Pokemon go It is a very funny game. As long as you can play, of course. Since the game came out at the beginning of July 2016, we have seen all kinds of crazy things with people taking to the streets and flooding parks and squares in search of that rare Pokémon. To be able to play Pokémon GO, yes, it is necessary that the GPS of your phone is operational, and that the game can locate your mobile device ... ¿¿I have heard GPS error?
Error in Pokémon GO: "The GPS signal could not be found"
What has not been talked about so much lately, on the other hand, is about all those people who for one reason or another are running out of being able to play Pokémon GO, and that can not be!
Several people have told me that they are having problems with the GPS signal when starting to play Pokémon GO, preventing being able to enjoy the game in any of its aspects. The aforementioned GPS error pops up as soon as the Pokémon GO app is started and the exact message is the following: "GPS signal could not be found”.
Solution for GPS error in Pokémon GO (Android)
There are several tests that you can carry out to try to fix the aforementioned error with the GPS signal on Android.
Set "High Accuracy" locations
The first thing we have to keep in mind is that Android phones use 3 different methods to establish the location of the device:
- Device only: With this method the location is determined only with the GPS.
- Battery saving: Determine the location with WiFi, Bluetooth or mobile networks.
- High accuracy: The most complete of all. Set the location with GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth or mobile networks.
That said, the "high precision" mode works the best. Therefore, the first thing we have to do is make sure that we have this option activated.
To do this, if we have a recent version of Android we must follow the following steps:
- We are going to "Settings -> Security and location -> Location”And we make sure that the Google location accuracy it's activated.
On Android 10 this setting is on a very similar path. We must enter into «Settings -> Location -> Advanced -> Google Location Accuracy«.
To solve GPS connection problems on mobiles with old versions of Android, do the following:
- Go to "Settings”From your Android device.
- Make sure the button "Location”Is activated and click on it.
- Choose "Mode”And make sure it is marked as“High accuracy”.
If your device is Android 5.0 or 6.0 you can do it from:
- “Settings" of the telephone.
- “Privacy & Security”.
- Go into "Location"Or"Location”And make sure it's activated.
- Then select "Location method: GPS, WiFi and mobile networks”.
Make sure the Pokemon GO app has the location service activated
If the rest of the applications that we have on the mobile phone do not give us problems with the GPS, it is convenient to make sure that we have location permissions correctly applied in the Pokemon GO app.
- Go into "Settings -> Location -> App permission«.
- Here you will find a list of the applications you have installed, classified into 3 groups: «Permitted«, «Allowed only while wearing" and "Without permission«.
- If the app appears in the list of «Without permission«, Select it and activate the option«Allow if app is in use«Or«Always allow«.
Keep the WiFi activated (even if you are not connected)
Pokémon GO works with an assisted location system, and uses both the device's WiFi signal, the closest mobile phone tower and GPS satellites to locate you in the game. If you only have the WIFi or data signal activated, the game is less accurate and your character will move by “hopping” and making it less likely that any Pokémon will appear in the surroundings. Always keep WiFi activated, even if you are not connected to any wireless network.
Improve the quality of the GPS signal
Another test that you can also do is install an app that improves the quality of your device's GPS signal. Try to install an app like «Activate GPS – GPS Booster«, Restart the phone and relaunch the game.
Download QR-Code ActiveGPS - GPS booster Developer: Anagog Price: Free Google maps
If none of this works, open Google Maps and then open the Pokémon GO app. Some users indicate that leaving Google Maps running in the background the Pokémon GO app is suddenly taken for granted and the error in the GPS signal disappears. That is, if Google Maps manages to locate you, the game most likely will, too.
The incense trick
Have you noticed if the error in the GPS signal is obtained when you use the incense? Problems have been detected with the use of incense, and in principle, if that is the cause, you can try to solve it adjusting the date and time of your phone automatically.
The date and time settings in Android can be found in «Settings -> System -> Date and time«.
Recalibrate the GPS service
Many Pokémon GO users are having problems with the GPS signal due to the use of apps like Fake GPS, which allow you to change your location virtually. Once Fake GPS has been used and when trying to return to normality, when starting Pokémon GO it shows «GPS signal error«.
We can try to fix the problem by recalibrating the GPS service. How? By using the app «GPS Status & Toolbox»On Android and by means of a manual reset if you are an iOS user.
You can download "GPS Status & Toolbox»For Android from this link:
Download QR-Code GPS Status & Toolbox Developer: EclipSim Price: Free Activate location history
This other check for Android (thanks to the input of a web commentator, Dacdariel) is really interesting and can be a key check to solve the problem with the GPS signal in Pokémon GO. It consists of confirming thatlocation history is on. For it:
- We are going to "Settings -> Security and location -> Location«.
- Click on «Google location history»And we make sure that the«Location historys" it's activated.
