In an increasingly connected world, there are many things you can do to spoof where your device is located. In case you are an iOS user, you can fake GPS location by using a free tool called Virtual Location in 3uTools, and this tool requires no jailbreak during the entire process. In this article, I share the way to use 3uTools to change your location, what you can use it for, and the things you need to keep in mind.
What is 3uTools Virtual Location?
3uTools is free all-in-one iOS device management tool for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is not only a data backup, firmware flashing, and file management tool like most of the others; it has a Virtual Location Feature too. This remarkable optional feature enables users to force what GPS location they want to create the illusion that they are in a different part of the world than they actually are. This feature is especially exciting as iOS users don’t have as many built-in location spoofing options as Android users.
Why Change Your Device’s Location?
There are several common reasons why an individual might choose to use 3uTools to modify their device’s location:
- Bypassing Geo-Restrictions: Access content, apps, or services that are only available in specific regions or countries.
- Location-Based Games: Enhance Augmented Reality (AR) gaming experiences, similar to the ones we witnessed with Pokémon GO, where players can “travel” to other regions to capture a few hard-to-find items or creatures without ever leaving their living-room couch.
- Privacy Protection: Mask your real location to enhance personal security or prevent tracking by certain applications.
- App Testing: Developers can test location-based features of their applications in various simulated environments.
- Social Media Fun: Put a false location on social media to annoy your friends or to make your post look more interesting.
Step-by-Step Guide: Changing Location with 3uTools
Virtual Location in 3uTools is really easy to use. This is how to change GPS coordinates on iPhone/iPad.
- Download and Install 3uTools: Firstly, you need to download the latest version of 3uTools from the official 3uTools site and then install 3uTools on your Windows PC. Tip: 3uTools was designed to be mostly a Windows app, and while a product page claims to have a Mac version, the Mac isn’t much better than Windows at core 3uTools features (virtual location in particular).
- Connect Your iOS Device: Launch 3uTools on your computer. Connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer using a USB cable. Ensure that your device is unlocked and “Trust This Computer” is selected on your iPhone if prompted, to establish a stable connection.
- Access Virtual Location Feature: On the main interface of 3uTools, navigate to the “Toolbox” tab, typically found at the top. Within the Toolbox section, locate and click on the “Virtual Location” option.
- Set Your Desired Location: A map interface will appear. You have a few options to set your new virtual location:
- Search by Name: Type the name of a city, country, or specific address in the search bar.
- Enter GPS Coordinates: Input the precise latitude and longitude coordinates of your desired location.
- Pin on Map: Manually drag and click on a specific spot on the map to pinpoint your fake location.
- Modify Virtual Location: Click the Modify Virtual Location button (or Start Moving in some versions) in the 3uTools app after selecting the location. From now on, you will be able to change your iOS device location to any point you have selected on the map.
- Verify the Change: Open any location-based app on your iPhone, such as Apple Maps, Google Maps, or a social media app, to check whether the location has actually changed. The location you set with 3uTools should now appear in the app.
- Restore True Location: When you wish to revert to your actual GPS location, you can click the “Restore True Location” button within 3uTools or simply restart your iOS device.
Important Considerations and Potential Issues
While 3uTools offers a user-friendly way to change your location, it’s crucial to be aware of certain aspects:
- iOS Device Compatibility: 3uTools’ Virtual Location feature works exclusively with iOS devices. It is not compatible with Android.
- iOS Version Compatibility: Even though a wide range of iOS versions are supported, some users state that the feature fails to run on new iOS updates (eg, iOS 17 and above) and gives an error. To prevent such problems, sometimes it is recommended to keep 3uTools updated.
- App Bans: certain games and apps — such as Pokémon GO — have very little tolerance for cheating, and if their systems detect that you are using these location spoofing tools, they may temporarily or even permanently ban your game or app.
- Privacy Risks: The purpose of V2Ray is to protect your privacy by whitewashing your real location, but too much
- Connection Stability: 3uTools need a Stable Internet connection and a proper working USB Cable. In case you encounter a few connectivity problems, you will get an error while trying to change the virtual location.
- Map Loading Issues: Sometimes, the map within 3uTools might fail to load. So you can follow these troubleshooting steps, check the internet, update 3uTools, or switch the map proprietary from E-Map to Google Maps in 3uTools.
- Free to Use: One of the other important benefits of 3uTools, like the rest of the features, is that it is free to use.
Conclusion
For iOS users, they provide a simple way to make one seem in another part of the world using 3uTools. Use it for unblocking streaming services or safeguarding your privacy; its Virtual Location feature offers enough flexibility without jailbreak. Provided they follow these steps and are aware of all the possible concerns, users can use this tool to pretty much be anywhere in the world.