explaingit

lerist/fakelocation

7,053HTMLAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

FakeLocation is an Android app that overrides your phone's GPS with a fake position, letting you simulate movement, routes, and speeds, primarily useful for testing location-based apps and games.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((fakelocation))
    What it does
      Fake GPS position
      Route simulation
      Speed simulation
    Modes
      Root mode
      Non-root mode
    Features
      Joystick movement
      Step simulation
      WiFi positioning
    Use cases
      App testing
      Game testing
      Location spoofing
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Test a location-based Android app by simulating being at a specific address without physically going there

USE CASE 2

Simulate walking, driving, or cycling speed to test step-counting or navigation features in your app

USE CASE 3

Follow a pre-set route to test how a delivery tracking or mapping app responds to movement over time

Tech stack

Android

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Root mode requires SELinux set to permissive, which reduces device security, non-root mode is safer but has fewer features.

In plain English

FakeLocation is an Android application that lets you set a fake GPS position on your device, overriding whatever location your phone would normally report. It is described as a developer tool for building and testing apps, games, or features that depend on location data, though it works equally well for other purposes. The app runs in two modes: one that requires root access (root mode) and one that does not (non-root mode). It supports Android versions 5 through 16. The README includes a warning that root mode also requires SELinux to be switched to permissive mode, which reduces device security, and advises against using it unless you understand the risks. The feature list is extensive. You can move your fake location interactively using an on-screen joystick, and the direction of movement can adjust automatically based on the direction you physically hold the phone. You can simulate movement at several speeds: walking, running, cycling, driving, flying, or a custom speed you set yourself. The app also supports route simulation (following a set path), step count simulation (pretending to take steps to fool pedometer-based apps), WiFi positioning simulation, standalone mode, and GPS signal simulation. Locations can be saved for quick recall, and the update frequency for the reported position can be configured. The README also includes a warning about pirated versions of the app circulating online. Because the app needs high-level root permission, a tampered version could be used to install malware, so the developer advises only downloading from the official release channel.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm building an Android app that shows nearby restaurants. Using FakeLocation, how do I simulate being at a specific address to test the location features?
Prompt 2
How do I use FakeLocation to simulate a driving route for testing a navigation or delivery tracking app on Android 12?
Prompt 3
What are the setup steps for FakeLocation in non-root mode on Android 14, and which permissions does it need?
Prompt 4
How do I configure FakeLocation to simulate step counting so I can test a fitness app's pedometer feature?
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