What is GPS spoofing in Pokemon GO? (January 2023)

Pokemon GO encourages players to go outside and stay healthy by incorporating walking into gameplay tasks. However, some trainers who may not have the time or ability to walk long distances will still want to progress by hatching eggs and collecting buddy candy. These trainers may look for ways to play the game without walking, and this is where spoofing comes into the picture.

Spoofing replaces legitimate location data with fake data and convinces a network to trust the fake data as genuine information. This is a technique that can be used for various online activities. A popular variant is location or GPS spoofing, which manipulates a device's GPS data to make it appear as if the person is at another location.

In Pokemon GO, trainers usually use location spoofing to access exclusive regional tasks and events. Here's everything you need to know about GPS spoofing in the game.

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How is GPS spoofing incorporated into Pokemon GO gameplay?

Since Pokemon GO revolves around exploration in the real world, players are required to walk or travel to different places in the real world to access Pokestops and Gyms. The game also hosts numerous region-based events for certain Pocket Monsters. When the Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing, Pokemon GO was in a tight spot as players were restricted from engaging in outdoor activities. During that time, spoofing techniques became immensely popular among the playerbase. However, the tactic is considered to be cheating, and anyone caught spoofing will face penalties from the game developers.

Trainers usually manipulate their phone’s GPS to participate in region-based events that are far away from their current location. This can be done with software like a Virtual Private Network or VPN. Since most reliable VPN services require a monthly subscription, players will likely have to spend some money to be able to use GPS spoofing.

There are also other things that Pokemon GO players use GPS spoofing for, but constantly spoofing is more likely to raise suspicions and get your profile reviewed. The developers at Niantic can pinpoint the trainer’s exact location by checking the IP address on their device, or they can check whether the device's IP address and GPS coordinates align. It's easy for the Pokemon GO developers to figure out if a player is GPS spoofing or not, so those using such tactics often get banned from the platform indefinitely.

Players who follow the rules also suffer if those around them are GPS spoofing since it makes the game unbalanced if an urban trainer with powerful monsters takes over a rural area gym (where there are usually fewer Pokestops and less Pokemon variety). Players in rural areas already lack most of the opportunities that urban players have, so GPS spoofing to those locations robs them of what little opportunities they get and shifts the game’s playing field against their favor.

This is why GPS spoofing is looked down upon, even though it allows players to participate in more events or progress faster in the game. The developers of Pokemon GO usually notice if a player in one part of the world suddenly pops up in a different location, so players are advised to avoid spoofing as much as they can.