Whether you want to watch Netflix shows that are only available in another country or want to change your location on Snapchat, there are plenty of reasons to spoof your GPS location on Android.
Fortunately, doing so is relatively easy. All you have to do is download the right app and follow a few steps to get started.
Let's take a look at some of the apps you can use to spoof your GPS location on Android and how to set them up.
Choose the right app
If you've decided that spoofing your GPS is something you want to do, you're going to want to download the appropriate app to do it.
Thanks to the number of GPS spoofing apps on the Play Store in 2022, it can actually be quite difficult to figure out which app is right for you.
We're not going to do an exhaustive review of all the GPS apps in the Play Store, 99% of which do exactly the same thing, but we can point you to some apps that are known to work. t malware, and are free.
- Fake GPS Location: Fake GPS Location is well-designed and has maintained a nearly 4-star rating (out of 5) with over 40 reviews. It's basic but free and easy to use.
- Fake GPS GO Location Spoofer: This spoofer is aimed at Pokémon Go players and is a solid app, albeit with a semi-dated interface and a 4,0 rating on the Play Store. If you can't get our top pick to work, GO Location Spoofer is the app to try. There is also a Pro version available for $2,99.
- VPN – Fake GPS Location: VPNa, despite its name, does not include a VPN (a virtual private network). The name actually stands for Virtual Phone Navigation App, and it allows you to redirect your GPS to any location currently on Earth. Some have reported that the app doesn't work on newer versions of Android, so keep that in mind when installing in 2022.
- Fake GPS: Mock GPS has a joystick mode that allows you to move your signal at specific speeds, and also allows you to simply move your GPS. The app's design is solid, with a more modern look than most apps on this list.
If you're installing an app that's not listed above, we recommend trying to read user reviews before proceeding. Sometimes it's impossible to know where your data is being sent — a problem even with our recommended apps above — but you should do your best to monitor your data and where it's shipped, sent, and stored.
How to Fake Your GPS Location on Android
Once you have decided which app is best for you, it's time to download and install the program on your device. All of these apps are offered for free through the Play Store; Unlike iOS, you won't have to jailbreak or access third-party app repositories to download these apps. Likewise, you won't need to root your device to install or use the app. You can use all of these apps on just about any smartphone without any major technical know-how.
For this walkthrough, we're using Fake GPS Location, thanks to its good user rating and simplicity. Whichever app you choose, the actual settings for configuring the app will remain the same, so you shouldn't run into any issues.
Enable the correct settings
While your phone doesn't need to be rooted or hacked to access a tampered GPS signal, you do need to enable "Developer Settings", a hidden menu in Android that offers a wide variety of options and options customization to choose from. of.
There is no downside to enabling Developer Settings as long as you don't play around with the settings without knowing what they do. Developer settings are hidden by default because some options, although reversible, can really mess up your phone if you don't know what you're doing.
For this tutorial, we're only changing one setting, so enabling developer settings is easy and safe.
To enable developer options, open your phone's settings menu and scroll all the way down until you find the "About phone" section of your menu. Some devices may call these settings “System” or some other generic name.
Either way, once you reach the "About Phone" section, you'll likely see a bunch of information available to you. Your phone number, device name, etc. What you're looking for here, however, is your software's build number, which you'll find towards the bottom of this menu.
Once you find this option, tap on it a few times. You'll see a little message pop up on your device after a few taps, saying "five steps to becoming a developer," and so on, counting until you've tapped enough on the build number. You'll see a small message notifying you that you're now a developer, and you can return to the main view of your settings menu.
Enabling mock location
You will now notice a new option available in your settings menu. For some, the option will be hidden in the standard settings menu. For others, you'll find the option in your own 'About Phone' or 'System' menu, which is where we found it on our Pixel 2 XL.
In the Debug menu, you will find an option to "Select Mock Locator Application". On older versions of Android, this option is a toggle labeled "Allow mock locations." Select this option.
Now go back to the app you installed and make sure all the options are enabled before you start using the app. You will need to allow the app to properly use your location, and then you can select your location using the app.
For the fake GPS location, you will need to position the crosshairs over your target location. Once you've done that, you click on the little play icon in the lower right corner and a quick ad will play.
Once the announcement is over, you can either use the joystick to move your location on the map, or turn off the joystick and just let the app run in the background.
There are all sorts of options here for you to play with, including the ability to create a path, remove ads, set favorite locations, and more.
Tester l’application
The last step in the process is simple: check and make sure your GPS location is faked correctly. There are several ways to do this.
First, you can search for "my location" on Google, which will bring up a small Google Maps window on your device with your current GPS location.
Alternatively, you can always open an app that uses your location to see if the app is working properly. For example, Snapchat may offer you a multitude of Geofilters, or Google Maps will suggest “nearby” restaurants.
If that doesn't work, don't despair. Check the app again and try to make sure your impersonation has been enabled. You can also try different apps to see if the first app you chose is not working properly on your phone. Also, be sure to check if your device's GPS signal is enabled.
Ultimately, GPS spoofing can be a bit tricky, so it's important to make sure you continue to troubleshoot the device if you're having major issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have more answers to your most frequently asked questions:
Can you spoof your location on Life360?
Life360, one of the most popular tracking apps, is often used to keep tabs on friends and family members. Rarely used for nefarious reasons, there may come a time when you need to keep your travels private. On Android devices, it is possible to trick Life360 into showing a different location.
We have a detailed article for that here, but essentially you will be following the steps above to spoof your location on Life360.
Can spoofing help me progress in Pokemon Go?
Pokemon Go is a great game where you earn rewards for your travels. You can't advance far without wandering away from your neighborhood to catch Pokémon and join battles. Luckily, GPS spoofing allows those who love the game but can't travel to progress through the game. But be warned: if Niantic catches your cheat, you'll be in trouble and possibly get a permanent ban.
Once you have downloaded a GPS spoofing app, enable developer options on your Android phone and set your location to a location where you want to play the game. From there, open Pokemon Go and start playing as you normally would.
Latest Thoughts
Spoofing your GPS signal doesn't get much used to playing Pokémon Go these days, but it has plenty of other applications. Fooling your friends into thinking you're somewhere you're not, checking out places you haven't been, looking at dating profiles in new areas are all common reasons for doing this.
While we don't recommend spoofing your location all day, it's a handy tool that's good to keep in your app drawer, just in case you need to work around a content outage or place a fake Geofilter on your Snapchat posts.
