iPhone Mock Location: How to Do Android's "Allow Mock Locations" on iOS
Coming from Android and looking for mock locations on iPhone? There's no direct equivalent setting, but Apple's developer location simulation does the same job. Here's how.
29 October 2026 · 5 min read
There's no mock location setting on iPhone. Android has a built-in developer option, Select mock location app, which lets you pick a free app from the Play Store and have it feed fake GPS to everything. iOS has nothing like it: no setting to turn on, no app that can claim it. The closest equivalent is Apple's location-simulation feature, a developer capability that gets switched on for your phone once, by a computer, after which an app on the phone can move your GPS freely.
If you just searched "mock location app for iPhone" expecting a one-tap install, why that doesn't exist is worth two minutes, because it explains what to use instead.
Why iPhone has no mock location setting
Android deliberately exposes a hook for test apps: with Allow mock locations (older Android) or Select mock location app (newer, under Developer options), a chosen app can provide fake coordinates system-wide. It exists so developers can test location features on a real device.
iOS has the same need, but the mechanism is not user-visible. Location simulation is:
- built into iOS as a developer service,
- switched on by a trusted computer running a developer tool, such as Xcode,
- never exposed as a Settings toggle you can flip yourself.
On top of that, App Store apps are sandboxed and can't change the location any other app receives, so there is no Play Store-style "fake GPS" app for iPhone. We go deeper on that in fake GPS on iPhone: what actually works.
Android mock locations vs iPhone location simulation
If you're migrating from Android, the closest match works differently enough that a comparison helps:
| Android mock locations | iPhone location simulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the setting lives | Settings → Developer options | Enabled by a computer, then invisible |
| How you pick the tool | Select one app in Settings | A pairing grants the capability once during setup |
| App to fake with | Free Play Store app | An app using Apple's simulation feature (Mirrage), or Xcode |
| Works without a jailbreak | Yes | Yes |
| Affects all apps | Yes | Yes, the whole phone reports simulated location |
| Needs tethering | No | No, once set up (Xcode itself does) |
| Effort to move a pin | One tap in a free app | One tap, after a one-time setup |
Tools you may have used on Android have direct iPhone counterparts that behave the same:
- Where to fake: search an address or drop a pin. Mirrage's Teleport does this.
- Route simulation: Android spoofing typically keeps your dot drawn to synthetic paths between waypoints. On iPhone, a Journey in Mirrage drives, cycles or walks you along real roads at realistic speeds. GPX import works too, which is closer to how developers play recorded routes. See how to use a GPX file on iPhone.
- Joystick: Mirrage includes one, at walking to driving pace.
How to set it up on iPhone
- Connect your iPhone to a Mac or Windows PC and run the setup app for a tool like Mirrage. It's free and takes about five minutes. It pairs the phone, enables Developer Mode and installs the iOS app.
- Open the app on your phone, search for the place you want, and fake it with Teleport. The whole phone now reports that location, Maps, Find My and every app, the same as Android mock locations do.
- Use Journey for movement, Wander for natural drift at a resting spot, and Stop to snap back to your real location instantly.
After that one-time setup, no computer is needed. The phone runs the simulation itself through a loopback tunnel (the details are in what LocalDevVPN does), so this is as close to the Android mock-location experience as iPhone allows: pick a spot, tap, done.
Honest limits to know going in
The Android experience gives a fair vocabulary for the boundaries on iPhone too:
- No toggle you can show someone at a Genius Bar. Simulation is granted through pairing, and resetting Location & Privacy clears it, so you'd re-run setup after a factory reset.
- Some apps cross-check. An app can compare GPS against your IP address, Wi-Fi and motion sensors. Realistic movement helps; nothing guarantees invisibility. Our honest rundown is in is location spoofing safe on iPhone?
- Step counters don't follow GPS. If you used mock locations for fitness on Android, note that simulated GPS doesn't add steps on iPhone either; step counts come from the motion sensors.
- IP-based checks still see the truth. Simulation changes your GPS position. Apps that judge location by IP address still see your real region, which is why people use a VPN alongside GPS spoofing for some use cases. More in app store region vs GPS location.
FAQ
Can I use a mock location app on iPhone?
Not from the App Store, and there's no mock-location setting. The working route is location simulation enabled once by a computer, then an app like Mirrage on the phone to move your GPS.
How do I turn on mock locations on iPhone?
You don't; iOS has no such setting. A setup app turns on Developer Mode and enables location simulation for the phone, after which a spoofing app controls it.
Do I need to jailbreak my iPhone to mock its location?
No. Apple's simulation works on a normal iPhone running iOS 17.4 or later, with no system changes.
Does an iPhone fake location apply to all apps?
Yes. While a simulation is active, every app and service on the phone sees the fake location, Maps, Find My and location shares included, until you stop it.
Is iPhone mock location free like on Android?
Mock location apps on Android are typically free, because Android exposes the feature to any app. App Store apps can't use iPhone's simulation, so the working iPhone tools are paid apps or developer tools. Xcode is free but needs a tethered Mac for every use.