In a matter of weeks, this phrase has become one of the most searched on the Web. There are dozens of reasons why Pokémon GO refuses to work properly on certain devices, but the most important of all is that Niantic can barely manage the load on its servers. Of course, we also find errors or strange effects 'inside' the game, and we will do our best to identify them.
No massive launch is free of technical problems, and if there is a game out there that learned this the hard way, it's Pokémon GO. Since it hit Australia, New Zealand and the United States in early July, Niantic has had to battle to keep its infrastructure standing, and when something goes wrong, users make themselves heard. Complaints about drastic changes in the game's functionality, threats, and even possible legal action were some of the things we found on the Web. The most impressive thing of all is that Pokémon GO hasn't even been on the market for two months... but that matters little to the would-be trainer. The idea is to get in, start walking, capture Pokémon, visit PokéStops and challenge gyms. The limitations within Pokémon GO are great, and Niantic knows how to impose radio silence when it needs to, however, if the basic functions of the game start to fail, maybe there is something we can do on our side. Let's start with the essentials:
Official requirements
Although augmented reality is a very important component within Pokémon GO, the truth is that it is optional. In fact, many players recommend disabling 'AR mode' to make captures easier. On the Android side, the minimum version is 4.4, and the maximum is 6.0.1. Android Nougat will not receive official support until Google declares it stable. The 'suggested' resolution is 720 by 1,280 pixels, but Niantic emphasizes that the game was not optimized for tablets. In the case of Apple devices, the absolute minimum is the iPhone 5 with iOS 8.0. On both platforms, GPS and geolocation services 'must' remain active, in addition to having a strong Internet signal (3G, 4G, or directly Wi-Fi). Devices with rooting and jailbreaking are not supported, and yes, Niantic is getting very good at detecting both conditions.
The game is not available in my region
Well... that's strange. Unless your Google account (especially the Google Wallet section) has been configured with some African or Asian country, Pokémon GO should already be available for download, although one exception is if the store detects additional incompatibilities (for example, operating system version). Between July 13 and 24, all of Western Europe was added to Pokémon GO (Spain was one of the first countries to receive it), and on August 3 Niantic added Latin America, two days before the start of the Rio Olympics. Which countries still need to be added to the list? South Korea (due to restrictions on map access), China (there are already local clones), and Russia. Support in South Korea should be a matter of time, but something tells me Russia and China will never see it officially. Beyond the fact that there is always the option of downloading the APK manually to bypass the minimum requirements, we must be sure that the source is legitimate. There is a lot of malware disguised as Pokémon GO out there...
I lost all my progress!
Some players experienced moments of horror when they discovered that after update 0.31.0, all their Pokémon disappeared and their avatar returned to level 1. Fortunately, Niantic published details that point to resolving this situation. First and foremost, the progress was not lost; it remains stored on Niantic's servers. The problem is that there are two methods to create a Pokémon GO account: linking a Google account, or using Pokémon Trainer Club credentials. If you create a Pokémon GO account with a Google address and then try to log in via PTC, all you will do is create a second account. If you don't remember which method was originally used, here are the two options that allow you to recover your Google email address, and the PTC credentials. The rest is just a matter of logging out of Pokémon GO and logging in with the correct data. iOS users may need to uninstall and reinstall the app before they can do that. Is it possible to transfer trainer profiles from a Google account to PTC and vice versa, or as a last resort merge both accounts? The answer is no, and from what we have been able to verify, it is not among Niantic's priorities to enable that feature in the short term.
I can't connect, or I see a spinning Poké Ball
This is a relatively common problem, but the answer is simple: It's not your fault. Niantic is under brutal pressure, and its 'downtime' records leave a lot to be desired. Before you start resetting modems, routers and smartphones, the first thing you should do is confirm the status of the official servers by clicking this link. There are other similar services on the Web, however, they all show a similar pattern: Niantic's servers are on fire. Over time (I would dare to say 'in the coming months'), the server crisis should stabilize, either due to the addition of new hardware, or because many users got bored of waiting for extra features in the game. It doesn't hurt to make a call to your mobile provider and ask if there is any kind of throttling or restriction on Pokémon GO's data transfers. Although it is not the game that consumes the most data, it has left several prepaid plans completely out of action.
