GPS JoyStick Complete User Guide

This guide covers every feature in GPS JoyStick from installation through advanced workflows. Whether you just downloaded the app or have been using it for months and want to understand a specific control, this is the reference.

For initial device setup (Developer Options, mock location app, battery optimization), see the Setup Walkthrough. This guide assumes your device is already configured.

Installation

Google Play Store

1. Open the Google Play Store listing and install GPS JoyStick
2. Open the app and grant location permissions when prompted
3. Set GPS JoyStick as your mock location app in Developer Options

The Play Store version includes all core features: joystick movement, teleporting, GPX route recording and playback, favorites, speed modes, and the built-in cooldown timer.

Unlocked Version (Website APK)

The unlocked version adds Suspended Mocking, Indirect Mocking, System Mode, Privacy Mode, A-GPS Reset, and Fix Options at no cost. See Unlock Features for details on each.

1. Visit the download page and select the APK matching your device architecture (most modern devices use arm64-v8a)
2. If prompted, allow installation from unknown sources in your device settings
3. If Google Play Protect blocks the install, tap More details then Install anyway
4. Open the app and grant location permissions
5. Set GPS JoyStick as your mock location app in Developer Options

If you purchase ad removal on the Play Store version, that purchase carries over to the unlocked version automatically. The purchase is tied to your Google account and works across multiple devices.

Play Store vs. Unlocked: Which to Use

	Play Store	Unlocked (Website)
Core features	All included	All included
Privacy Mode (clone with randomized package)	Not available	Included
Suspended Mocking	Not available	Included
Indirect Mocking	Not available	Included
System Mode	Not available	Requires root (Android 9 and below)
A-GPS Reset / Fix Options	Not available	Included
Disable Location Service	Not available	Included
Select Background Thread	Not available	Included
Ad removal	In-app purchase	Same purchase applies
Updates	Automatic via Play Store	Manual download from website

Choose the Play Store version if you only need basic location mocking and want automatic updates.

Choose the unlocked version if you need Suspended Mocking, A-GPS Reset, Fix Options, or other advanced features for testing apps that check the mock-location flag. See the Setup FAQ for setup methods.

Navigation Drawer

The navigation drawer is the primary way to move between major screens. Tap the menu icon in the top-left of the main screen, or swipe in from the left edge, to open it. The drawer is the same on the Play Store and unlocked builds with one exception, noted below.

Entry	Opens
Home	Returns to the main screen with the map and Quick Options panel
Setup & Help	The Setup Hub. Re-runs any wizard step or shows your current setup state. See Setup Wizard
Favorites	Saved favorite locations, with folder navigation if Pro is active
Routes	Saved routes, with folder navigation if Pro is active
Markers	Custom marker browser. See Custom Markers
GPX Import / Export	Import or export GPX or KML files. See GPX and KML Routes
Home Screen Widget	Widget Settings for the Quick Actions widget. See Home Screen Widget
Rate App	Opens the GPS JoyStick listing in the Play Store. See Rate the App
Upgrade	Opens the Pro subscription / ad-removal upgrade screen
Settings	App Settings. See Settings Configuration
Unlock More (Play Store build only)	Opens the website download page so you can grab the unlocked APK
What's New	Re-opens the What's New bottom sheet for the current installed version
About	App version, links, and a Rate Us shortcut

The Unlock More entry only appears on the Play Store build of GPS JoyStick. On the unlocked APK build it is hidden, since you already have the unlocked features.

Settings Configuration

Access settings through the gear icon or menu in the app. The unlocked version has additional settings not present in the Play Store version.

Rows are listed in the order they appear in the app's Settings screen.

General Settings (Both Versions)

Setting	Recommended	Notes
Select Language	System default	The app supports 22 languages. Change to override the system language
Theme	System Default	Choose between System Default, Light, or Dark
Developer Options shortcut	N/A	Opens your device's Developer Options directly from the app
Always Ignore Mock Location	Disabled	Only enable if you have a specific reason
Prevent Screenshots	Your preference	Blocks screen capture when the app is in the foreground
Display Distance Info	Your preference	Shows distance overlay during movement
Save Last Location	Disabled	Auto-saves position as you move. Enable if the joystick frequently restarts due to battery management
Auto Close App	Your preference	Closes the app when mocking stops
Auto Start JoyStick	Your preference	Automatically starts the joystick overlay on app launch
Auto Start App	None	Launches another app when mocking starts

