Last verified 2026-09-21 by ReviewGamers Editorial
When Pokémon GO’s GPS signal cuts out, or your account receives a warning about unusual activity, Niantic publishes official explanations on their help centre. This guide collects Niantic’s documented troubleshooting steps and policy information so you understand what happened and what you can do. All steps and policies below come from Niantic’s official documentation; none are invented.
GPS drift: what it is and how to fix it
GPS drift is when your character’s position on the map jumps or wanders without you moving. This is the most common technical issue Pokémon GO players face. According to Niantic’s official GPS troubleshooting guide, GPS drift happens because your phone’s GPS receiver is receiving conflicting or weak satellite signals.
Why it happens:
- Tall buildings or dense trees block satellite signals
- Your phone’s GPS chip is old or less sensitive
- Your location services are set to “Battery Saver” mode instead of “High Accuracy”
- Your phone’s GPS calibration is out of sync
How to fix it — step 1: Check location services.
On Android:
- Go to Settings > Location
- Ensure Location is toggled ON
- Tap Location > Mode and select “High Accuracy” (not Battery Saver)
On iOS:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
- Ensure Location Services is toggled ON
- Find Pokémon GO in the list and ensure it is set to “Always” (not “While Using” or “Never”)
How to fix it — step 2: Calibrate your compass.
Niantic’s guide recommends calibrating your device’s digital compass to improve GPS accuracy. In Pokémon GO:
- Tap your avatar icon in the bottom left
- Tap Settings (gear icon)
- Look for “Compass Calibration” or “Advanced Settings”
- Follow the on-screen prompt to move your phone in a figure-8 motion (holding it level)
How to fix it — step 3: Clear your app cache (without losing data).
Stale cached data can interfere with GPS. To clear it without losing your progress:
On Android:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO
- Tap “Storage & cache”
- Tap “Clear Cache” (not “Clear Storage”)
- Reopen Pokémon GO
On iOS:
- Close Pokémon GO completely
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Find Pokémon GO in the list
- Tap “Offload App” (the app removes itself but keeps your data)
- Tap “Reinstall App” immediately after
- Sign back in
If GPS drift persists: Move to a more open area away from tall buildings. Niantic notes that GPS works best outdoors with a clear view of the sky.
Softban: understanding the strike system
A “softban” is when Niantic temporarily restricts your account for detected unusual activity. You are not permanently banned, but the game restricts certain features for a set period. Niantic’s official Gameplay Fairness Policy explains how this system works.
What triggers a softban: According to Niantic, the most common trigger is teleporting impossibly fast. If the game detects that you travelled hundreds of kilometres in seconds (impossible without a plane), it flags your account.
Other triggers include:
- Logging in from drastically different locations in a short time span
- Using GPS spoofing software (apps that fake your location)
- Rapid PokéStop spinning or Pokémon catching in unrealistic patterns
What a softban feels like:
- You cannot catch Pokémon (you throw a Poké Ball and it misses, no matter the circle)
- You cannot spin PokéStops (you get a “Try again later” message)
- You cannot battle gyms
- Your Pokédex and inventory still work
The strike system (Niantic’s official framework):
Niantic uses a three-strike system:
- First strike: Temporary softban (usually 30 minutes to several hours)
- Second strike: Longer softban (up to 24 hours) and account restrictions
- Third strike: 30-day suspension, and a final warning
How to recover from a softban:
Niantic’s policy states that softbans expire on their own. The fix is to wait. However, you can speed recovery by:
- Ensure you are physically at the location your phone’s GPS shows
- Close Pokémon GO completely
- Restart your phone
- Reopen Pokémon GO and wait 5–10 minutes in a safe location
Do not attempt to catch Pokémon or spin stops during the softban window. Just wait for the feature to become available again.
To avoid future softbans:
- Do not use GPS spoofing apps
- Do not log in from radically different countries in a single day
- Do not catch or battle in unrealistic patterns (e.g., spinning 50 stops in 10 seconds)
- Let the game’s GPS settle for a few seconds when you first open it
Spoofing: what it is and why Niantic enforces it
GPS spoofing is when you use software to fake your phone’s location to the game, allowing you to play Pokémon GO without leaving your home. Niantic’s official Player Guidelines explicitly prohibit this and explain how it is detected.
Why Niantic prohibits spoofing (official policy): Niantic states that spoofing undermines the core mechanic of Pokémon GO — exploration and outdoor activity. Players who spoof gain unfair advantages (access to region-exclusive Pokémon, control of gyms from home) without the effort other players invest.
How Niantic detects spoofing:
According to Niantic’s documentation, they monitor for:
- Location jumps (teleporting across cities instantly)
- Consistent impossible speeds (moving faster than any vehicle could)
- IP address mismatches (your phone’s location does not match your internet service provider’s location)
- Use of known spoofing apps or frameworks
Niantic does not ban on the first offense. Instead, they apply softbans and escalate through the strike system. However, repeated spoofing can result in a permanent account suspension.
Niantic’s enforcement policy:
According to their Player Guidelines:
- First detection: Softban (temporary restriction)
- Repeated detection: Longer softbans and strikes accumulate
- Severe or repeated cases: 30-day suspension
- Continued violation after suspension: Permanent ban
Legitimate exceptions Niantic acknowledges:
Niantic’s guidelines note that occasional GPS errors (your phone thinking you are in a different building) are not flagged. Spoofing is the intentional use of an app or software to fake location, not a one-time GPS glitch.
Connection and login issues
If Pokémon GO won’t connect to Niantic’s servers, Niantic’s troubleshooting guide recommends:
Check your internet connection.
- Ensure WiFi or mobile data is enabled
- Try a different WiFi network if available
- Toggle airplane mode off and back on to reset your connection
Verify Niantic’s servers are online. Niantic’s status page (if available) shows server health. If servers are down, wait for them to come back online.
Clear app cache (same steps as GPS troubleshooting above). Cached data from a previous session can cause connection failures.
Update Pokémon GO. Outdated app versions may fail to connect. Check your app store (Google Play or Apple App Store) for an available update and install it.
Restart your device. Close Pokémon GO completely. Restart your phone (not just the app). Reopen Pokémon GO after restart.
Check account access. Ensure you can sign into your Pokémon Trainer Club account or Google/Apple account (whichever you use for Pokémon GO) via the web. If you cannot sign in, your account may need a password reset.
Reinstall the app (last resort). If nothing else works, uninstall Pokémon GO, restart your phone, reinstall it from your app store, and sign back in.
Reporting problems to Niantic
If you experience issues not covered here or believe you have been incorrectly softbanned, Niantic Help Centre provides a support form at https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/. Include:
- Your Pokémon Trainer Club username
- The exact error message or issue you are experiencing
- When the issue started
- Steps you have already taken to fix it
For platform-specific performance tips and guides, explore our Android Games hub or iPhone & iPad Games hub. Keep your game current by following Pokémon GO for update alerts.
Tell us which platform you play on and we will keep this page current for it.
FREE — follow this game for update alerts. PAID — per-platform performance and settings notes once verified.