How to change location on Android: A step-by-step guide

Do you sometimes think your Android phone knows you better than your friends? It probably does. It’s aware of your shopping habits, knows where you had lunch last week and can predict where you’ll probably have coffee tomorrow. But what if it suddenly thinks you’re in another city—or what if you want it to think that? Whether you’re trying to shake off targeted ads or access your favourite content while travelling, there are many reasons why you might want to change your virtual location. We’ll show you how and why Avira Phantom VPN can mask your browsing and help shield your privacy online.

Why does your smartphone track your location?

Your smartphone has built-in location-tracking powers so it might feel like an over-enthusiastic detective. It’s trying to use those skills to be helpful (rather than creepy), and while these services can be convenient, they raise questions about your online privacy and security. Who’s watching, what information is being gathered, and why? There are many valuable reasons why your smartphone seems obsessed with where you are:

• Navigation apps: Where are you headed, and what is the traffic like en route? Google Maps can’t give you turn-by-turn directions if it doesn’t know where you are.
• Dating apps and other service providers: Lively brunette in Liverpool looking for love? If you want to meet people near you, your phone and dating app need to know your location. Other apps, like cheap petrol finders or electrical car-charging point finders, also need access to this information to provide their service.
• Weather updates: Is it going to rain during your at-home barbecue? Your phone can tell you.
• Find My Device: Have you lost your phone? Its tracking feature is what helps you locate it under the bed (or in a taxi after a long night out). 

It would be naïve to assume that location and other web tracking is only about your comfort and convenience. It doesn’t exist purely to help you find your way to a picnic in the sunshine but can also feed your data to third parties, who collect and sell it (often without your consent). Advertisers use location data to create detailed profiles of users so they can send them personalised ads, which is why you might be inundated with ads for Italian food if you’re walking past pizzerias or searching for them on a map app.

How do apps, websites, and your Android know your location?

Your phone isn’t psychic but deploys an array of technical wizardry to help pinpoint your whereabouts. Here are the key tools used by apps and websites to find out where you are and to help keep track of you as you move about:

• Wi-Fi networks: When you connect to Wi-Fi, you give away your location. That’s because Wi-Fi networks use Wi-Fi signals to scan nearby access points. They then compare that list to online servers containing those points’ geographical locations. This is called Wi-Fi positioning, and it’s used to locate devices indoors and outdoors. Wi-Fi positioning systems use various methods, but most rely on Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) techniques. If you’re keen to maximise signal strength, it’s worth understanding RSSI.
• GPS:Your smartphone has a Global Positioning System that uses satellite signals to provide reasonably exact location data for apps and websites. You can usually expect it to be accurate within a radius of about three to 10 meters under open-sky conditions. The accuracy is reduced to about 10 to 20 meters if there are obstacles like buildings or trees. Remember that if you’re trying to avoid driving into a sinkhole in the dead of night.
• IP address: Every computer has an internet protocol address (a unique set of numbers identifying it online). IP addresses allow devices to communicate with each other and exchange data. Did you know websites can determine your general location based on your IP address?
• Google Location Services: Google gathers information from nearby Wi-Fi and networks, plus the built-in device sensors to determine your device’s location.
• Bluetooth wireless technology: This allows devices and some apps to use radio waves to determine other devices’ presence, distance, and direction. Bluetooth beacons can pinpoint your location within buildings. And if your Bluetooth connection is ever synced to someone else’s device without you knowing, that person might be able to track you.
• Cell tower triangulation: This is like GPS tracking in many ways. Mobile phone companies use multiple towers to track a phone’s location by measuring how long it takes a signal to return to the tower from a phone. Cell tower triangulation also helps provide the best service by choosing the closest tower with the strongest signal.

Remember… your phone has multiple ways to track you, even when you think you’ve gone incognito.

Three ways to change your location on Android

So, you want to disguise where you are? There are three ways to help safely change your location on an Android device. A VPN is a useful choice if you still want to enjoy the full functionality of your apps.

Use a VPN

VPNs connect you to servers scattered in various locations across the globe, so your Android will appear in a different city, region, or even country. A VPN is for you if you’re also looking for the added privacy and safety of an encrypted tunnel.

1. Choose a VPN service like Avira Phantom VPN

• Download and install the free Avira Phantom VPN app from the Google Play Store or via the Avira website.

2. Set up your VPN:

• Open the VPN app and sign in or create an account.
• Follow the set-up instructions.
• Within your Avira Free Security smart window, choose the Privacy tab and then VPN.

3. Turn your VPN on and choose a server location (if possible):

• Click the blue Turn on VPN switch to connect to a VPN server. You can also view your current IP address before connecting. Make a note of this for later.
• If you want to select a server in a specific location, click Change location. Note: You’ll need to subscribe to Avira Phantom VPN Pro to enable this feature, plus unlock limitless data.

4. Check that the VPN is working:

• Within the same window, look out for the green notification that your VPN is on and your connection is now secured.

• Use anIP address-finding website or app to ensure your IP address has changed.

Disable location settings

Android devices allow you to select your location options. That’s especially helpful if you’re looking to block all apps and settings from using your location data. Steps will vary slightly, but here is an example of what to do if you use Android version 15 (on a Google Pixel 7 Pro).

1. Swipe down and hit the Settings icon (cog symbol).
2. Scroll down and click on Location.
3. Toggle the button next to Use location off. You’ll see a notification that your device location may still be sent to emergency responders and that the apps with “nearby devices” permission can determine the position of connected devices (so you can still be “seen” and see others).

