'Pokémon Go' Problems: Fix Unable To Authenticate, Trainer Club Progress, GPS, And Other Issues Plaguing Players

Having problems with Pokemon Go? Are you unable to authenticate you login or is your GPS messing up? Check out all our troubleshooting tips and tricks for solving the most common issues plaguing Pokemon Go players on Android and iOS devices.

On Wednesday, Pokémon Go by Niantic began rolling out to players across the globe. As with any major game launch, a number of players have run into issues with the game, including problems with login authentication, servers going down, Pokémon Trainer club registration, GPS, battery life… the list goes on.

If you’ve experienced any problems with downloading or using the Pokémon Go mobile game, we’ve compiled a list of all the known errors people are having, along with solutions as they become available. If you don’t find your issue on the list, please share it with us in the comments below so we can investigate a solution. Or, if you’ve found a solution to one of the known problems, share that as well.

How To Fix Problems With Pokémon Go

Problem #1: “Unable to authenticate” error

A number of users have reported this issue when trying to log in to the game with their Pokémon Trainer Club login credentials. While some have feared their accounts were banned, it appears the issue is mainly with server overload. At the time of this writing, the Pokémon Go servers in the U.S. were actually down. You can check the status of Pokemon Go servers, here. On the official Pokémon GO troubleshooting site, they also acknowledge issues with servers. The best solution to this problem once the servers go up is to wait and try again, or to sign up via a Google account. Google accounts don't appear to be having the authentication issues as frequently as Trainer Club accounts. Just keep in mind; if you have a Pokémon Trainer Club account you are already using, your progress will be reset (see problem 8).

Problem #2 – I can’t download Pokémon Go

• If you’re running into issues finding or downloading the Pokémon Go game on your device the first thing to check is that your device is actually compatible with the game and that it is available in your region. So far the game has been released in Australia, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal. If you aren’t living in one of these regions, it may be why you’re having trouble finding and downloading Pokémon GO on your device.​​

UPDATE 07/16/16: According to the Offical Pokemon GO Facebook page, the game is now available in 26 more European countries

"As of tonight, Trainers living in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland are able to download Pokémon GO from the Play Store or App Store.”

• Some Android smartphones and firmware are unable to download the game - At this time, the game is supported on Android 4.4+ devices up to Android 6.0.1. If you are running the Android N firmware on your device, the game will not work with it. Pokémon Go is also not compatible with devices with an Intel processor, so if you have an Android tablet with an Intel processor, it may not work.
• Some Apple iPhones and iPads are unable to run Pokémon GO - At this time, the game is compatible with all iOS devices from iPhone 5 and up as long as you have iOS 8 or later installed. In addition, if you are running Pokémon Go on a Wi-Fi only iPad, then you will not be able to play on that device as it will not be able to locate a GPS signal.
• Jailbroken iOS iPhone and iPads are not supported, so if you have a jailbreak installed you will be unable to play the game.

Problem #3: Pokémon Go “App not installed” error

A number of people who tried installing the Pokémon Go APK on their Android devices have reported an issue with it saying, “App not installed.” This mostly happens when the APK file is corrupted or has not been downloaded properly. It’s best to not even use APKs if possible, as you run the risk of downloading malware or getting banned.

Problem #4: Audio is distorted

Problem #5: “You already own this item” error

This is another issue unique to Android users. It appears that if you lose connectivity to the Internet while buying PokeCoins from the Pokémon Go shop, you will get an error message saying, “You already own this item.” The problem is pretty easily remedied. According to the official Pokémon Go troubleshooting site, you just need to switch off your device and then power it on again and the problem should resolve itself.

Problem #6: GPS issues with inaccurate location

Sometimes GPS locations may not be perfectly on point in the game, or may even appear jittery. This is a known issue the developers of the game are trying to clean up. Issues with GPS, however, will vary quite a bit from device to device. It also varies depending on how strong your GPS signal is. For optimal performance, make sure GPS/location services are enabled for the game and that you have it in high-accuracy mode.

Problem #7: "This item is not available in your country" error

If you know you are living in a region where the game is available and your Android device is compatible (see above) but you keep getting “The item is not available in your country” message, then you may need to check your Google Wallet settings. Make sure you’ve got your correct address listed and in the correct country. If you’re still experiencing problems, the Pokémon Go development team suggests contacting Google Play’s help or support team.

Problem #8: Pokémon Go Trainer Club progress resetting to level 1

This problem appears to arise when players have created more than one Pokémon Go account. If you created two accounts – for instance, one using Google and another using Pokémon Trainer Club -- then you’re probably experiencing this issue. The way to resolve it is to log out of your account via the Settings menu, then log in with the first account you used and use that one exclusively.

Problem #9: "Cannot detect your phone's orientation"error when switching to AR mode.

This is a problem a few of our readers recently reported. Searching the web it appears the issue could be one of two things:

Android - your phone may not have a gyroscope. If so, AR mode will not work. A few phones reporting this issue are Sony Experia, HTC 626S and all Huawei smartphones.

iOS - iPhone users with the iOS 10 beta 2 installed are also reporting problems with the phone detecting orientation for AR mode.

Problem #10: Battery drain

Battery drain is a known issue with Pokémon Go due to the game’s constant use of GPS signal. While the developers are working on ways to make the game less of a battery hog, for now that’s pretty much the price you pay to play a game that so heavily utilizes GPS. There are a few things you can do though that may help ease the battery drain.

• · Adjust Screen Brightness
• · Avoid Capturing Pokémon in AR Mode
• · Turn Sound Off
• · Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
• · Avoid zooming in and out of the Map.
• · More tips for avoiding battery drain can be found here , or for general tips on improving iPhone battery life, see this post.