Pokémon Go: Common problems and fixes!

With tens of millions of players hitting the game, there are bound to be a few issues — particularly when the game relies on your phone's internet and GPS connections, as well as Niantic's servers.

Rather than have you track down things all over trying to fix issues, we've rounded up common Pokémon Go problems, and some solutions to fix them! Read on.

Pokémon Go not available in your country yet

Yes, this is perhaps the biggest issue with Pokémon Go ... it isn't available everywhere just yet! Niantic has been quickly adding more countries to the Play Store as it grows capacity, but for many the wait is quite frustrating.

Dedicated individuals have started to side-load the app in order to use it in other areas, though we really don't recommend that. There are malicious fake Pokémon Go apps out there, and installing one is bad news for your phone.

If you eventually decided to go the route of side-loading the app, it's very important to re-enable the "unknown sources" security check in your phone's settings so you aren't leaving your phone open to issues in the future.

More: Pokémon Go not available in your country? Here's what's going on

Pokémon Go not available on your phone or tablet

The demands to run Pokémon Go aren't all that high, but there are a few things you'll need to have in order to properly play. You'll need a phone running at least Android 4.4. KitKat, and you'll also need a mobile data connection as well as GPS services — this isn't an offline game in any way.

You can use Pokémon Go on a tablet, but if it's a Wi-Fi only device and you're trying to use it with a separate hotspot ... it isn't really worth your time. An LTE-enabled tablet will work just fine though! Devices with Intel processors also aren't supported, which is a bummer — but at least you know that going in.

More: Does Pokémon Go work on your phone or tablet?

GPS problems in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go relies on mobile data and GPS to pinpoint you on a map so you can hit up PokéStops, catch Pokémon and battle at Gyms, so things kind of fall apart when your phone can't get an accurate GPS signal. If you keep receiving the "GPS signal not found" error, there are a few things you can do, including making sure that you haven't accidentally turned location services off, and if you have them on make sure they're set to "high accuracy" mode.

For all of the GPS troubleshooting steps, be sure to check out our dedicated guide below. And whatever you do, do not fake your location — bad things will happen if you do.

More: Fixing 'GPS signal not found' error in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go draining your battery

No, it's not just you — Pokémon Go is a battery killer. Keeping your screen and processor ramped up playing the game, plus constant GPS and mobile network use, with a little camera thrown in, and your phone's battery is going to drain quickly. Thankfully, you can save some battery live by turning down your screen brightness and turning off the display intermittently while you're walking around.

Check out all of our battery-saving tips below, and if push comes to shove, consider getting yourself an external battery to keep your phone powered up for long Pokémon Go sessions.

Pokémon Go data usage

Since Pokémon Go requires you to walk around outside to collect Pokémon and hit up PokéStops, you're going to be out of Wi-Fi range and using your mobile data. Everything is downloaded on the fly, to make sure you can keep current with the other players, and that means you'll definitely be using mobile data. Thing is, it doesn't actually turn out to use that much data when you're playing — maybe 20-30MB per hour you're walking around.

You can do a few things to keep data usage down, like latching onto open Wi-Fi networks in cities, but for the most part you should be cautious about how much mobile data you use in other apps while you're out playing Pokémon Go. Remember to pre-download music or podcasts you may be listening to, and turn off auto-downloading of app updates and disable auto-loading of media in apps like Instagram and Facebook. Every megabyte saved means another megabyte to use on Pokémon go!

More: How much data does Pokémon go use?

Understanding Pokémon Go privacy concerns

There were some initial scares about how Pokémon Go was handling your private information — particularly in the iOS version of the app — but there are more real things to be aware of beyond that.

Pokémon Go collects data on where you move and what you do in the game, and can share that data anonymously and in aggregate with third parties. (Of course this is pretty standard stuff for any game of this kind, but knowing is half the battle.) You can always delete your account at any time, if you wish, but Niantic may hold on the data for a reasonable amount of time after you do so. When in doubt, read the privacy policy and terms of service for the game.

More: Understand the data collected when you play Pokémon Go

Have some other issues you're trying to work out while playing Pokémon Go? Our forums are filled with tons of questions and answers that could hold the information you need!

