The Ultimate Guide to Altering Your Handheld GPS Tracker’s Coordinates Safely and Effectively

What to Know

• Android: Use an app likeFake GPS Location Spoofer . Choose a fake location on the map and pressPlay .
• iPhone: Install3uTools , go toToolbox >VirtualLocation > choose location >Modify virtual location >OK .
• Remember that GPS fakers affect everything on your device, like navigation and weather apps.

This article explains how to spoof a GPS location on your phone. In most cases, faking the location on your iPhone or Android affects every location-based app on your device.

Spoof Android Location

Search for “fake GPS” on Google Play, and you’ll find many options, some free and others not, and some requiring root access. One app that doesn’t need you toroot your phone —so long as you’re using Android 6.0 or newer—is called Fake GPS Location Spoofer, and it’s my favorite choice for changing my phone’s location. It’s straightforward to use, as you’ll see:

The information below should apply no matter who made your Android phone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.

1. Install Fake GPS Location Spoofer . It works on Android 4.4 and up.
2. Open the app and accept any prompts you see. You’ll need to tapAllow to let the app send notifications, andWhile using the app to give it location access.
3. TapAccept if you see a terms prompt, then chooseEnable from the message at the bottom about mock locations.
   
4. ChooseDeveloper Settings to open that screen, tapSelect mock location app toward the very end of the page that opened, and then selectFakeGPS Free.
   
   If you don’t see this screen,turn on developer mode , and then return to this step. In some Android versions, you have to put a check in the box next to theAllow mock locations option on theDeveloper options screen.
5. Use the back button to return to the app. Search for the location you want to fake on your phone (you can also drag the map to place the pointer somewhere). If you’re making a route, tap-and-hold on the map to drop place markers.
6. Tap theplay button at the bottom of the screen to enable the fake GPS setting.
   You can close the app and open Google Maps or another location app to see if your GPS location has been spoofed. To get your real location back, press the stop button.

If you’re interested in trying a different Android location spoofer, we’ve confirmed that the following free location changing apps work much like FakeGPS Free:Fake GPS ,Fly GPS , andFake GPS Location . Another method is to useXposed Framework to install a location-spoofing app.

Spoof iPhone Location

Faking your iPhone location isn’t as easy as on an Android device—you can’t just download an app. However, software makers have built desktop programs that make this easy.

Fake iPhone or iPad Location With 3uTools

3uTools is the best way to spoof the location of your iPhone or iPad because the software is free, and I’ve confirmed that it works with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.

1. Download and install 3uTools . This was tested on Windows 11, but it works in other versions of Windows as well, plus macOS.
2. With your iPhone or iPad plugged in, selectToolbox at the top of the program, and thenVirtualLocation from that screen.
   
3. Select somewhere on the map, or use the search bar, to choose where you want to fake your location.
4. SelectModify virtual location , and thenOK when you see the “succeeded” message.
   If you see a prompt about Developer Mode, follow the steps on the screen to turn that on.
   Restart your device to pull real GPS data again.

Fake iPhone or iPad Location With iTools

Another way to manipulate your iPhone’s location without jailbreaking is with iTools from ThinkSky. It runs on Windows and macOS and can simulate movement, but it’s not free forever. It works with iOS 16 and older versions.

1. Download and install iTools . You might have to selectFree Trial at some point before it fully opens.
2. Plug your device into your computer and navigate toToolbox >Virtual Location .
   
3. If you see this screen, select the image in theDeveloper Mode section to agree to download the iOS Developer Disk Image file.
4. Search for a location from the top of the screen, and then selectGo to find it on the map.
5. SelectMove here to instantly fake your location.

The iTools website hasmore information on how to use the map . It can also simulate a route.

You can now exit the_Virtual Location_ window in iTools as well as the program itself. If you’re asked whether to stop the simulation, you can chooseNo to make sure that your fake GPS location stays even when you unplug your phone.

To get your real location back, return to the map and selectStop Simulation . You can also reboot your device to immediately start using its real location again.

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However, remember that you can fake your phone’s location with iTools only within the 24-hour trial period; you’ll need to use an entirely different computer if you want to run the trial again. The fake location will remain as long as you don’t restart your device.

Why Would You Fake Your Location?

There are lots of situations where you might set up a fake GPS location, both for fun and for other reasons.

Maybe you want to change your location so that something like a dating app thinks you’re a hundred miles away, perfect if you’re planning to move somewhere and want to get ahead of the dating game.

Spoofing your location might also come into play when using a location-based game like Pokémon GO. Instead of having to travel several miles away to pick up a different Pokémon type, you could trick your phone into telling the game that you’re already there, and it will assume your fake location is accurate.

Other reasons to set up a mock GPS location might be if you want to “travel” to Dubai and check in to a restaurant you’ve never actually been to, or visit a famous landmark to trick your Facebook friends into thinking you’re on an extravagant vacation.

You can also use your fake location to fool your family or friends in your location-sharing app, to hide your real location from apps that request it, and even to set your_real_ location if GPS satellites aren’t doing a great job at finding it for you.

Changing your GPS location doesn’t hide your phone number, mask yourIP address , or alter other things you do from your device.

GPS Spoofing Problems

Before getting started, please know that although it can be a lot of fun to fake your location, it’s not always helpful. Plus, because GPS spoofing isn’t a built-in option, it isn’t just a click away to get it going, and location fakers don’t always work for every app that reads your location.

If you install one of these apps on your phone to use it for, say, a video game, you’ll find that other apps that you_want_ to use your real location with will also use the fake location. The game might very well use your spoofed address to your advantage, but if you open your navigation app to get directions somewhere, you’ll have to either turn off the location spoofer or manually adjust your starting location.

The same is true for other things like checking in to restaurants, staying current on your family-based GPS locator, checking the surrounding weather, etc. If you’re tricking your location system-wide for everything on your phone, it will affect the location in all your location-based apps.

Some websites falsely claim that using aVPN will change your GPS location. This is not true for_most_ VPN apps because their primary purpose is tohide your public IP address . Relatively few VPNs also include a GPS override function.

FAQ

• How do you share your location on iPhone?
  Open the Find My app and selectPeople >+ >Share My Location . Enter the name or number of the contact you want to share your location with and selectSend . Choose the amount of time you want to share your location (one hour, until the end of the day, or indefinitely) and selectOK .
• How do you turn off your location on iPhone?
  If you’re concerned with privacy on your iPhone, you can tell it to stop tracking your location. Go toSettings >Privacy & Security >Location Services and flip the toggle toOff .
• How do you find the location of an iPhone?
  Open the Find My app, selectDevices , and then choose the device you want to locate. If the phone can be located, it appears on the map. If it can’t, you will see “Offline” under its name. Its last known location is displayed for up to 24 hours.
• How can you see the location history on an iPhone?
  Your iPhonekeeps track of significant places you’ve visited , and you can review these. Go toSettings >Privacy & Security >Location Services >System Services >Significant Locations .
• How do you change the weather location on an iPhone?
  Tap and hold your finger on the Weather widget, and then selectEdit “Weather” . TapMy Location and then choose a new one from the list that pops up, or use the search bar. The new location is now the default.
• How do you share a location from iPhone to Android?
  OpenContacts , select the contact, and then chooseShare My Location . You can alsoshare your location using Google Maps :Menu >Location sharing >Share location .

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