User guide

From preparing your iPhone to restoring its real location. If an in-app message differs from this guide, follow the app and contact support.

Before you start

An Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 12 or later.
An iPhone on iOS 16 or iOS 17.4 and later. iOS 17.0–17.3 is not supported.
A USB cable that supports data. The first connection must use the cable.
A Discord account with a verified email to sign in to the app.
An internet connection the first time you prepare an iPhone on iOS 17.4+, because the app requests the developer image signature from Apple.

Install and sign in

Open the installer and drag iHopGo into the Applications folder.
Beta builds are not notarized by Apple. If macOS blocks the first launch, Control-click the app in Finder and choose Open. If it is still blocked, choose Open Anyway in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Click Continue with Discord, approve in your browser, then return to the app.
You can prepare your device first. The 168-hour trial starts only when you claim it on the account page, and is not granted again to the same account or device.
Access is tied to one account and one device. To change devices, send feedback from the account page or contact support.

Connect your iPhone

Connect the iPhone with the cable, unlock it, and stay on the Home Screen. When asked, tap Trust and enter the passcode.
Select the iPhone in the app's device list and click Connect.
Turn on Developer Mode. On iOS 17.4+, the app sends an enable request if it is off: confirm the prompt on the iPhone, allow the restart, then unlock and reconnect. If no prompt appears, and on iOS 16, turn it on in Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode.
The developer image is built in, so Xcode is not needed. The app mounts it automatically when you connect.
When the device card shows Ready, you can start setting locations.

Wi-Fi connection (iOS 17.4+)

With the iPhone connected by cable and unlocked, click Enable Wi-Fi on its device card, then tap Trust on the iPhone. The request is cancelled after 90 seconds without confirmation.
After pairing, you can unplug the cable. When the iPhone and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network, the device list shows it with a Wi-Fi icon; click Connect.
Wi-Fi connections do not mount the developer image. After the iPhone restarts, connect once by cable to mount it, then switch back to Wi-Fi.
iOS 16 does not support Wi-Fi location. Use the cable.

Single point

Type a place name or coordinates such as 35.6812, 139.7671 in the search box, then press Enter or click the search button. Searches are sent only at that moment.
You can also click the map to choose a point.
Check the target location and click Apply location.
Save and rename frequent places in My places. Recently used places are listed there too.

Route playback

Switch to Route and add waypoints on the map in order, up to 20.
Choose walking, cycling, driving, or a custom speed, up to 72 km/h.
Choose Repeat (replay from the start after the end) or Round trip (return along the same path), 1–99 times.
Confirm the route and click Play route. You can pause, resume, or stop during playback.
If the routing service is unavailable, the app uses a straight-line route and tells you.
Save frequent routes or import GPX tracks in Save / load routes. Export the current route as GPX; the file contains the track only, not speed or repeat settings.

Joystick

Search for a place or choose a starting point on the map, then switch to Joystick.
Drag the joystick on the right to set the direction. Choose walking, cycling, or driving speed.
Keyboard: W A S D or the arrow keys move; Space locks the current direction and keeps moving, press it again to stop; Esc stops; + / - change the speed.

Restore the real location

Click Clear simulated location in the top toolbar. It works in single point, route, and joystick modes.
Quitting the app, signing out, switching or disconnecting the device, and deactivating the device all keep the current simulated location. Clear it first if you need the real location.
If you have already disconnected, reconnect the same iPhone and click Clear simulated location. You can still clear it when access has expired.

Troubleshooting

Find the message shown in the app, then follow the steps.

“No devices found”: Make sure the cable supports data, the iPhone is unlocked, and you tapped Trust. Try another USB port, then click Scan again. For Wi-Fi, make sure both devices are on the same network.
“Unlock your iPhone first”: Unlock the iPhone and stay on the Home Screen. Confirm any Trust or Developer Mode prompt on the phone, then click Unlocked, reconnect.
Developer Mode messages: Turn on Developer Mode as prompted on the iPhone and allow the restart. After it restarts, unlock it and reconnect.
“iOS 17.0–17.3 is not supported yet”: Update the iPhone to iOS 17.4 or later, then reconnect.
“This iPhone was not found on the current Wi-Fi network”: Check that both devices are on the same network and the iPhone is unlocked. Routers with AP isolation or blocked Bonjour (mDNS) cannot discover the iPhone; use the cable or change the router settings.
“The developer image is not mounted”: This happens after the iPhone restarts. Connect once by cable to mount it, then switch to Wi-Fi.
“The Wi-Fi pairing is no longer valid”: This often follows resetting Location & Privacy on the iPhone. Connect by cable and click Enable Wi-Fi again to replace the old pairing.
Pairing timed out or Trust was not confirmed: Keep the iPhone unlocked, click Enable Wi-Fi again, tap Trust on the iPhone, and enter the passcode.
“The route service is unavailable”: The route still plays, but in straight lines. Plan it again later if you need to follow roads.
“No valid access is available”: Go online and refresh access on the account page. You can still stop movement and clear the simulated location meanwhile.
“Place search failed”: Check the network and try again, or enter coordinates directly.

Report a problem

Email support@ihopgo.com with the app version, macOS and iOS versions, your steps, and the exact message shown in the app.
Hide account details in screenshots. Never send passwords, verification codes, tokens, or device identifiers.