How to Change Your Location in Pokemon Go (still working in 2024)

James Patterson | Last Updated:

Online Privacy & Internet Security Expert

If you’re not an inner city-dweller or live outside a major regional hub, there’s a pretty good chance that when it comes time to play any multiplayer, online or augmented reality video games that rely on local players — you’re often all on your own. You’re not alone in this issue if you’ve ever launched Pokemon Go in a rural locale and noticed that there’s almost nothing on your display. Smaller towns and countries miss out on a myriad of Pokemon, Pokestops and Gyms simply because there’s a far smaller population playing the game in those regions.

We’re glad to say that there is a rather simple way around this, and all it involves is a little location spoofing. We’ve tested and updated our step-by-step guide below in March 2024 to ensure that it still works on both Android and iPhone devices. If your Pokemon Go app believes you’re in a major hub, you’ll soon be inundated with Weedles, Pidgeys and maybe even the ultra-rare Ninetale’s! With all that said, let’s take a look below at how to have a tonne more fun and catching more Pokemons by changing your location in Pokemon Go!

QUICK GUIDE: how to spoof your location on Android

  1. Install Fake GPS GO from Google Play
  2. Enable Developer Options
  3. Enable Mock Locations or Mock Location App
  4. Install Mock Mock Locations Module from Xposed Repository
  5. Grab a reliable VPN subscription – we strongly recommend ExpressVPN due to their blazing fast vpn server speed.
  6. Login to your VPN account, and select the City server location

Location Spoofing on Android

The good news for Android users is that your device’s customizability makes location spoofing relatively simple. Get a hold of ‘Fake GPS GO’ on the Play Store and once you’ve opened the app, choose a great population-dense location like a major city. We suggest going with New York, Chicago, LA or Miami, for example.

Our internal testing found that Fake GPS GO is the best and most reliable Pokemon Go spoofer for Android. Once you’ve installed it and chosen your locations, next step is that you’ll then need to head into your Android device’s settings, select About Device and tap on the Build Number pane seven times. Doing this will enable Developer Options.

Once Developer Options are enabled, tap on the tab and choose either ‘Allow Mock Locations’ or ‘Select Mock Location App’ depending on your device. When prompted, choose your Fake GPS GO app as your location spoofing application.

Mock Mock Locations

Now on to the most important step in all of this which is hiding the fact you’re using a location spoofing application as Pokemon Go may ban you permanently if you’re caught. We recommend finding and installing the “Mock Mock Locations” module on the Xposed Module Repository. All you’ll need to do is download and install it like a regular third-party application.

Lastly, you’ll then need to select a reliable Android VPN app to mask your IP address from Pokemon Go. We’ve succesfully used and tested this hack using both ExpressVPN (our preferred choice) and SurfShark. Having said that, ExpressVPN is our go-to vpn because of the huge number of vpn servers that they have in their network. They have over 3,000 vpn servers across 95 different countries. Also just as importanly, if you ever get blocked by the Pockemon Go app, you can simply flick a quick email to the ExpressVPN support team and let them know what has happened. They deal with Pokemon Go queries like this all the time, and can quickly point you to an alternative vpn server on their network which isn’t blocked. SurfShark will also do the job if you’re after a cheaper option, although we found that our success rate in spoofing our location with the vpn to be inconsistent.

Simply head to your chosen VPN’s website, grab yourself a subscription (we recommend you start off by signing up for a basic ExpressVPN account for under $10 USD per month. You can cancel at any time, and there’s also a full 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee in case you’re not happy for any reason) and download the app to your smartphone. Then login to the vpn app and select a VPN server from the drop-down list presented to you. Note: we highly suggest choosing a VPN server that’s close to the city you’ve selected on Fake GPS GO.

Location Spoofing on iPhone

When compared to Android, iOS devices and applications are much more difficult to spoof locations with, though with a jailbroken device Pokemon Go spoofing on iOS is possible.

If you do happen to have a jailbroken iOS device or a device with a jailbreak-supported OS and a VPN subscription, then you can begin following our guide below.

With Cydia installed on iOS from your jailbreak, find and install the Protect My Privacy application on your device. You’ll then need to open the application and simply tap the Location text and choose ‘Protect.’ From there, choose a location within the app; again, it’s a good idea to select a major metropolitan hub for your location.

Once you’ve selected a city, open your iPhone VPN app – we had success for this iPhone hack using ExpressVPN. Next, you need to choose a VPN server location that’s in the city you’ve chosen in the Protect My Privacy app. After this new location is selected, you’ll be placed quickly in a location with a tonne of Pokemon, Pokestops and Gyms.

Quick Guide: how to spoof your location on iOS

  1. You’ll Need a Jailbroken iPhone and VPN
  2. Install Protect My Privacy from Cydia
  3. Select a Large City in ‘Location’ and ‘Protect’ Settings
  4. Select a VPN Server in the Chosen City

Accessing Pokemon Go from Outside the US

For those of our readers who live in a country or city where Pokemon Go is blocked and removed the application from the Google Play Store, then there’s some good news. In some countries you may also experience that Pokemon Go has not yet been formally released. But thats not a problem if you have a VPN. With a VPN and changing your device’s region to the United States, you can quickly get a copy of the Android and iOS versions of Pokemon Go.

