Frequently Asked Questions

No. WLOC works on any iPhone without jailbreak. Everything happens on your iPhone — no Mac, no PC, no jailbreak.

WLOC supports Shadowrocket ($2.99 one-time), Surge, Quantumult X, Loon, Stash, and Egern. Shadowrocket is the most affordable option for getting started.

WLOC requires iOS 17 or later. The app itself runs on any iPhone with iOS 17+, but the location-testing workflow also requires a compatible proxy tool with HTTPS decryption enabled.

Yes. Download WLOC for free. It includes one free location write, three custom favorites, and full diagnostics. You can evaluate the entire workflow before deciding to upgrade.

WLOC uses HTTPS decryption (MITM) to modify Apple's network-location response. A CA certificate lets your proxy tool decrypt and re-sign the traffic. This certificate only lives on your iPhone — you can remove it anytime in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

1) Enable HTTPS decryption in your proxy tool. 2) Add gs-loc.apple.com and gs-loc-cn.apple.com to the MITM hostname list. 3) In iOS Settings > General > About > Certificate Trust Settings, enable trust for your proxy tool's CA certificate. 4) Run WLOC diagnostics to verify everything works.

After installing the certificate via your proxy tool, you must manually trust it: iOS Settings > General > About > Certificate Trust Settings > toggle ON your proxy's CA. This is a separate step from installation.

The certificate is generated by your proxy tool and stays on your iPhone. It is used only to decrypt and inspect gs-loc.apple.com and gs-loc-cn.apple.com traffic locally. Remove it when you are done testing. WLOC does not have access to your certificate.

A saved target proves only that WLOC has the coordinate. In diagnostics, compare the latest request and patch timestamps with the moment you reopened the target app. If either timestamp is stale, repair that network-path layer first. If both are fresh, fully close and reopen the target app, record its location permission, and compare one controlled indoor attempt. GPS, app cache, IP region, account state, or server rules may still determine the result; WLOC cannot clear locationd or guarantee that an app adopts the patched network result.

The target is saved, but diagnostics has not observed a fresh compatible Apple network-location request. Reopen the target app with the permission required by your authorized test, then check whether the latest request timestamp advances. If it does not, review the compatible client, host-scoped HTTPS setup, and request path. A permission change is a controlled diagnostic step, not proof that a cache was cleared.

This means HTTPS decryption is not working. Check: (1) HTTPS decryption is enabled in your proxy tool. (2) gs-loc.apple.com and gs-loc-cn.apple.com are in the MITM hostname list. (3) The CA certificate is trusted in iOS Settings. (4) The proxy/VPN is connected.

Run diagnostics, save the target, and check that the device status shows mode=active with your target coordinate. Then open the target app and verify the location changed. Use the 'Did the location change?' confirmation in WLOC to record the result.

The target app may use strong GPS, cache, different permissions, IP region, account rules, or server checks. Compare its evidence with the WLOC diagnostic timeline. Some apps are more dependent on the network-location signal than others.

Open WLOC, tap 'Restore Real Location' or clear the target, then confirm diagnostics shows passthrough mode and a new passthrough timestamp. Fully close and reopen the target app and record what it displays. WLOC stops patching the compatible network response, but it cannot clear iOS or target-app cache; if the result remains stale, use the system-cache guide to separate fresh evidence from cached state.

Apple does not publish a fixed WLOC-specific cache lifetime. Treat a stale result as evidence to classify, not a timer to wait out: compare the latest request and patch timestamps, fully close and reopen the target app, review and restore its permission, and repeat one controlled indoor comparison. Restart the authorized test device only as a later stale-state escalation. WLOC cannot clear locationd or guarantee when an app will discard its own cache.

WGS84 is the global GPS standard. GCJ-02 is a Chinese national standard that adds an offset to WGS84 coordinates. BD-09 is Baidu's proprietary system with an additional offset. WLOC normalizes everything to WGS84 internally and shows a meter-level warning when converting mainland-China coordinates.

When you paste a map link from a Chinese map provider (Amap, Baidu), the original coordinate may be in GCJ-02 or BD-09. WLOC converts it to WGS84 and shows the original system for verification. A small meter-level difference is expected after conversion.

On your iPhone — they stay in the app's local storage (Application Support directory). The Worker handles parsing and setup generation, not location history storage. WLOC is local-first.

WLOC sends anonymous product analytics (random installation ID, no coordinates, no personal info) to wloc.app for operational monitoring. Location parsing, coordinate conversion, and module generation requests go to the Worker, which does not store coordinates. The analytics system does not accept raw coordinates, map links, email addresses, or any PII.

Open WLOC > Settings > 'Delete All Local Data'. This permanently removes favorites, routes, connection profiles, diagnostic results, the anonymous installation ID, and queued analytics events. App Store subscriptions are managed separately in iOS Settings.

WLOC Pro is an annual auto-renewing subscription. Eligible App Store accounts can try it free for 7 days. The exact price and trial eligibility are shown in the App Store purchase sheet before you confirm.

The free tier includes one location write, three custom favorites, full diagnostics, route preview, and module generation. You can evaluate the complete workflow before upgrading.

Open iOS Settings > tap your name > Subscriptions > WLOC Pro. You can cancel auto-renewal there. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. WLOC does not have access to your subscription management.

No. Legacy Lifetime purchasers keep full access permanently. Your access is preserved whether it was verified through the App Store or migrated from the 1.0 release.