Routes
How to play a GPX file on an iPhone
Updated · By the Geovo team
Import the GPX file into a location simulator and play it on the iPhone's GPS. In Geovo (Mac, Windows or the iPhone app), choose Import GPX / KML, pick a speed and start: the iPhone follows the file point by point. Geovo reads GPX tracks, routes and waypoints; Xcode reads only waypoints, while it debugs your app.
Which part of a GPX file does Geovo play?
The first track in the file, if it has one. Otherwise the first route, otherwise the waypoints in order. A GPX file can hold all three kinds of points, and recorded activities are usually tracks. Geovo joins a track's segments into one path and reads GPX 1.0 and 1.1, with or without the usual namespace.
| GPX element | What Geovo does with it |
|---|---|
| Track: <trk> › <trkseg> › <trkpt> | Played first: the first track with at least 2 points, segments joined |
| Route: <rte> › <rtept> | Played if the file has no usable track |
| Waypoints: <wpt> | Played in order if there's no track or route |
| Names and elevation: <name>, <ele> | Read; the iPhone receives latitude and longitude only |
| Timestamps: <time> | Not used for pace: you choose the speed |
| A point with a missing or invalid lat/lon, or no points at all | The file is refused with a message saying which point |
At what speed does a recorded track play?
At the speed you choose, not the speed it was recorded at. Pick Walk (5 km/h), Run (11 km/h), Bike (18 km/h) or Drive, then Pause, Resume or change speed while it plays. After the last point the route can stop, loop to the start or go back and forth, which is useful for long soak tests.
How do you play a GPX file on the iPhone itself?
Save the file to the Files app, open Geovo's iPhone app, tap the route button and choose Import GPX or KML. It plays on the iPhone with nothing plugged in, on Wi-Fi or cellular, through the free LocalDevVPN helper. Setting up the iPhone app once: change location without a computer.
Where do GPX files come from?
From mapping and route-planning tools, from fitness and outdoor apps that can export an activity as GPX, from Xcode projects, or from Geovo itself. A recorded activity holds your real path, so treat it as private: Geovo reads the file on your device and never uploads it.
How do you export a GPX file from Geovo?
Export route saves a route you built (stops on the map, a directions link, a trip) as a GPX route. Export session track saves everything Geovo actually sent to the iPhone in the last session as a GPX track with timestamps. Commit test routes to your repo so the whole team replays the same path.
How is this different from Xcode?
Xcode plays GPX waypoints for the app it's debugging, on a Mac, and Apple's Xcode Help says GPX routes and tracks aren't supported there. Geovo plays tracks, routes and waypoints on the whole iPhone, for any build, from a Mac, a Windows PC or the iPhone. Details: simulate location with Xcode and simulate a route on iPhone.
Try it
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Use it responsibly
Geovo is for lawful use only: testing apps and websites, keeping your exact position private from an app that doesn't need it, demos, travel planning and teaching how location services work. Don't use any location tool to mislead people who rely on your location, or to break the terms of an app or service you've agreed to. Stop simulating whenever your real location matters, for example in an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I play a GPX file on a real iPhone without Xcode?
- Yes. Import it into Geovo on a Mac or Windows PC, or in Geovo's iPhone app, and it plays on the whole iPhone at the speed you choose. No Xcode or app project needed.
- Does Geovo use the timestamps in my GPX file?
- No. Geovo follows the file's points at the speed you pick (Walk, Run, Bike or Drive), and you can pause or change speed mid-way.
- Which part of the GPX file is played?
- The first track with at least 2 points; if there's none, the first route; otherwise the waypoints in order. Track segments are joined into one path.
- Why won't my GPX track play in Xcode?
- Apple's Xcode Help says Xcode supports GPX waypoints, not routes or tracks. Geovo reads all three.
- Can I import KML, KMZ, TCX or FIT files?
- KML yes (lines, tracks or placemarks). Unzip KMZ files first. TCX and FIT aren't read; convert them to GPX with your mapping or fitness tool.
- Is my GPX file uploaded anywhere?
- No. Geovo reads it on your computer or iPhone. Locations and routes never leave your devices.
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