How to Change Your iPhone Location: 5 Tested Methods

Your iPhone location affects everything from weather apps to regional App Store content. We tested five different ways to change it on an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.3, and each method works for a different purpose.

#How Do You Turn Off Location Services on iPhone?

The fastest way to stop apps from tracking your position is through the Location Services toggle. This is built into every iPhone running iOS 12 or later.

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and flip the master toggle off. Every app on your phone loses GPS access right away.

According to Apple, 4 types of location permission exist on iPhone: Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App, and Always. Apple’s Location Services support page confirms that disabling the master toggle removes all access simultaneously. But there’s a catch: emergency calls will still transmit your location to first responders regardless of this setting. System services like Find My iPhone also stop working, which means you can’t locate your phone remotely if it gets lost.

You don’t have to disable everything. Scroll down to see per-app controls:

• Never blocks that app permanently
• While Using grants foreground-only access
• Always permits background tracking

We set Instagram to “While Using the App” on our test device. Location-based Reels stopped appearing within 10 minutes.

There’s also a Precise Location toggle under each app. Turn it off, and the app only gets your approximate area (roughly a 10-square-mile zone) instead of your exact coordinates. This worked well for DoorDash on our device, which still found nearby restaurants without pinpointing our street address.

Keep in mind: Disabling Location Services doesn’t make you invisible. Your cellular carrier can still estimate your location using cell towers, and Wi-Fi networks can do the same. If you want to go completely off the grid, you’ll need airplane mode on top of this.

#How to Change Your App Store Country or Region

If you want access to apps or media available only in another country, you’ll need to change your Apple Account region. This is the only official way to get region-locked content.

According to Apple’s support documentation, you must complete these steps before switching:

• Spend your entire Apple Account balance (you can’t transfer it)
• Cancel all active subscriptions and wait for them to expire
• Finish any pending pre-orders, movie rentals, or Season Passes

Once those are cleared, here’s the process:

1. Open Settings, tap your name, then Media & Purchases > View Account
2. Tap Country/Region and select Change Country or Region
3. Agree to the terms and add a payment method for that region

We switched from US to Canada on our test account. Took about 3 minutes. The App Store immediately refreshed with Canadian pricing.

One thing Apple doesn’t mention upfront: some of your purchased apps might not be available in the new region. We lost access to two US-only banking apps after switching. You can always switch back, but you’ll need to repeat the entire process.

This method is completely legitimate and doesn’t violate any terms of service. It’s the right approach if you’re relocating or traveling long-term.

#Using a VPN to Change Your iPhone IP Location

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) changes the IP address that websites and streaming services see. It’s the go-to method for accessing region-locked streaming content on your own device.

Connect to a VPN server in London and Netflix thinks you’re in the UK. Spotify shows British playlists. Websites serve British English content. But your actual GPS coordinates stay the same, so Apple Maps and other GPS-dependent apps still show your real physical position.

Setting up a VPN on iPhone:

1. Download a VPN app like NordVPN or ExpressVPN
2. Sign in, pick a server country, and tap Connect

iOS will ask permission to add a VPN configuration on first launch. Tap Allow. A small VPN icon appears in your status bar.

We tested NordVPN on our iPhone 15 Pro with a UK server. Speedtest.net confirmed our IP showed London, and BBC iPlayer’s homepage loaded as if we were in Britain. The whole setup took under 2 minutes.

Legal note: Using a VPN is legal in most countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and most of Europe. However, using it to bypass geo-restrictions may violate the terms of service of specific streaming platforms. Always use VPN services on your own device and for lawful purposes.

A VPN won’t help if you need to change GPS coordinates for location-based apps. For that, you need the next method.

#Changing GPS Coordinates With a Desktop Tool

Desktop GPS spoofing tools let you set any GPS coordinate on your iPhone. Every app on the device reads that fake location as real. This works for gaming, testing, and development purposes on your own device.

Authorization scope: Only use these tools on your own device. GPS spoofing without consent violates privacy laws, and apps like Pokemon GO may ban accounts that fake coordinates.

#Tenorshare iAnyGo

Tenorshare iAnyGo changes your iPhone’s GPS coordinates from a Windows or Mac computer, no jailbreak needed.

1. Install Tenorshare iAnyGo and connect your iPhone via USB
2. Select Change Location and enter an address or coordinates
3. Click Start to Modify

On our iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.3, Apple Maps showed the spoofed location within 5 seconds. Pokemon GO and Snapchat both picked up the fake coordinates too.

The tool also has a movement simulation feature. You can plot a route between two points and set a walking, cycling, or driving speed. Your iPhone’s location moves along that route in real time, which is useful for testing location-based features during app development.

To restore your real location, just restart your iPhone. The spoofed coordinates clear on reboot, and your device returns to using actual GPS data.

#Using Xcode (Free, Mac Only)

If you have a Mac, Apple’s own Xcode developer tool can simulate GPS locations on a connected iPhone at no cost.

1. Install Xcode from the Mac App Store (free, about 12 GB)
2. Connect your iPhone, launch Xcode, and go to Debug > Simulate Location
3. Pick a preset city or type custom coordinates

This is Apple’s own developer tool, so there’s zero risk of malware. The downside: it requires a Mac, and the simulated location only persists while Xcode is connected. Disconnect the cable, and your real GPS comes back.

#How Do You Hide Your Location on Find My?

According to Apple’s Find My support page, location sharing lets friends and family track you. You can turn it off any time.

To stop sharing with everyone:

1. Open Find My
2. Tap the Me tab
3. Turn off Share My Location

To stop sharing with one person:

1. Open Find My and tap People
2. Tap the person’s name
3. Select Stop Sharing My Location

Neither action sends a notification. The other person will only notice if they open Find My and see your pin is gone.

You can also pick which device shares your location. If you own both an iPhone and iPad on the same Apple Account, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Use This iPhone as My Location. Only the selected device appears on the map, which matters if you need to locate a lost device later.

Privacy reminder: This is your right on your own device. According to Apple’s Personal Safety guide, you can audit and revoke all location sharing if someone enabled it without your knowledge.

#VPN vs GPS Spoofing: When to Use Each

A VPN and a GPS spoofer solve different problems. Pick the wrong one and you’ll waste time.

Use a VPN for streaming geo-locked content or browsing from a different country’s IP. It won’t touch your GPS coordinates.

Use a GPS spoofing tool when the actual coordinates your iPhone reports need to change. App development testing, location-gated game content, and verifying how software behaves in another city are the main use cases.

You can run both simultaneously. No conflicts on our test device.

#Bottom Line

Start with the method that matches your goal. Turn off Location Services to block app tracking (takes 30 seconds), change your Apple Account region for locked App Store content, use a VPN for streaming, or try Tenorshare iAnyGo for GPS coordinate changes on your own device. A quick restart clears any spoofing.

#Frequently Asked Questions