How to use a VPN to download Pokemon Go for Android on Google Play

Similarly to the spoofing above, Android devices are generally easier than iOS ones at getting a hold of out-of-country applications. Take a look below at what you’ll need to do.

  1. With a VPN, select the US as your browsing location. The VPN that we recommend is ExpressVPN.
  2. Head into settings and choose Applications and tap Google Play Store. From there tap Storage.
  3. Now tap the ‘CLEAR DATA’
  4. Return to Google Play and accept the new Terms and Conditions
  5. Then you just need to search for Pokemon Go.

And that’s it! You’ll be free to download it as you would if you were in the US.


1. ExpressVPN

image of the ExpressVPN homepage

Features:

ExpressVPN continues to be our #1 recommendation for just about all types of vpn uses. They have a huge network of vpn servers around the globe, they have all of the security features to keep you safe online, and their apps are rock-solid and stable.

  • Speed Optmised VPN Servers - gives you a smooth and buffer-free streaming experience.
  • Unblocks Streaming Services - Netflix, Hulu, the BBC and other sites.
  • Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands (your data is safe from your Government!)
  • 3,000+ Servers / 160 Locations / 94 Countries - for maximum speed, coverage and accessibility where ever you around the world.
  • 30-day Money-Back Guarantee - for ultimate peace of mind. Give them a try and see for yourself.

ExpressVPN Prices:

Below are the latest ExpressVPN subscription prices, current as at March 2024:

latest subscription prices for ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN Deal - March 2024: sign-up for a 1 Year Plan, and pay only $8.32 per month. That's a whopping 35% Discount off the regular monthly price! Head over to ExpressVPN now to take advantage of this hot deal!

visit ExpressVPN


How to use VPN to get Pokemon Go on iOS from the Apple App Store

For an iPhone or iOS device, the process is relatively simple, though you’ll need to have a US address and zip code handy. You may also be prompted for payment details which are required whether you’re downloading an app for free or not — for this step you can choose ‘Gift Card.’

  1. Firstly you’ll need to connect your iPhone to a US server using your VPN.
  2. Once browsing from a US server, head to Settings and select iTunes & App Store.
  3. Select ‘View Apple ID’
  4. Once inside your Apple ID settings, find the Country/Region option and choose ‘Change Country or Region.’
  5. Choose the United States option and select Agree.
  6. You’ll be asked for a US address and zip code, so find one on Maps and input it.
  7. You’ll then be asked for a payment method; choose Gift Card unless you have a valid US credit card.

Once all of the above is completed without error, head over to the App Store and search for Pokemon Go and install it! Now you have access to Pokemon Go outside of the US and have the ability to change your location to make it a whole lot easier to Catch ‘em All!

Ditto Location on Pokemon Go

Ditto is a cute and cuddly purble blog that most players of Pokemon Go love to catch. But getting hold of him isn’t easy. Part of the reason for this is because he is what’s known as a Transform Pokemen, meaning that he can take the form of other characters and transform at will.

In fact, because he takes the form of other characters, you won’t know that you’ve caught a Ditto until you or someone else that you know has actually caught him! This can be extremely frustrating if you’re on the hunt trying to find the location of the elusive Ditto. We found the best way to locate Ditto is to monitor his location on the Pokemon Discord server. The idea is that as soon as someone has found him they can put the word out as to his location to the Pokemen Discord community. You can then use the Location Spoofing hack that we’ve described above to change your Pokemen Go location to wherever it is in the world that Ditto is currently hiding, and catch him. But you better be quick, he moves fast !

Charmander Location on Pokemon Go

Charmander is another elusive character that is high on the hit list for many Pokemon Go fans. Being a fire-type character, he tends to like warmer environments, so if you’re living in a colder climate country you’re probably going to struggle to find him.

Finding the location for where Charmander is currently spawning is best achieved by checking out the Pokemen Discord community. That way, as soon as someone else (in a warmer country) has located Charmander, you can be quickly advised where he’s at. Once you know that, you can then simply use the hack method described above to spoof your current location (using a vpn and some freeware apps) to head directly to the spawn location. From there you’ve done all the hard work, and it’s now up to you to you to round him up and catch him. Good luck!

PRIVACY ALERT: Websites you visit can see your current IP Address:

  • Your IP Address: 54.157.61.194
  • Your Location: Ashburn, US
  • Your Internet Provider: Amazon.com, Inc.

* Scammers, Governments, and Advertisers can use this information to track and target you.

Our recommended vpn service provider for general all-round internet security and online privacy is ExpressVPN. It offers an excellent selection of online security and internet privacy features, excellent speed, and the ability to unblock your favorite streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer).

Visit ExpresssVPN

Categories: Gaming

view further information about ExpressVPN prices

Our Testing Process

  1. Security
  2. No-Logs Policies
  3. Speed
  4. Streaming
  5. Torrenting
  6. Censorship
view further information about ExpressVPN product features