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Mock my GPS

Android app that mocks the GPS and Network location providers.

Screenshots

Mock-my-GPS Mock-my-GPS Mock-my-GPS Mock-my-GPS Mock-my-GPS Mock-my-GPS

Summary

combination of:

Comparison of features in existing apps

FakeTraveler:

  • pros:
    • doesn't require root or system permissions
      • only requires setting: Developer > Mock Location
    • includes a minimalist map embedded in a webview
      • nice implementation
      • static html page w/ 2-way javascript binding
  • cons:
    • no bookmarks
    • no geo intent filters
    • no ability to "wander" from specified lat/lon

FakeGPS:

  • pros:
    • coding is excellent
    • supports 2 ways to "wander" from specified lat/lon
      1. buttons (up, down, left, right) that apply a specified offset to current location
        • accessed via a "joystick" that floats on top of other apps
      2. "fly to"
        • user specifies a 2nd location and how much time it should take to travel there (as the crow flies)
        • recalculates a new intermediate position every 1 second
    • supports bookmarking geo coordinates
  • cons:
    • requires root
    • requires installation as a system app
    • does NOT use the 'Mock Location' API
      • hooks directly into low-level APIs
    • "joystick" overlay is not optional
      • always visible when GPS location is fake
    • "joystick" overlay includes unnecessary buttons
    • bookmarks cannot be edited
    • no good way to push a geo coordinate into the app
      • no internal webview with map
      • no geo intent filters

Design Goals

Combine the best features from all:

FakeTraveler:

  • methodology for mocking location (GPS and Network)

FakeGPS:

  • overall architecture
  • "joystick" and "fly to"

OsmAnd:

  • geo intent filters

other considerations:

  • though the embedded map in FakeTraveler is elegant
    • the geo intent filters make this unnecessary
      • external mapping software can provide better features
        • Google Maps can work offline
        • OsmAnd can work offline
        • OsmAnd can broadcast geo intents

other enhancements:

  • better bookmarks
    • save from fields in UI
    • save from geo intent
    • add from dialog
    • edit from list
  • more preferences
    • frequency at which location providers receive mock updates
    • duration for which mock updates are sent to location providers each time the "start" button is pressed
      • 0 holds the special meaning that the duration is indefinite and will continue until the "stop" button is pressed
    • ability to enable/disable "joystick"
    • ability to configure the increment value added to lat/lon values each time a "joystick" button is pressed
    • ability to continue to mock the destination after a trip simulation completes

Comparison of release APK variations

  • Mock-my-GPS vs. Mock-my-GPS-UnifiedNlp-Backend vs. Mock-Silently
    • Mock-my-GPS
      • installation is required
      • minimum supported version of Android: 1.5 (Cupcake, API 3)
      • standalone application
    • Mock-my-GPS-UnifiedNlp-Backend
      • installation is optional
      • minimum supported version of Android: 2.3 (Gingerbread, API 9)
      • backend plugin for UnifiedNlp, which is:
        • typically installed as a component of microG
        • intended for used on de-Googled Android ROMs
        • a drop-in replacement for Google Location Services (GLS)
      • behavior:
        • while Mock-my-GPS is running, Mock-my-GPS-UnifiedNlp-Backend provides mocked location data to UnifiedNlp
        • by default, the timestamp for mocked location data updates is advanced by 45 seconds
          • this causes UnifiedNlp to prioritize the mocked location data, and to effectively ignore location data updates provided by all other backend plugins
      • for more info, refer to:
    • Mock-Silently
      • installation is optional
      • minimum supported version of Android: 1.0 (API 1)
      • standalone application
      • purpose:
        • to intercept implicit geo-Intents that originate from 3rd-party software, and cannot be directly configured to include custom extras
      • behavior:
        • add pre-configured values for custom extras to intercepted geo-Intents
        • make the updated geo-Intent explicit to open in Mock-my-GPS
        • start the updated geo-Intent
        • finish without ever showing any visible UI
      • recommendation:
        • while using 3rd-party software to share locations with Mock-my-GPS through implicit geo-Intents, make this the default app to handle implicit geo-Intents
        • when done, revoke this Android setting to re-enable the Activity chooser
  • english vs. withAllLanguageTranslations
    • english
      • does not include translated string resources for any other languages
    • withAllLanguageTranslations
      • does include translated string resources for all supported languages
  • withAospLocationProviders vs. withGooglePlayServicesFusedLocationProvider vs. withHuaweiMobileServicesFusedLocationProvider
    • withAospLocationProviders
      • supplies mock location data to the following Android Open Source Project (AOSP) location providers:
        • LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.FUSED_PROVIDER
    • withGooglePlayServicesFusedLocationProvider
      • supplies mock location data to the following Android Open Source Project (AOSP) location providers:
        • LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.FUSED_PROVIDER
      • supplies mock location data to the following Google Play Services location providers:
        • FusedLocationProviderClient in the Google Location Services (GLS)
      • requires that Google Play Services is installed, enabled, and sufficiently recent
    • withHuaweiMobileServicesFusedLocationProvider
      • supplies mock location data to the following Android Open Source Project (AOSP) location providers:
        • LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER
        • LocationManager.FUSED_PROVIDER
      • supplies mock location data to the following Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) location providers:
        • FusedLocationProviderClient in the HMS Core Location Kit
      • requires that Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) is installed, enabled, and sufficiently recent

Intents

  • Latitude and Longitude coordinates are extracted from each Geo-Intent
  • the default behavior of the app is to then:
    • display a Dialog to ask the intended "purpose" for the location coordinate extracted from the Geo-Intent
    • display an Activity to allow the user to apply any relevant configuration for the intended "purpose" before starting or updating the Service
  • Extras in the Intent can be used to streamline this behavior:
    • (integer) purpose
      • 1 = fixed position
      • 2 = trip origin
      • 3 = trip destination
      • 4 = new bookmark
    • (boolean) silent_update
      • only works in combination with:
        • purpose having a value of either: 1 or 3
      • default: FALSE
    • (boolean) force_start
      • only works in combination with:
        • purpose having a value of: 1
        • silent_update having a value of: TRUE
      • default: FALSE
    • (integer) trip_duration_seconds
      • only works in combination with:
        • purpose having a value of: 3
        • silent_update having a value of: TRUE
      • default: 60

Example:

  • using the app: Bookmarks
  • Intent configurations:
    1. fixed position
      • Name = (fixed position) New York City: Central Park
      • Action = android.intent.action.VIEW
      • Package Name = com.github.warren_bank.mock_location
      • Class Name = com.github.warren_bank.mock_location.ui.GeoIntentActivity
      • Data URI = geo:40.78290,-73.96567
      • Extras:
        1. Name = purpose
          • Type of Value = int
          • Value = 1
        2. Name = silent_update
          • Type of Value = boolean
          • Value = TRUE
    2. trip destination
      • Name = (trip destination) San Francisco: Golden Gate Park
      • Action = android.intent.action.VIEW
      • Package Name = com.github.warren_bank.mock_location
      • Class Name = com.github.warren_bank.mock_location.ui.GeoIntentActivity
      • Data URI = geo:37.76914,-122.48301
      • Extras:
        1. Name = purpose
          • Type of Value = int
          • Value = 3
        2. Name = silent_update
          • Type of Value = boolean
          • Value = TRUE
        3. Name = trip_duration_seconds
          • Type of Value = int
          • Value = 3000

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