Andrew Martonik

Andrew was an Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central between 2012 and 2020.

63 Comments
  • Another pokingmen article Rodeo time, time to get er on down the road
  • This really is ridiculous! What the heck does Pokémon have anything to do with an Android specific website?!!! This is so annoying. I come here for Android news and half the articles are about Pokémon Go SMH. Posted via Nexus 6
  • Thank you for this article, my salt shaker is running low. Keep em coming!
  • Haha, right? The comment section has become the best part! Posted via the Pokémon Central App
  • +1 Posted via the Android Central App
  • Ohh my, can't we go for a second without Pokémon Go story? Posted via the Android Central App
  • No I keep eating them up like pokeballs!
  • You're losing me here...
  • Might as well make a Nintendo Central while we're at it or Game Central idk. Posted via the Android Central App (LG V10 or N5X)
  • Is this no longer Android Central? Looks more like Pokemon Central. Enough already. Yes is runs on Android, but so do a lot other apps. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Just wait until the hype dies down so these children can start acting like adults and report some real news.
  • Hahaha, "real news" you do know this is an android smartphone blog? I'm not belittling technology news, it's important to me. But, perspective? Posted via the Pokémon Central App
  • Also, know that this little game is a big push for Augmented Reality, so this is big news in the tech industry. It is short lived though to be sure. By the beginning of August, no one will be talking about it. Then it'll be all about the Note 7 and some other Googley stuff, wearables probably. Relax. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I died at this comment lol Posted via the Android Central App
  • Cool. RIP.
  • Haha
  • Well I'm on an Android right now but I think this is anapserlout disgrace because my mobile data does NOT work at all when I go like 12metres away from my house I lose connection and I'm ubsessed with Pokémon GO but I just can't go hunting a single little bit but then peole with iPhones they get all the connection they need but look at me I've got a set up account, downloaded the app but all the Pokémons I've found, I have found them in my house and that's it. Next phone I get has to be an iPhone no matter what! I'm disappointed.
    And that everything I have to say oh and wait battery goes down so quick and also the brightness if you change it doesn't make a single difference
    That's all for now! -P.S. I think u need to create a better phone
  • Blame your carrier, not your phone. Also, not sure if trolling or...?
  • This idiot blames his phone instead of his cheap and ****** data plan from a ****** carrier. Posted via Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-i9505 paired with LG Gwatch R
  • Aaand this is exactly why I've stopped checking in on this site daily. Between the more recent Pokespam and all their unmarked paid product placements, AC has gone into a tailspin over the past 9 months.
  • I think it's time for me to uninstall the AA app.
  • You'll have trouble getting roadside assistance.... Or substance abuse assistance, depending on your region. Posted via the Pokémon Central App
  • Why uninstall Android authority app this is Android Central app Posted from my Moto X 2nd gen and my Nexus 9 both on Android Marshmallow
  • Because they aren't covering Pokemon enough, I need to dedicate more time to Android Central.
  • Android Police here I come Posted via the Android Central App
  • Ads and Spam. This site is ****.
  • The spam part is from you... P̶o̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶N̶e̶x̶u̶s̶ ̶6̶P̶
    H982 FKL
  • That means a lot, coming from you /s
  • took me a while to get the sarcasm
    i'm not really to be taken that seriously anyway :p
  • Oh calm down you cry babies. Have you ever thought that not EVERY article is tailored for you? Keep scrolling and quit crying.
  • Like 90% of the articles are about Pokemon GO. That's absolutely ridiculous. I come here to read about Android devices, not about Pokemon.
  • 8 of the last 10 articles are Pokemon related. I don't think people are overreacting. Posted via the Android Central App
  • +1000
  • Waaaa! Write about what *I* want to read! Waaaa! Posted via the Android Central App
  • Brits are such whiners.
  • I guess this is it for Android Central. Sad to see what was once a great site deteriorate into this. Rodeo time, time to get er on down the road
  • No go for me. Won't load up on my 6p. On preview build for Nougat. Maybe try again next week. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Niantic said they won't support Nougat until it's officially out. Posted via the Android Central App
  • FYI: It's running fine on N since the July 12th update. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Make sure to turn off mock locations in the developer options if it's enabled. You'll never get GPS or location to work otherwise. Posted via the Android Central App
