Mac Location Spoofer

This project spoofs the location of the Mac running it. It does not spoof the location of a connected iPhone or iPad.

Unlike other tools that run on macOS to spoof a connected iPhone, this project changes the simulated Core Location reported by the same Mac on which the tool is running.

Location spoofing on the Mac running the tool. Set a latitude and longitude, that's it. No iPhone, connected device, proxy, account token, or Find My decryption key is needed.

This is a command-line developer experiment, not a supported Apple API or a guaranteed Find My spoofing product. It uses private macOS preference keys.

Requirements and tested scope

• macOS with Python 3.9 or newer available as python3.
• An administrator account for set and reset.
• Location Services enabled and location permission granted to the app used to verify the fix.
• No other location simulator service running concurrently.

The underlying preference method was observed working on an M1 Mac mini (2020) running macOS 26.6.2 (25G83). A fresh-machine installation and end-to-end set/reset have not yet been verified. Neither Apple Silicon versus Intel compatibility nor other macOS versions have been established.

The tool does not modify SIP, AMFI, entitlements, privacy permissions, or boot arguments. If macOS rejects the method, report that result rather than assuming security protections must be disabled.

Quick start

From a downloaded copy or clone of this repository:

python3 mac_location_lab.py doctor
sudo python3 mac_location_lab.py set --latitude 48.8584 --longitude 2.2945

The example is the Eiffel Tower. Open Apple Maps and press the current-location focus button. The location should have successfully been updated to Paris, France.

Return to the previous configuration:

sudo python3 mac_location_lab.py reset

The first set saves only the six simulation preferences it may change. Later set commands preserve that original backup. reset restores existing values and deletes keys that were originally absent.

Optional installation

sudo sh scripts/install.sh
mac-location-lab doctor
sudo mac-location-lab set --latitude 48.8584 --longitude 2.2945 --accuracy 10

The installed command still requires python3 on the command search path used by sudo. If sudo cannot find Python, use the source command with an explicit Python interpreter path instead. No daemon, login item, or passwordless sudo rule is installed. Preferences might persist after the command exits and across reboots; use reset to end the experiment.

Uninstall from the source directory:

sudo sh scripts/uninstall.sh

Uninstall runs reset first and aborts if restoration fails. It removes only this project's installed command and lock; a surviving original backup is never discarded to force an uninstall.

Find My and other apps

sudo python3 mac_location_lab.py set --latitude 48.8584 --longitude 2.2945 --refresh-findmy

This opt-in step requests a normal restart of Apple's device reporter and opens Find My in the background for the logged-in console user.

Core Location, an app's own location cache, and Apple's cloud device record are different stages. Applying preferences does not prove a device report was sent or that an another device's Find My view refreshed. The original experiment observed successful Find My reports, but this package cannot guarantee propagation, refresh timing, or agreement across clients. Apps that use IP geolocation or independent signals may display another location.

What changes on the Mac

For the _locationd account, in the current-host preferences of com.apple.locationd and com.apple.locationd.notbackedup:

• SimulatedLocationLatitude
• SimulatedLocationLongitude
• SimulatedLocationAccuracy

The command restarts the root preference cache and locationd, then posts com.apple.locationd/Prefs. This affects the system location service and may affect Maps, weather, automatic timezone selection, and other location consumers. Run on a test Mac where practical. A failed write/restart attempts to restore the pre-command values and keeps the original backup for recovery.

Local state is stored under /var/db/mac-location-lab with root-only access. There is no location history, analytics, network client, or credential storage. Coordinates passed as command-line arguments may be visible in shell history and process listings. macOS and apps retain their own independent logs/caches; this tool makes no claim to erase them.

Troubleshooting

1. Run doctor. It reports OS, architecture, SIP status, and whether locationd is running without printing coordinates.
2. Verify Location Services and Maps permission in System Settings.
3. Stop any other simulator before testing; multiple writers can overwrite each other.
4. Check Maps' current-location control before checking a remote Find My client.
5. Run reset if the simulation is unwanted. If it fails, retain the private backup and report the error without uploading it.

Changing macOS private preferences is version-dependent. Please include the OS build, architecture, command name, and sanitized error in an issue. Do not attach credentials, device identifiers, location databases, or private state files.

Development and release

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -v
python3 mac_location_lab.py --help

License

MIT. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Use only on devices you control or administer with permission.

Warning

Do not post encryption keys, tokens, account identifiers, real personal coordinates, state backups, or Find My databases in issues.