Recently, we reported on possible locations of Pokémon. With a GPS hack, you can quickly reach all sorts of places. How does it work? And is it legal? And what do you do if the GPS signal cannot be found?
Not everyone has their Pokestop right across the street. Others simply want to play Pokémon GO from home. Instead of wandering all over Germany, it is much easier to cheat a bit and pretend to be at the right location with a GPS fake.
How does a “GPS hack” work?
Pokémon GO uses the GPS data from your smartphone. Thus, you are not manipulating the app but the smartphone. This technique is not really new, as some data protection advocates have been using it for quite some time.
Android users have it easy, as they do not have to do much. First, they need to install the app “Fake Location Spoofer Free” from the Google Play Store. Through developer options, they activate the options “Allow mock locations” or “Allow fake locations”. After that, the app can be started.
iPhone users are best off buying an Android smartphone. If that is too expensive, they must find another way to separate themselves from Apple. A jailbreak or iPhone unlock is inevitable for this; an appropriate app can then be installed via the Cydia app. However, this comes with several disadvantages: You can catch malware much quicker, and the operating system becomes less stable. Apple Support will no longer help you.
Is it allowed?
In regard to Pokémon GO, the developer Niantic does not like it when players cheat in this way – it is against the terms of service. Players for whom the app has not yet been released could only play through this possibility. Niantic responded with bans, but only for a duration of a few hours. During the beta phase, they were much more aggressive and directly banned IPs.
Everyone manipulates the GPS at their own risk. With the predecessor app Ingress, the operator took intensive action against it with bans. The gameplay is ultimately thrown overboard. According to the Independent there are currently the first waves of bans due to GPS fake methods. But it’s more of a first warning: the ban, where most functions of the app are disabled, only lasts for a few hours. It is expected that this will be tightened in the future.
Mein-MMO thinks:
As an author, sometimes you are forced to write about topics you would rather avoid. The reasons are varied, ranging from lack of time to moral concerns. Any form of cheats, hacks, or deceptions is therefore always somewhat problematic. On the one hand, there is a strong interest in information on this topic; on the other hand, you are reluctant to report on it. We have already dealt with this issue.
This problem arises again here. We would have gladly skipped this article, but you would then get the information elsewhere. Thus, ignoring the GPS masking is neither in your nor in our interest. However, we believe it is wrong for you to trick in this way now. The idea behind Pokémon GO is precisely that you leave the house and have adventures. This social factor makes the game the largest MMO of all time. And that would be lost due to GPS manipulation.
It is understandable that people who live in the countryside are looking for ways to find more Pokémon or PokéStops. In the city, you have clear advantages. Nevertheless, GPS hacks are not in the spirit of the game and will be punished. We hope that Niantic is planning further improvements in this area.
GPS signal not found?
Another problem is that users are complaining that they are not receiving a GPS signal. If the location cannot be found, first check whether the GPS is even active. Because without it, the position cannot be determined. Also, make sure that the location/GPS function is set to “High accuracy”. The developers are continuously working to improve the GPS feature. The performance of this feature heavily depends on the phone model and its signal strength.
