How to Create Fake Locations for iOS

While many users prefer Apple’s smartphones thanks to their functionality and security, Android devices can surprise with innovative features and designs, too. What’s more significant, Android is more flexible and open, and that’s simultaneously an advantage and a disadvantage. For example, there are numerous fake GPS apps for Android, but you won’t find many tips on how to do the same on iOS. So is it good or bad? The answer probably depends on your motivation.

Why Does Someone Need to Spoof Their Location?

You are looking for ways to do it, so you must know the answer already. But in case you are a curious reader who has noticed an interesting headline, there are three main reasons for faking a location.

• Privacy. A person wants to hide their location from various apps, like WhatsApp, Tinder, Facebook, etc.
• Cheating. This one became extremely popular during the Pokemon GO obsession, and users managed to catch new pokemon without leaving home. This goes for different type of content accessible only from a particular region. For example, streaming platforms often don’t allow users to interact with their apps with a VPN on.
• Work. Location spoofing may be essential for mobile app testing. QA Engineers sometimes need to change user location to reproduce specific environments or test and debug location-aware apps.

How To Fake Your GPS Location

There are several ways to outsmart the system. As I’ve already mentioned, it is easier to do with Android devices. To change GPS on iPhone, you’ll need extra time, creativity, or money. Yes, you’ve got it right: it isn’t an easy task, but there are several ways to spoof GPS on your iPhone.

#1. Unrecommended

The first thing that comes to mind of an amateur is jailbreaking — removing the restrictions imposed by Apple and getting root access. As a result, you can install any application or extension that is not authorized by Apple.

Jailbreaking isn’t illegal, but it isn’t safe either. Jailbreaking creates a security breach, making your device and all data ever stored on it vulnerable. It can also result in stability issues, crashes and freezes, and shorter battery life.

So before you decide to jailbreak an iPhone for extended customization features, think twice about the outcomes.

#2. Not exactly what you need

Some advise to install a VPN application and use it to spoof iOS GPS. However, Virtual Private Network (that’s what VPN stands for) hides your IP address and, thus, the country you are located in, but not GPS coordinates.
If you want to use services that are not available in your area, VPN may be an appropriate solution. If you need to fake GPS coordinates, this is not an option.

#3. Developer account

There is a sane and legal way to fake GPS on iOS — to simulate it using Xcode. If you work in the mobile QA, you won’t have trouble using a developer account. Our team uses this method since it is simple and suitable for all iOS versions. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Extract the coordinates or route from Google Maps in a .gpx file.
2. Open Xcode and build a blank application on the device where you need to change the coordinates.
3. Replace the coordinates in the newly created blank app by the .gpx file.
4. Leave the app to run in the background and use other apps. The device will use new coordinates.

Modifying a .plist file

One more way to simulate the location using a developer account is by modifying a Property List file, which is associated with the native iOS Maps app. It is, however, more complicated and works only for older models (iOS 10 and below).

#4. iOS GPS faker on Your PC

Using a desktop application for spoofing your location is probably the best way to do it — easy, accurate, and no need for jailbreaking or getting a dev account. Here are three widely-used tools with brief guidelines on how to use them.

iTools

1. Download and install the app on your PC.
2. Connect your iPhone.
3. Go to the Toolbox tab and choose Virtual Location.
4. Enter the coordinates of the fake location into the text box and press Enter.
5. Select Move here to fake the location.

iMyFone AnyTo

1. Download and install the application.
2. Connect your iOS device to the PC.
3. Launch the program to provide access to the map.
4. In the top right corner, choose a preferred spoof mode.
5. Type the details of the location in the search row.
6. Specify the details regarding movement and related parameters.
7. Click on Move to apply the fake location.

All the options come with a trial period. If you want to fake GPS on iOS for free all the time, you need to use a different PC every time.

#5. Spoofing Hardware

One more way to change GPS on iPhone is by using special external devices. They remind of USB flash drives an iPhone can use to read the external GPS data. Gfaker is an example of the spoofing hardware, but actually, the options are much more numerous. The price of suchlike devices is around $200 on average.

Bottom Line

As you can see, there are diverse reasons for spoofing your GPS location on an iPhone, as well as the ways to do it. But whether you decide to fake GPS as a part of software testing services or to cheat in a game, do it carefully and make sure your activities don’t do any harm to your device.