Backup Settings (Both Versions)

Setting	Recommended	Notes
Save Database	N/A	Exports the app's database (favorites, routes, settings) to a file for backup
Restore Database	N/A	Restores a previously saved database backup. Useful when reinstalling or switching devices. The Privacy Mode dialog recommends backing up before creating a clone

Unlocked Version Additional Settings

These appear in the General category between Display Distance Info and Save Last Location, in this order:

Setting	Recommended	Notes
Privacy Mode	N/A	Creates an isolated clone of GPS JoyStick that runs alongside the original. See Privacy Mode for the full walkthrough
Enable Suspended Mocking	Disabled	Alternates between broadcasting and pausing mock location. See Unlock Features
Enable Auto Suspend Location	Disabled	Sub-setting of Suspended Mocking. Automatically suspends mocking on an interval
Auto Suspend Interval	Default	Controls how frequently mocking is suspended when Auto Suspend Location is enabled
Enable Indirect Mocking	Disabled	Legacy feature for older Android versions. See No Root Method
Enable System Mode	Disabled	Enable only if GPS JoyStick is installed as a system app on a rooted device. Android 9 and below only; Android 10+ locked down the internal interface System Mode relies on
Disable Location Service	Disabled	Advanced option for specific testing scenarios where the standard location service interferes with the mock
Enable A-GPS Reset	Disabled	Clears assisted GPS data to prevent brief real-location leaks. Enable if you experience rubberbanding
Select Background Thread	Android Handler	Change only if you experience performance issues

Joystick Settings

Setting	Recommended	Notes
Joystick Type	Your preference	Classic or Drawer (see Joystick Types below)
Joystick Size	Your preference	Adjust based on screen size and comfort
Joystick Opacity	Your preference	Lower opacity reduces visual obstruction
Walking Speed	10 km/h (default)	Many users lower this to 9 km/h for apps that cap distance credit at or near 10 km/h. For stricter pedestrian-only apps, 4-6 km/h may work better
Jogging Speed	40 km/h (default)	Many users lower this to 15-20 km/h for apps that enforce speed thresholds on features like auto-collection. 20 km/h is a common app threshold
Running Speed	75 km/h (default)	Many users lower this to 30 km/h since some apps flag or limit functionality above 30 km/h (a typical vehicle detection threshold)

Joystick Types

GPS JoyStick offers two joystick layouts. Both have identical functionality. The difference is how controls are arranged on screen.

Classic

The Classic layout integrates the joystick and all controls into a single compact overlay. Tap the menu icon to access additional controls (map, teleport, favorites, GPX).

Drawer

The Drawer layout displays all control buttons directly on screen alongside the joystick. Every button is immediately accessible without opening a menu. This is more convenient if you frequently switch between controls, at the cost of more screen space used by the overlay.

Choose whichever you prefer. You can switch between them at any time in Joystick Settings.

Controls Reference

Quick Options Panel

The Quick Options panel sits on the main screen and is the primary entry point for everyday actions in v5.3. It is collapsed by default on new installs to reduce visual clutter. Expand it from the main screen to access two text buttons and a starting-point selector:

Control	Function
Cooldown Times	Opens the Cooldown Times bottom-sheet dialog with the distance-to-cooldown reference table and the live state indicator (see Cooldown Timer)
GPS Fix	Opens the GPS Fix dialog for fix-related options
Use Last Location	Reuses the last known location as the starting point. Selected by default
Get Current Location	Reads the device's real GPS fix and uses it as the starting point
Set Location	Opens the map view or coordinate entry to pick a starting point
Set Route	Selects a saved route as the starting point for playback
Record Route	Starts a route-recording session that captures waypoints as you move

Core Controls

Control	Function
Joystick circle	Drag in any direction to move. Long-press and drag to reposition the joystick on screen
Start / Stop	Begin or end location mocking. Also accessible from the notification bar, which includes: Stop, Hide overlay, Share location, Map view, Save as favorite, plus route-specific controls (stop route, pause/resume, fast forward) when a route is active
Map button	Opens the map view for teleporting, setting routes, and loading GPX routes
Speed toggle	Cycles between Walking, Jogging, and Running speeds (values configured in settings)