If we have a mobile with an old version of Android:
- We go to the phone settings menu and enter «Location«.
- Click on «Google location history«.
- Finally, we make sure that the «Activated»Is enabled, as we see in this other screenshot.
Disable test locations
If you are an Android user, go to the settings menu, to «System -> Phone Information»And click on the compilation number 7 times to display the developer options.
Next, we make sure that there is no app selected (especially the Pokemon Go game) in "Choose application to simulate location”. In some versions of Android we will also have to disable the option «test locations»If this option is available (usually only appears on older Android versions).
Solution for GPS error in Pokémon GO (iOS)
In the event that you are playing Pokémon GO from an iPhone you can try the following:
Leave WiFi on
- Make sure you have the WiFi signal activated even if you are not connected to any wireless network. Apple also uses WiFi mapping as a location system.
- If you are inside Pokémon GO you can activate the WiFi by dragging from below the screen up to remove the command menu. Press the WiFi icon and make sure it is activated.
Keep Google Maps open
- If this does not work, as we have indicated in Android, open Google Maps and then open the Pokémon GO app. Some users indicate that leaving Google Maps running in the background the Pokémon GO app is suddenly taken for granted and the error in the GPS signal disappears.
Use of incense
As we have commented in the tests for Android, problems with the use of incense have been detected, and in principle, if that is the cause, you can try to solve it adjusting the date and time of your phone automatically.
From iOS you can adjust the date and time automatically from «Settings -> General -> Date and time»And activating«Automatic adjustment«.
I have not gotten an explanation to justify this change in the date / time setting, but it seems that in many cases it solves the problem.
Reset and recalibrate the GPS service
If the GPS service is not working properly you can try to recalibrate it. In the case of iOS, to reset the GPS service, do the following:
- Press twice on the Home button. This will show you a list of all the apps that are running. Close all apps discarding them with your finger.
- Go to the phone settings and turn on airplane mode.
- Go to «Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset network settings«. Remember that you will have to re-enter your WiFi passwords.
- Once the reset is done go to «Settings -> Privacy -> Location»And deactivate and reactivate«Location«.
- To finish, go to «Settings -> Privacy -> Location -> System services»And deactivates the«time zone«.
Still can't play?
Although mobile devices have improved a lot in recent years, the subject of the GPS signal is still a bit sensitive. When you are indoors, between walls, the GPS signal still suffers and may not work as well as it should.
If you get the error while at home or in a closed place, go out to the street or the balcony and give Pokémon GO some time to try to pick up a signal again. In 30 seconds maximum the aforementioned GPS error should disappear.
While you wait for a signal you can have a small snackOther alternatives
If none of these tips have been useful, also try the following:
Restart / uninstall the app
If none of this works try reboot your device, and as a last try uninstall the game and reinstall it with the latest version available. Don't worry because the game data is saved in the account you are logged in with, so there is no problem in that regard.
Update your Android version
Make sure you have the latest version of Android available for your device installed. Pokémon GO has a minimum requirement of Android 4.4 or higher and 2 GB of RAM. If you do not meet the minimum requirements you may have problems of all kinds (in addition to not being able to download it from Google Play officially).
Install the game using .APK
If the official version of Pokémon GO does not work on your smartphone, it never hurts to do a test installing the game using an .APK file, from outside of Google Play.
From APKMirror You can download different versions of the game in .APK format. Just go in, download the latest version available and install it on your device. HERE you have access to all .APKs hosted on APKMirror.
Unstable servers
If you are still pulling your hair, keep in mind that Pokémon GO servers have a reputation for being quite unstable, and there are times when they fail and stop working properly. In that case, you should give the game a break and try again after an hour or two. I know it can be frustrating, but sometimes this kind of thing happens.
As I mentioned at the beginning, you can also play Pokémon GO without having the GPS signal activated, but only if you are really close to a very strong WiFi signal, such as those in library restaurants and the like. Of course, in that case forget about following the same level of play as your friends, because you will not be able to keep up with them no matter how hard you try.
In short, there are several checks that can be made, but I think one of the key tests is related to Google Maps. If Google Maps locates the game, it should also do it and if it doesn't, the problem is in the app. If Google Maps does not locate you then the problem is with the smartphone. I think it is a great indicator to get to solve the problem.
Check Table for Troubleshooting GPS Problems
To finish, I attach a table summarizing all the checks to be carried out for each device.
Please, make sure you do all of them, and in an extreme case, if you have no other choice, I would recommend that you reset your phone to factory state (always after trying all the available alternatives).
If you are tired of spending so much battery while playing, take a look at the post oftricks to save battery while playing Pokémon GO.
If you want to give your smartphone a little change of scenery, also visit the post 25 Pokémon wallpapers for mobile. Some will surely fall!
Ah! And if you know of any other tests or tricks that can be carried out to solve the problem, feel free to leave a message in the comment box!
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