  • The biggest Pokémon Go problem is the amount of space it takes up on Android Central. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Hey look,another Pokémon article,another repost,garbage. Posted via the Android Central App
  • 0 skcuf given Posted via the Android Central App
  • Went from app day Sunday to gnikcuf Pokemon Sunday Posted via the Android Central App
  • How do I keep idiots from stopping infront of my house acting like they are not playing Pokemon but really they are :) Posted via the Android Central App
  • Lawn sprinklers :D
  • Shotgun Posted via the Android Central App
  • Why don't you guys launch a Pokémon go sister site, seriously it's getting annoying, and you're losing credibility as an android informational source.
  • How about Pokemon Go not working over wifi?
  • I like pokemon go......................but it is not much useful article......................................
  • Wow. You aren't even trying anymore. Just reposting the same articles over and over again. The least you could do is delete the comments so it isn't so obvious. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Well, good thing there is a Mr mobile YouTube channel. So long for now, android central app/website. Posted via the Android Central App
  • It always makes me laugh and smile when I see Pokémon articles lol. It's amazing how many people are so into this. Hopefully we don't look back and regret all this madness lol A droid a day keeps the Apple away
  • It looks like Android Central is going through some kind of major change. Hopefully we don't come here one day and we discover they are gone. It almost looks like AC is in self-destruct mode. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I love these articles just for the whiny comments. Posted via the Android Central App
  • You're not going to love it when AC becomes a thing of the past because of stuff like this. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Lol Posted via the Android Central App
  • What about your own whiny comments?
  • Yours too. Posted via Android Central App
  • why don't you guys condense all these articles into one big article and stop reposting these Posted via the Android Central App
  • I'm thinking because they don't have anything else to post. I'm guessing the ship is sinking or AC is in the middle of a house cleaning. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Wow.. so Android Central.. now you're putting older Pokemon articles back to the top of the stack? I can't see how an article posted "17 hours ago" can have comments 3 weeks old. I'm sorry to say it but I am gone as a reader. I will now be going elsewhere for my first stop for Android news. I was never a huge fan of Android Police but I'll tell ya what.. I've been reading a lot more of their postings lately and visiting their way more now. We get it.. these "articles" generate income... pokemon is huge which means more clicks and more $$ for you. But at what expense do you do this? You piss off a lot of your more loyal readers that have been around for a while and have been loyal to your site. Do you think your new users acquired from your Pokemon blizzard of postings are going to stick around for the long haul like your more loyal readers have? I would say not if you're already recycling Pokemon posts you have posted weeks ago. I'm betting you already saw the numbers fall way off and that's why your posting them again, to get the Pokemon fanatics that maybe didn't see it when it was posted the first time and to get those hit numbers up. So while I'm sure you're gaining a ton of readers, I'm sure you're losing a lot of readers as well. AC was always my first stop for Android news but that has slowly but more and more become not the case and it's because of the quality has gone way downhill.
  • I encountered an error I have never seen before and don't understand: Initially I had no problems with Pokemon Go on my Samsung S4, but I eventually ran into a problem where at around 50% power both the mobile data and the GPS shuts off. Even emergency dialing! I can use any app normally, just not online. However, when I restart the phone it won't power back on. It acts like the battery is dead. However, when I plug the phone in - even to a battery with almost no charge left - it suddenly sees that it has power and will turn back on. This got increasingly worse though, and then I got to the point where the phone will shut off the moment I open the app (or rather, the moment the map finishes loading) if it is not plugged in even if it is at 100% and, again, it will not turn back on until I plug it in. Would work fine for literally any other app, but if I launch Pokemon Go everything dies. It's worse than a blue screen of death for android. The problem kept getting worse though, and now I have to keep my phone constantly tethered because if the app was run at any time since the last power cycle it will randomly shut off. This problem happens regardless of the battery I use (I have several) so I confirmed it's not a burned battery problem, and it never happens if Pokemon Go has been uninstalled. It also doesn't happen to my Xperia Z2 Tablet.