Pokémon GO devours my battery
Welcome to the mother of all nightmares. WiFi, 3G, 4G, GPS, geolocation, augmented reality, the app in the foreground and the screen brightness at maximum to clearly see our location lead to an inevitable outcome: There is no battery that can withstand Pokémon GO. I'm sorry, but we can't reinvent the wheel here. Reduce the screen brightness, close background apps, turn off Bluetooth (if you use it), disable augmented reality mode, activate the Battery Saver option in the game settings (if available), lower the volume, disable effects, music and/or vibration, and if all that fails, you need an external battery. Pokémon GO is not a friend to your battery, and we must not lose sight of that.
My avatar always walks in the same place
This error was frequently seen in the early builds of the game, but there are times when our avatar always walks over the same spot, in a kind of virtual break dance. If you tap the Poké Ball to open the menu and it doesn't respond, Pokémon GO is hung. Close the app and try again. If that doesn't work, do a full cycle on your smartphone (i.e., 'turn it off and on'). Unfortunately, it is one of the many 'growing pains' that Pokémon GO experiences. From a technical point of view, the game is little more than an early beta, and regressions in its multiple versions are the order of the day.
No GPS signal or Internet
«GPS signal not found» will go down in history as one of the most irritating phrases for Pokémon GO players. As soon as you open the app, the software needs a few seconds of lead time before obtaining an accurate GPS signal, but depending on multiple factors, this could extend to several minutes. As we mentioned above, GPS and location services are vital if we want the game to work correctly. If you have any of those battery-saving apps, it may have disabled GPS without your knowledge. Something similar extends to data connections. There are reports of several free WiFi hotspots that began blocking access to Pokémon GO to avoid saturating what is already a relatively weak 'courtesy' connection under normal circumstances.
I can't battle, or captures are interrupted
The moment we try to capture a Pokémon or engage in a battle at a gym is one of the most demanding when it comes to transferring data, and many players have complained about Pokémon managing to escape at the last moment, or losing battles in absurd ways. Many recommend not using the dodge attacks option, because lag causes commands to never be registered in time. This not only justifies my idea that battles in Pokémon GO should return to a strategic turn-based model as in the original games, but also leaves the player with very few options. Turning on 'airplane mode' and turning it off to force a reconnection can help, and if you hurry to close and reopen the app, maybe the Pokémon you want to catch is still in the same place, or you may have already made the capture.
Eggs disappear, or no new Pokémon hatch
We need to go over the basics here: The legitimate way for a Pokémon to hatch from an egg is to place it in an incubator beforehand and walk. Depending on the species, a distance of two kilometers is required, but the most advanced ones demand ten. The key is that the app needs to be open 'and' in the foreground to ensure the best movement tracking. If for some strange reason the egg vanishes into thin air, the suspicion is that you didn't receive the hatching notification. Look in your Pokémon list for the most recent ones, and maybe your 'ex-egg-now-Pokémon' is there.
Purchased items and PokéCoins don't appear
Pokémon GO lives and breathes for microtransactions, so you will find several items that, in exchange for real money, provide certain advantages. The problem arises when those special items or the purchased PokéCoins don't appear in the inventory. Basically, Niantic's two suggestions to fix this are: log out and log back into the game, or log out, do a full cycle on your smartphone (turn it off and on), log into Pokémon GO again and check the inventory.
I don't see any Pokémon, or PokéStops are empty
Niantic has obtained a lot of map data thanks to its game Ingress, but when it comes to the appearance of Pokémon, everything seems to indicate that this factor depends on reports from Google Traffic. In other words: The more populated and busy an area is, the higher the chances of finding Pokémon. Two options the game gives are Lure Modules and Incense. If neither of those resources works, a suggestion that is repeated a lot on the Web is to sync your smartphone's time with the mobile network's time. As for empty PokéStops, once again we are faced with the combo 'server problems - slow Internet'. If you wait a bit, the PokéStop's data should load.
Well, I think we have covered the main headaches in Pokémon GO for now. The last resort, logically, is to send a support email to Niantic and explain what the problem is, especially if your area doesn't have enough Pokémon. To close, a warning to all those who want to save time with a bot: Over the weekend, the 'perma-bans' took effect. I'm afraid it's a necessary measure. One thing is to earn meters by placing your smartphone on a bicycle wheel, and another is to keep an online trainer-bot that captures 45 Pidgey per minute. Play fair, and enjoy. Good luck!
