What is spoofing in Pokemon Go?

During quarantine, Pokémon Go surged back into popularity as more people worked remotely and had time to kill without those tedious commutes to and from work.

So, people grabbed their phones, ventured across unique locations, reliving their oft-long-forgotten childhood dreams of being a real-life Pokémon trainer all over again. But during this time, some people were able to progress in Pokémon Go from the comfort of their homes.

How? Through the technique known as “spoofing.”

What is Spoofing?

Spoofing is the act of tricking your phone’s GPS into processing another location in the world. You do this through a VPN and it is done by players to help grab specific items from PokéStops or battle certain Gyms. And, especially back during the height of the quarantine, it was tough to go anywhere, which made spoofing a necessity to continue playing Pokémon Go.

If you spoof, you put yourself at risk of getting banned from Pokémon Go if you are caught. However, if the trainer is not caught, then they will be able to proceed as per usual. That being said, Pokémon Go can track a player’s location if they check their IP address on the phone, so if you do spoof, only do it out of necessity. Getting banned would be disastrous.

Spoofing is a frowned upon technique for some trainers, though it is a nice technique for those who live in disadvantageous areas that can’t catch strong Pokémon.

In the end, it is up to you if you want to spoof. Just make sure to be safe and do so knowing the repercussions. Otherwise, have fun trainers, go out (or stay in) and continue grinding Pokémon Go world.