Pokémon GO is all the rage with gamers trying their hands at Niantic's new AR offering. Even as gamers attempt to catch elusive Pokémon, glitches such as server crashes and bugs the title suffers from can be quite harrowing.
The glitches can be anything from a fleeting pause during gameplay to being stuck inside Pokémon Gyms with a rival with just 1HP. These issues can be pretty annoying especially when you're in the midst of an exciting game. And while there is no permanent solution, we have some handy workarounds for you that will help you avoid crashes and fix server errors.
How To Fix Server Crashes
If you are unsure whether the game has frozen or it's just an internet issue, simply check the spinning Pokéball on the top left side. This white icon, if it is spinning, shows that the Niantic server is being refreshed.
If the graphics suddenly freezes but you see the Pokéball icon continues to spin, then it is essentially attempting to reconnect with the central server. This should be sorted in a matter of moments and things should be back to normal. However, if the animations come back on but the buttons don't seem to work, and the Pokéball is still spinning, then the server connection has been lost. This warrants a reboot.
How should you fix this? Simply exit the app and reopen it. Closing and reopening often does the trick to help reconnect to Niantic's server. You can follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to the Home screen by pressing the Home button.
Step 2: Open a new app.
Step 3: Enter the multitasking screen or the recently used apps.
Step 4: Swipe to the card for Pokémon GO.
Step 5: Tap the Pokémon GO card so you can re-enter the app.
You will see the Gyarados loading screen. After this, you should be able to go back to catching and battling creatures!
How To Fix Game Crashes
Another common niggle encountered by Pokémon GO fans is a sudden game crash, which results in immediate progress or data being lost. It seems the only possible way to fix this bug for now is to reboot.
Step 1: Go to the Home screen, if it's possible.
Step 2: Enter the multitasking screen.
Step 3: Swipe to Pokémon GO card.
Step 4: Swipe up or left on the card Pokémon GO depending on your device. This will forcefully quit the app.
Step 5: Relaunch Pokémon GO.
While we've listed simple fixes for common Pokémon GO bugs, it is still advisable that you report the issue to Niantic on the report page for the game. Also, ensure that your app is updated to the latest version.
