CLLocation.sourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware not detecting third-party location spoofing tools
Summary
CLLocationSourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware (iOS 15+) fails to detect location spoofing when using third-party tools like LocaChange, despite Apple's documentation stating it should detect simulated locations.
Environment
iOS 18.0 (tested and confirmed)
Physical device with Developer Mode enabled
Third-party location spoofing tools (e.g., LocaChange etc.)
Expected Behavior
According to Apple's documentation, isSimulatedBySoftware should return true when:
"if the system generated the location using on-device software simulation. "
Actual Behavior
Tested on iOS 18.0:
When using LocaChange
sourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware returns false
This occurs even though the location is clearly being simulated.
Steps to Reproduce
Enable Developer Mode on iOS 18 device
Connect device to Mac via USB
Use LocaChange to spoof location to a different city/country
In your app, request location updates and check CLLocation.sourceInformation?.isSimulatedBySoftware
Observe that it returns false or sourceInformation is nil
Compare with direct Xcode location simulation (Debug → Simulate Location) which correctly returns true
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Tags:
Security
Core Location
Maps and Location