Spoofing your location in Play Store - HackTricks

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In situations where an application is restricted to certain countries, and you're unable to install it on your Android device due to regional limitations, spoofing your location to a country where the app is available can grant you access. The steps below detail how to do this:

1. Install Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy:

   - Begin by downloading and installing the Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy from the Google Play Store.

2. Connect to a VPN Server:

   - Open the Hotspot Shield application.
   - Connect to a VPN server by selecting the country where the application you want to access is available.

3. Clear Google Play Store Data:

   - Navigate to your device's Settings.
   - Proceed to Apps or Application Manager (this may differ depending on your device).
   - Find and select Google Play Store from the list of apps.
   - Tap on Force Stop to terminate any running processes of the app.
   - Then tap on Clear Data or Clear Storage (the exact wording may vary) to reset the Google Play Store app to its default state.

4. Access the Restricted Application:

   - Open the Google Play Store.
   - The store should now reflect the content of the country you connected to via the VPN.
   - You should be able to search for and install the application that was previously unavailable in your actual location.

### Important Notes:

- The effectiveness of this method can vary based on several factors including the VPN service's reliability and the specific regional restrictions imposed by the app.
- Regularly using a VPN may affect the performance of some apps and services.
- Be aware of the terms of service for any app or service you're using, as using a VPN to bypass regional restrictions may violate those terms.

## References

- https://manifestsecurity.com/android-application-security-part-23/

> [!TIP] Learn & practice AWS Hacking:HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)
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> Support HackTricks
> - Check the subscription plans!
> - Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow us on Twitter 🐦 @hacktricks_live.
> - Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the HackTricks and HackTricks Cloud github repos.