What is it?

Apple's network location services (gs-loc) determine your approximate location using nearby WiFi networks and cellular towers. The wloc project lets you override these coordinates with custom values, enabling virtual location spoofing without requiring GPS simulation. This works by intercepting and modifying the protobuf responses that Apple's locationd daemon receives when querying WiFi and cell tower data.

Unlike traditional mock location apps that require developer tools or jailbreak access, this solution integrates directly with popular iOS proxy applications like Surge, Quantumult X, Loon, and Stash. When enabled, any app on your device that requests network-based location will receive your chosen coordinates instead of your actual position.

Key features & use cases

This tool solves several practical problems for iOS users:

• Privacy protection - Prevent apps from determining your real location through WiFi/cell tower triangulation
• Location-based testing - Developers can test how their apps behave in different regions without traveling
• Regional content access - Access location-restricted content or services by spoofing to supported regions
• Automation-friendly - Shortcuts integration allows one-tap location switching from any map application

The tool supports coordinate input from multiple sources: Apple Maps, Google Maps, Gaode (AutoNavi), Baidu Maps, and direct coordinate text. It handles the tricky GCJ-02 to WGS84 coordinate conversion automatically for Chinese map services, ensuring accurate positioning regardless of the source.

For users concerned about privacy, the parsing service runs entirely server-side without logging or caching, and the worker source code is available for self-hosting if desired.

Why is it trending?

With over 1,500 stars, wloc has gained significant traction in the iOS customization community for several reasons. First, Apple's tightening location privacy controls have made traditional spoofing methods increasingly difficult, while network-based location remains a viable attack vector.

The timing coincides with iOS 15-17 releases where users discovered that network location responses could be intercepted via MITM proxy modules. This project elegantly packages that technique into ready-to-use configurations for major proxy apps, removing the technical barrier for average users.

The shortcut integration is particularly popular - users can select a location in their preferred map app, share it to the shortcut, and instantly spoof their location without opening separate configuration interfaces. This seamless workflow distinguishes it from clunky alternative solutions.

Who should use it?

This tool is ideal for:

• Privacy-conscious iOS users who want granular control over their network location data
• Developers testing location features without needing physical presence in target regions
• Advanced iOS power users already running proxy tools like Surge or Quantumult X
• Chinese iOS users who need proper coordinate system handling for domestic map services

You'll need one of the supported proxy platforms and basic familiarity with enabling MITM (man-in-the-middle) interception. The tool works on iOS 15 through iOS 18, though iOS 26+ requires device restart due to Apple's enhanced location caching. No jailbreak or developer tools required - just standard App Store proxy applications.

Getting started

1. Subscribe to the appropriate module for your proxy tool:

   • Surge: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Yu9191/wloc/refs/heads/main/modules/wloc.sgmodule
   • Quantumult X: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Yu9191/wloc/refs/heads/main/modules/wloc.conf
   • Loon: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Yu9191/wloc/refs/heads/main/modules/wloc.lpx
   • Stash: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Yu9191/wloc/refs/heads/main/modules/wloc.stoverride

2. Enable MITM proxy and trust the gs-loc.apple.com certificate
3. Install the shortcuts from iCloud links in the repository
4. In your map app, select a location and share it to "wloc 设置地理位置"
5. For iOS 26+, restart your device to clear location cache

For the full setup guide, see the official repository.