Navigation Controls

Control	Function
Teleport button	Opens the teleport dialog: paste coordinates, load favorites, or walk to a location
Heart / Favorite icon	Saves your current spoofed location to favorites
Copy coordinates	Long-press the coordinate display to copy your current coordinates to the clipboard
Auto Walk Lock	Drag the joystick in the desired direction, then press the lock button to hold that direction and speed. Next touch unlocks
Hide / Show toggle	Hides or shows all GPS JoyStick overlay controls

GPX Route Controls

These controls appear only when a GPX route is loaded:

Control	Function
Play	Start or resume route playback
Pause	Pause route playback at current position
Stop	Stop and clear the loaded route
Previous stop	Jump back to the previous waypoint
Next stop	Jump forward to the next waypoint

Teleporting to Coordinates

Paste Coordinates

1. Copy coordinates from any source (a website, message, or another app)
2. Open the teleport dialog (teleport button or map view)
3. Paste the coordinates into the input field
4. If the pasted text contains extra content (like a location name or description), tap Format to extract just the coordinate values
5. Tap the coordinates to teleport

GPS JoyStick accepts decimal degrees only (e.g., 35.6762, 139.6503). You can use a comma or semicolon as the separator (e.g., 35.6762;139.6503). DMS (degrees/minutes/seconds) format is not supported. The Format button uses regex to extract the first coordinate pair found, stripping any surrounding text.

Map Search

1. Tap the Map button to open the map view
2. Use the search bar to find a location by name or address
3. Tap the location on the map
4. Confirm to teleport

Cooldown Timer

When you teleport, GPS JoyStick calculates and displays a cooldown timer based on the distance between your previous and new location. This timer estimates how long a real person would need to travel that distance.

The cooldown timer tracks GPS distance only. It does not monitor what you do in other apps. If an app you are testing enforces its own cooldown based on in-app actions, you need to track that separately. As a safety margin, consider waiting 1-2 extra minutes beyond the displayed timer before performing actions in sensitive apps.

The timer is designed to err on the side of caution. It may suggest slightly longer waits than strictly necessary at some distances. Users who are confident in their timing can move sooner at their own discretion. The timer is a recommendation, not a hard lock: GPS JoyStick does not prevent you from teleporting before the timer expires.

Cooldown Times Dialog

Tap Cooldown Times in the Quick Options panel to open the Cooldown Times bottom-sheet dialog. The dialog shows the full distance-to-cooldown reference table and a live state indicator that displays either Ready (green dot) or Cooling (orange dot). The explicit text label is always present so the indicator stays readable for users with color vision differences. The countdown row refreshes once per second while a cooldown is active. The dialog stays in-app, so you do not need to leave to look up timing values for a planned teleport. For the full table and discussion of game-specific thresholds, see the Location-Based Games Guide.

Joystick Movement

Once mocking is active and the joystick overlay is visible:

1. Drag the joystick in any direction to move. Your spoofed position updates in real time.
2. Release the joystick to stop moving. Your position holds at the last location.
3. Use the Speed toggle to switch between Walking, Jogging, and Running speeds while moving.

Auto Walk

For hands-free straight-line movement:

1. Drag the joystick in the desired direction
2. While holding the direction, tap the Auto Walk Lock button to lock the current direction and speed
3. Release the joystick. Movement continues at the locked direction and speed
4. Touch the joystick again to unlock and regain manual control

Auto Walk maintains a constant speed in the locked direction. It does not perform pathfinding or follow roads. It moves in a straight line. This is useful for accumulating distance or traversing long stretches without holding the joystick.

GPX and KML Routes

GPS JoyStick imports and exports both GPX and KML. GPX is the most common GPS-track format. KML is the format used by Google Earth and many mapping tools. The import flow auto-detects the format from the file extension, so the steps below apply to either.

Importing a GPX Route

1. Download a .gpx file to your device
2. Verify the file extension is .gpx, not .xml. If the file was renamed to .xml, rename it back to .gpx before importing
3. Open GPS JoyStick, open the navigation menu, then tap GPX Import / Export, then Import
4. Browse to the file location and select the .gpx file
5. Tap WayPoints to see the number of stops in the file
6. Tap the create button and select Create Route From All
7. The map displays a preview of the route
8. Tap Save Route, enter a name, and tap Save

Loading and Playing a Route

1. From the home screen, tap Set Route and select your saved route
2. If the route does not appear in the list, go to Settings then Routes, scroll to find your route (newest routes are at the bottom), and select it
3. Configure Route Mode:
   • Stop at End: plays from start to finish, then stops
   • Loop to Start: plays from start to finish, then repeats continuously
   • Reverse: plays start to finish, then finish to start, repeating
4. Configure Start Mode:
   • Walk to Start: walks from your current position to the route's starting point (avoids a teleport)
   • Teleport to Start: instantly moves you to the route's starting point
5. Tap Start to begin the route

