How mock location works

LocoLarp is a mock-GPS app. It talks to Android’s location framework. It does not rewrite the GPS chip, intercept satellites, or pretend to be a different device.

The short version

1. You enable Developer Options.
2. You select LocoLarp as the mock location app.
3. LocoLarp registers a test location provider through Android’s LocationManager.
4. While simulation is on, apps that ask Android for a location can receive the test coordinate.

Test providers, not hardware spoofing

Android lets a designated app push sample locations into the system. Those samples look like ordinary location updates to apps that use the platform APIs. The phone’s GNSS receiver is not reprogrammed. If you stop simulation, real providers (GPS, Wi-Fi, cell) take over again.

You might still see a GPS icon. That icon means location services are on, not that satellites were altered.

The mock flag

Android can mark a location as mock. Apps are allowed to call APIs such as Location.isMock or use Play Integrity. If they do, they may ignore LocoLarp.

What “compatible” means

• Apps that read Fused Location or LocationManager without extra checks usually show the test pin.
• Maps and weather apps often work. Banking, rideshare, and integrity gated apps often do not.
• Games and anti-cheat systems may refuse mock locations. Do not use LocoLarp to break those rules.

What this is for

Development, QA, privacy experiments on a device you control, and location-based app testing. It is not a tool for hiding from another person, evading a ban, or falsifying presence.