Change app permissions

In the above settings, if the Use location button is on, you’ll see a list of apps that recently accessed your location. For a more in-depth understanding of which app knows what, click on App location permissions to view a list of apps that are allowed to access your location all the time, those with location permissions only when they’re in use, and those with no location permissions at all. It’s helpful to regularly review these lists and ask yourself, “Does this app really need to know where I am to function”?

To change the app permissions of a single app, go to App location permissions and click on an app. Then select the location access you want to grant that app. Choose Don’t allow to remove all location permissions.

Google Support offers a wealth of information on how to manage your Android device’s location settings. There’s also this handy, detailed Avira guide on how to change app permissions on Android.

Why does your phone think you’re in the wrong place?

Are you in Turin and not Timbuktu, or does it think you’re halfway across the country when you’re in the next room? Technology is rarely consistently perfect, and sometimes, your phone’s location services can be a little off. Here’s what might be happening:

• GPS glitches: A weak signal or interference can confuse your phone. GPS signals are most potent when there’s a clear view of the sky.
• Wi-Fi weirdness: If you’re connected to a misconfigured Wi-Fi network, your phone will be confused about where you are. Did you recently use a hotspot in another city, for example? Your phone might still think you’re there.
• A VPN “mask”: IP geolocation links to your device’s IP address (not a physical address), so the location shown might be that of your internet service provider. When you use a virtual private network to browse the web, your IP address is masked, and your communications are routed through a server in a different location.
• Disabled location settings: If location services are turned off, your phone won’t be able to access your location.
• Disabled Google Location Accuracy: Unless this is turned on, your phone will have limited sources to use when determining your location. See Google Support to help find and improve your location accuracy in Google Maps.

Why do people change their location?

There are many useful reasons why you might want to “teleport” yourself. For example, are you staring at an “Access denied” notification when trying to watch a video, play a game, or use an app while travelling? A lot of online services are location-based. Many people enjoy being able to access content when they’re travelling. That way, they can watch their favourite boxed set, play games, or use otherwise unavailable apps when they’re abroad—or vice versa if they want to view materials that aren’t available at home. In extreme cases, like someone fleeing from domestic violence or a journalist on the run from an oppressive regime, hiding your whereabouts can be essential for personal safety.

Then there are privacy concerns. Many users prefer keeping their location secret to avoid targeted ads or data tracking. If you’re a developer, you might need to simulate being somewhere else to test whether an app or website works there. And did you know that changing your location can sometimes unlock better deals on flights, hotels, or subscriptions?

If you decide to switch off location services, remember the potential risks! What if you or your phone are lost, for example? You won’t be able to use Find My Device. Location-based apps will also be left in the dark, and you won’t have access to reliable maps and other navigational aids. If privacy is your main concern, a trustworthy VPN like Avira Phantom VPN can be an easier and safer choice. You’ll help shield your online identity and browsing while still reaping the benefits of knowing where you’re going.

Top tips when changing your location on your Android

If you’re ready to fool your phone into thinking that you’re in Manhattan instead of Munich, for example, follow these tips to ensure you and your data have a smoother, safer ride.

• Use a trusted VPN: Travelling the globe virtually could be just a few clicks away, but pick a reputable provider. Cheap options can come with privacy risks. Born-in-Germany online security expert, Avira, provides a range of trusted privacy and protection tools (and has been doing so for over 30 years).
• Enable mock location on Android: See your phone’s developer settings and enable mock locations to test apps or put yourself out of reach of location-based services.
• Watch out for app permissions: Some apps collect location data even when they don’t need it. Regularly review app permissions and don’t grant unnecessary rights.
• Don’t forget to turn it off: If you no longer need a fake location, turn it off to avoid confusion (like wet problems with a confused weather app).
• Be cautious: Some apps, like banking apps, may detect location changes and flag your account for security reasons. Carefully choose which apps you use with a spoofed location.
• Use reputable anti-malware: Hiding your real location won’t make you invisible to cyber scams and malware. Wherever you are online, think before you click on an ad, email, or link, or you could become a victim of online fraud like spoofing.
• Regularly update all software: Ensure your VPN and all apps are regularly updated to keep up with Android system changes that might affect their functionality.
• Above all, please keep things legal! Changing your location to bypass rules, like location-based pricing or accessing multimedia content unavailable in your country, can land you in murky legal waters. And always be sure to unblock content safely.

It’s not just Android users that have the freedom to tinker with their location settings. You can change your location on an iPhone too.

How to improve your location accuracy

If you’re not trying to hide where you really are, here’s how to maximise your device’s location powers. Steps will vary slightly on different devices. A Google Pixel 7 was used here.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Location.
3. Tap Location Services.
4. Tap Location Accuracy.
5. Turn on Improve Location Accuracy.

Choose a trusted VPN for your Android and other devices

A VPN like Avira Phantom VPN acts as a cloak of invisibility for your device’s IP address and online browsing. It’s always a helpful privacy shield but essential on public Wi-Fi as these networks are notoriously poorly protected and a favourite hunting ground for hackers! When picking your VPN provider, look for a no-logs policy so your browsing activities remain between you and your screen. To virtually “hop” to the country of your choice, consider subscribing to Avira Phantom VPN Pro. This premium tool also lets you wave goodbye to data limits, so it’s ideal for avid streamers. Its entry-level cousin, Avira Phantom VPN, is free! Get yours for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.