Fake GPS Location: A How To Guide

Mobile Apps

The modern world is becoming more and more digitally connected. The rise of the internet and its associated technologies have made it easier to maintain connections with people. Some, however, may want to maintain a little of their privacy in this electronic age. It is for them that we at Cellular News bring you this guide on how to set a fake GPS location.

 

What is GPS?

How to Fake your GPS Location on Android
Photo by Chris P and Peter K from phonearena.com

GPS, or the Global Positioning System, was developed by the United States Airforce as a means of global navigation.GPS works by using four satellites. These satellites beam down information to receivers on the ground. The information transmitted contains data about the current time and position of the satellite.

The receiver uses the information received from the satellites to determine their location relative to where the satellites are. This lets the receiver gain a very accurate fix on where they are.

Despite being built for military use, GPS has a lot of applications in the following fields and technologies:

  • Astronomy 
  • Cellular telephony
  • Navigating
  • Autonomous cars
  • GPS Touring
  • Emergency and disaster services
  • Robotics
  • Clock synchronization
  • Meteorology
  • Seismic Monitoring
  • Vehicle tracking
  • Data Mining

Several countries have proposed their alternatives to GPS. Russia developed the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). China has the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. The European Union has proposed its alternative, Galileo. However, GPS programs will require a decent budget smartphone to properly track your current location with less hiccups.

 

Why Fake a GPS Location?

Keep your location private by getting a fake GPS location
Photo by Dallas Thomas from android.gadgethacks.com

Changing your GPS location might seem like a weird thing to do. Many of us depend on GPS. Indeed, many sectors are dependent on GPS to maintain their systems. So why would anybody in their right mind want to spoof, or fake their GPS location?

While many would assume that you’d fake your GPS location to do something illegal, there are several legitimate reasons to do so.

You may want to change your GPS location to play games like Pokemon GO. Or you may be hiding out from an abusive former partner. You may be using your GPS location for a dating app and want to meet people farther away from where you are. You could also fake your location to help apps that just can’t get a proper fix on your current location. App developers spoof GPS to test for bugs. They also do this to test their app’s functionality while on the road.

 

Disclaimer

 

This article is purely for informational purposes only. The staff of Cellular News do not approve of, nor condone getting a fake GPS location for criminal purposes.

A word of warning as well. Be careful when you fake a GPS location. Remember that all your apps that depend on GPS will use that fake location, not just the app you wanted to fool. 

Here’s how to get a fake GPS location on Android or iPhone.

 

Get A Fake GPS Location: Android 

 

The journey towards getting a fake GPS location for android starts with an app. You’ll need to filter quite a lot of options. Some apps will work on non-rooted phones while some will work only on rooted phones. For this example, we’ll be using the app Fake GPS Free.

  1. Download and install Fake GPS Free
  2. Open the app, then tap Enable Mock Locations
  3. On the Developer Options screen, tap the Mock Location App option and select Fake GPS Free from the list of apps.
  4. If the Developers Option screen does not show up, enable Developer Options on your Android phone, then try again.
  5. Now get back to the Fake GPS Free app. You can now search for the location you want to use as your fake GPS location and pin it on the app.
  6. Next, tap the play button on the bottom right of the app. This should enable the fake GPS location on your android phone. You’ll see a message saying “Fake Location Engaged” on the bottom of the app screen.

You can now close the app and check your Google Maps to confirm if the app works. To end the GPS spoofing, just open the app and tap the stop button at the bottom of the screen.

You can also use the XPosed Framework to allow GPS spoofing apps to change the location of your GPS for specific apps only and not all apps. The XPosed Framework has several different GPS location spoofing apps for Android so be sure to check them all and choose the one that’s best for you.

 

Get A Fake GPS Location: iOS 

Faking your GPS Location on iOS
Photo taken from forums.macrumors.com

Getting a fake GPS location is a more complicated process in iOS. This is because iOS does not have an app that allows you to fake your GPS location. That being said, there are still a few ways to do this.

Let’s check them out!

Via Computer

One way you can fake your iOS device GPS location without Jailbreaking your phone is to use a Windows and Mac app called iSpoofer. The app works with iOS versions up to iOS 13 and is very easy to use. Here’s how to spoof your GPS location using iSpoofer.

  1. Download and install iSpoofer on your computer.
  2. Connect your device to your computer and run iSpoofer. Select Spoof.
  3. Go to the map and choose the location where you wish to fake your GPS
  4. Click on Move to instantly move your GPS location.

Another app you can use is for ThinkSky and it’s called iTools. This app works on iOS versions 12 and older. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Download and install iTools.
  2. Connect your iOS device to your computer.
  3. Go to the Toolbox screen and click on Virtual Location
  4. Enter the location you want to use in the text box on top of the map. Press Enter.
  5. Once the marker lands on the specified point on the map, click on Move Here. This changes your device location to the chosen area.

When you exit the app on your computer, make sure to select No when asked if you want to end the simulation. This ensured that even if you unplug your phone, the GPS location stays the same as what you set.

To change back to your correct location, you can either choose to Stop Simulation in the app. Another way is to restart your iOS device. This resets the GPS location to your true location.

These are just some of the steps you can take to spoof your GPS location on your Android or iOS device. Now get cracking!