Recording Your Own GPX Route

1. Teleport or walk to the area where you want to record
2. Tap the Map button and then Record Route
3. At each point you want to include in the route, tap the Add Marker button (+) to place a waypoint at your current position
4. Walk to the next desired point and add another marker. Repeat until your route is complete
5. Tap the Map button to review your route. You can tap waypoint markers to delete or reposition them
6. When satisfied, tap Save Route, enter a name, and tap Save
7. Load the route using the steps in Loading and Playing a Route above

Tip: When creating routes, keep the last waypoint reasonably close to the first. This creates a natural loop and avoids dead zones if you plan to use Loop or Reverse mode.

KML Import and Export

GPS JoyStick also supports KML files (the format used by Google Earth). When importing, the app auto-detects the file type based on the .kml extension.

To import a KML file, follow the same steps as Importing a GPX Route but select a .kml file instead. KML files can contain both point locations (Placemarks) and line paths (LineStrings), which map to favorites and routes respectively.

To export as KML, open GPX Import / Export, tap Export, and choose KML as the format when prompted.

Folder Metadata in Import/Export

When you export favorites or routes that are organized into folders:

• GPX files include folder paths as <gpsjoystick:folder> extension tags inside each waypoint or route. This is a GPS JoyStick-specific extension.
• KML files use native <Folder> elements to represent the hierarchy, which is compatible with Google Earth and other KML tools.

When importing files that contain folder metadata:

• Pro users: the folder structure is automatically reconstructed. Missing folders are created as needed.
• Free users: items are imported to the root level (no folder reconstruction). The folder metadata is preserved in the file but not applied during import.

Managing Favorites

Favorites let you save locations for quick access later.

Saving a Favorite

Tap the Heart icon while at any spoofed location. The current coordinates are saved to your favorites list.

Loading a Favorite

1. Open the teleport dialog
2. Tap Favorites
3. Select a saved location from the list to teleport there

Organizing Favorites

To perform actions on a favorite (copy, edit, move, delete), long-press it to enter Selection Mode. For folder-based organization, see Folder Organization.

Folder Organization (Pro)

Pro subscribers can organize favorites and routes into folders for easier management. Folders support nesting, so you can build a hierarchy that matches how you think about your locations (e.g., "Work > Client Sites > Downtown").

Creating a Folder

1. Open Favorites or Routes from the navigation menu
2. Tap the + button and select Folder
3. Enter a folder name and tap Save

The folder appears at the top of the list, above your items.

Navigating Folders

Tap a folder to open it. A breadcrumb bar appears at the top showing your current path (e.g., "Favorites > Work > Client Sites"). Tap any segment in the breadcrumb to jump back to that level, or tap the root label to return to the top level.

Press the back button to go up one level.

Folder Actions

To perform actions on a folder (rename, move, delete), long-press it to enter Selection Mode. The bottom action bar shows the available operations.

You cannot move a folder into its own subfolder. GPS JoyStick rejects the move when it would create a circular reference, so a folder can never end up nested inside one of its own descendants.

Moving Items into Folders

Long-press a favorite or route to enter selection mode, then tap Move in the bottom action bar. A folder picker dialog appears where you can navigate the folder tree and select a destination. This action requires a Pro subscription.

Free users see all folders but cannot create new folders or move items into them. A prompt to upgrade appears when attempting a folder action without Pro.

Selection Mode

Selection mode lets you perform bulk operations on multiple favorites or routes at once.

Entering Selection Mode

Long-press any favorite or route to enter selection mode. The toolbar changes to show the number of selected items, and a bottom action bar slides up with available actions.

Available Actions

The bottom action bar shows these buttons:

Action	Favorites	Routes	Folders
Copy	Duplicates selected items	Duplicates selected items	Not available
Edit	Edit selected item (single selection only)	Edit selected item (single selection only)	Not available
Rename	Not available	Not available	Rename selected folder (single selection only)
Move	Move to a different folder	Move to a different folder	Move to a different folder
Delete	Delete selected items	Delete selected items	Delete selected folders and contents

Selecting Items

• Tap any item to toggle its selection
• Use the Select All button in the toolbar to select or deselect everything in the current view
• The search bar remains available during selection mode, so you can filter and then select from the results
• Tap folders during selection mode to enter them and select their contents

Exiting Selection Mode

Press the back button or deselect all items to exit selection mode. The bottom action bar slides away and normal navigation resumes.

