone.
To pull this off, you'll need some extra assistance. Regardless of whether you're using an Android or iPhone, there's no simple toggle that instantly changes your virtual position. You’ll need to put in some effort to make your location manipulation work.
The GPS chip in your phone is designed for utmost accuracy. When active, it continuously updates your position by sending coordinates to your phone’s operating system (OS), which then shares the data with apps that rely on location information. To bypass this, you'll need to trick those apps into accepting false GPS data.
You can find several apps in the Google Play Store that allow GPS spoofing on Android devices. For instance, we'll use Fake GPS Location – GPS Joystick as an example.
How to Fake GPS Location on Android Devices
- Open the Google Play Store and download the app named Fake GPS Location – GPS Joystick.
- Launch the app, scroll down to the section called Select an option to get started, and tap the Set Location option.
- Tap Click here to open the map option to select the fake location you want. The coordinates will appear under Latitude, Longitude in GPS Joystick.
- Tap Start, and a Draw Permission Required dialog box will prompt you to change system settings. Tap Go to Settings.
- Enable Permit drawing over other apps, then go back to the app.
- Tap Start, and a prompt will appear asking you to enable a mock location.
- To enable the mock location, go to your phone’s settings, tap About, and find the Build Number. Tap rapidly on Build Number until you see a notification that you're entering Developer Mode. Dismiss any notifications related to Developer Mode.
- In your phone’s Settings, select Developer Options, then tap Select mock location app and choose GPS Joystick. (Alternatively, you can search for Select mock location app.)
- Now, in GPS Joystick, tap Start. You can open Google Maps or a similar app to confirm that your location has been updated. It may take a few moments for the new location to show up on other devices.
How to Fake GPS Location on iPhone
Faking your iPhone's location is more complex than doing so on Android devices because you can't just install an app. The easiest method involves using your computer, but keep in mind this approach only works for iPhones with iOS 12 or older versions.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer and install iTools on your computer. iTools includes a feature called Virtual Location, which allows you to change your phone's location.
- Open iTools and click on the Virtual Location button.
- Type in the fake location you want in the search bar at the top of the map and press Enter.
- Your GPS location on the map will shift to the new location. Click Move Here to confirm. You can click anywhere on the map to adjust the location if needed.
- Once done, exit iTools and unplug your iPhone from the computer. If asked to stop location simulation, make sure to select No.
For devices running iOS 8 or newer, another alternative is Dr. Fone:
- First, download and install Dr. Fone - Virtual Location (iOS), then launch the software.
- Click Virtual Location from the available options, then connect your iPhone to the computer and click Get Started.
- In the new window, you'll see your actual location on the map. If the location appears incorrectly, click the Center On icon in the lower right corner to correct it.
- Activate "teleport mode" by clicking the corresponding icon (the third one) in the upper right. Enter your desired location in the top left field and click Go. For example, let's use Rome, Italy.
- The system will now understand that you want to be in Rome. Click Move Here in the popup window.
- Your location is now set to Rome. Whether you use the Center On icon or check your iPhone’s location, it will be fixed to Rome, Italy, and reflected in your location-based apps as well.
If you simply want to turn off your location services without pretending you're somewhere else, it's easy. For iPhones, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Toggle the Location Services switch from "On" to "Off" to disable location tracking. For Android phones, go to Settings > Connections > Location. Toggle the Location setting from "On" to "Off" to turn off location tracking. Be aware that some apps may not function properly without location services enabled.
Thinking of skipping out? Just remember that faking your GPS signal isn't always foolproof when it comes to throwing people off your trail. For example, if someone (like your parents) is using a service that tracks your phone via your service provider, GPS apps like the ones we've discussed won't be able to conceal your real location.