Speed Modes

GPS JoyStick has three speed modes, each configurable in Joystick Settings. Tap the Speed toggle button during movement to cycle between them.

Mode	App Default	Commonly Adjusted To	Why Users Adjust
Walking	10 km/h	9 km/h (or 4-6 km/h for strict apps)	Some apps cap distance credit at or near 10 km/h. Staying just under the threshold ensures distance is counted
Jogging	40 km/h	15-20 km/h	Some apps enforce speed thresholds on features like auto-collection or interaction radius. 20 km/h is a common cap
Running	75 km/h	30 km/h	Some apps flag or limit functionality above 30 km/h, a typical vehicle detection threshold

The default values work fine for basic testing. The adjusted values above reflect what many experienced users configure depending on the app they are testing. You can set each speed to any value in Joystick Settings.

Speeds above 30 km/h are possible but generally impractical for joystick movement. Most apps interpret speeds above 30 km/h as vehicle movement and may disable certain features.

Home Screen Widget

GPS JoyStick includes a home screen widget for quick access to common actions without opening the app.

Quick Actions Widget

The Quick Actions widget (Android 12+) is built with Jetpack Glance and provides a compact, interactive panel on your home screen. It displays your saved favorites and routes as tappable items for one-tap teleporting or route loading, with a start/stop toggle at the top.

To add the widget:

1. Long-press your home screen and select Widgets
2. Find GPS JoyStick in the widget list
3. Drag the Quick Actions widget to your home screen

Widget Settings

Tap the gear icon on the widget header to open Widget Settings, where you can configure:

• Choose Items - select which favorites and routes appear in the widget. Free users can pin up to 3 items. Pro users can pin up to 100.
• Drag to Reorder - long-press and drag any item in the chooser to set the order it appears on the widget
• Theme (Pro) - choose between Material You (dynamic colors, Android 12+), Dark, or Light. Free users always render with Material You.
• Group by Type (Pro) - toggle whether favorites and routes are shown in collapsible groups or as a single list. Free users always see a flat list.

The widget automatically updates when you start or stop location mocking, reflecting the current spoofing state in the header.

Widget Nudge

After v5.3 launch, an in-app card may prompt you to pin the Quick Actions widget to your home screen. The nudge is dismissible and only appears once per install. Tap it to jump directly into Widget Settings.

Upgrade Compatibility

If you used the legacy widget on 5.2 or earlier, your widget configuration is preserved across the 5.3 upgrade. The underlying data was migrated from CSV to JSON for reliability, but the migration is automatic and your selected items, layout, and theme carry over.

Custom Markers

You can download and use custom markers to replace the default map pin on the GPS JoyStick map. Open the navigation menu and tap Markers to browse available marker styles. Custom markers are purely visual and do not affect GPS functionality.

Rate the App

The Rate App entry in the navigation drawer and the Rate Us entry on the About screen both open the GPS JoyStick listing in the Google Play Store directly so you can leave a review. After extended use, GPS JoyStick may also surface Google Play's in-app review prompt during a session. Both paths are handled by the Play Store's review flow and do not collect any rating data inside GPS JoyStick.

Mock Location App Setup

If you have not yet configured your device, you need to set GPS JoyStick as the mock location app in Android Developer Options before the app can change your GPS position.

1. Open your device's Settings
2. Navigate to Developer Options (if not visible, go to About Phone and tap Build Number seven times to unlock it)
3. Find the Mock Location App setting (may be labeled "Select mock location app" depending on your device)
4. Select GPS JoyStick from the list

For detailed device-specific instructions covering Samsung, Pixel, and OnePlus devices, see the Setup Walkthrough.

What's Next

• Setup Walkthrough: Device-specific setup for Samsung, Pixel, and OnePlus
• Advanced Simulation Settings: Configure GPS jitter, altitude variance, and accuracy ranges for realistic data
• Location-Based Games Guide: Cooldown timers, movement patterns, and layered testing setup
• Play Integrity & Magisk Module Setup: Pass Play Integrity checks on rooted devices
• Troubleshooting: Solutions for rubberbanding, detection errors, and common issues
• Pro Intents API: Programmatic control via Tasker, ADB, or custom automation