How to use it
- Read the live status above. It tests Pokemon GO from outside your network.
- Open the official Pokemon GO Help Center (no public status page) page for confirmed incidents.
- If Pokemon GO is up, work through the fixes below, cheapest first.
- Press the report button if it still fails, so other visitors see it.
Is Pokemon GO down for everyone or only for you?
Pokemon GO is a mobile game built on three things working together: your phone's GPS and sensors, a login with a provider such as Google, Apple or a Niantic account, and Niantic's game servers that hold your account, spawns and raids. If the servers are busy, login fails. If GPS is weak, the game cannot place you on the map even when the servers are fine.
Our check requests the Pokemon GO website and Niantic's website from outside your network. These do not exercise the game servers, so a pass means the company sites are up, not that every raid or login works. Niantic's help center says login problems are often temporary server issues or a weak connection.
The live check on this page requests www.pokemongo.com and nianticlabs.com from our servers every few minutes. A normal answer from those addresses means the service is reachable from outside your network. It does not prove that every feature inside Pokemon GO works, which is why the problem reports and the fixes below matter.
What usually breaks with Pokemon GO
Login and authentication
You see unable to authenticate or failed to log in. Niantic ties this to a temporary server problem or a weak connection.
Location and GPS
The game cannot find you or shows a location error. This is the phone, its permissions and its GPS signal.
Raids and gyms
Raid lobbies will not load or battles freeze. These use extra server calls and are sensitive to a poor mobile connection.
Catching and spawns
Pokemon do not appear or stay grey. A slow connection can leave the map half loaded.
Shop and purchases
Items do not show up after a purchase. This depends on the App Store or Google Play and Niantic's servers.
How to fix Pokemon GO when it only fails for you
Start at the top. The first steps are the cheapest and fix most cases that are not a real outage.
- Check your phone connection. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Niantic advises a strong network connection or waiting a short while before trying again.
- Force close the app. On Android go to Settings, Apps, Pokemon GO, Force Stop. On iPhone swipe the app away from the app switcher, then reopen it.
- Set location to precise. In your phone's location permissions for Pokemon GO choose Precise and Always or While Using, then step outside for a better GPS lock.
- Turn off mock location apps. On Android open Developer options and set Select mock location app to None. Leftover tools can trigger location errors.
- Restart the phone. A full restart resets GPS and the network stack. Wait a minute before opening the game.
- Re-add your Google account. For Google sign-ins on Android, Niantic suggests removing and adding the Google account on the device. Allow time for data to redownload.
- Update the game and OS. Update Pokemon GO in the App Store or Google Play and install any pending phone system update.
- Contact support. In the Pokemon GO Help Center use the contact option. Include the exact message and your device model.
If none of this helps and the live check above shows the service as up, read our guide on why a website is not loading, or see how to flush DNS.
Common Pokemon GO error messages
| Message or code | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Unable to authenticate | The login did not complete. Niantic says this is usually a temporary server problem or a weak connection. | Check your network, force close the app and retry, then re-add your Google account on Android if needed. |
| Failed to log in | The same family of login failure as unable to authenticate, listed together by Niantic. | Try again in a few minutes, switch networks and force close the app. |
| Failed to detect location (12) | The game could not match your device location. Common causes are weak GPS, restricted permissions or a leftover mock location setting. | Enable precise location, remove mock location apps and move outdoors. |
Official Pokemon GO status and support
The company itself has the final word on outages. Check Pokemon GO Help Center (no public status page) for confirmed incidents and use Pokemon GO Help Center if your account has a problem that is not an outage. We are not affiliated with Pokemon GO.
Facts and menu names on this page were checked against the official sources below on October 25, 2026. Apps change their menus, so a setting may sit in a slightly different place in your version.
- niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/faq/113-i-received-the-unable-to-authenticate-or-failed-to-log-in-message
- niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/faq/106-help-with-sign-in-issues-1585960582
Other services people check
Frequently asked questions
Is Pokemon GO down or is it my phone?
Check the live result, then see whether other players or a second phone can log in. If the second phone works, the first phone's app, location or network is the cause.
Does Pokemon GO have a status page?
I could not confirm one. The Pokemon GO Help Center is the official source for troubleshooting.
Why does the game say unable to authenticate?
Niantic describes it as a temporary server problem or a weak connection. Wait a few minutes and retry.
Will removing my Google account delete my progress?
Your progress lives on Niantic's servers tied to your login. Removing the account from the phone clears local data until you add it back.
Why do I lose GPS in the game only?
Check that location is set to precise for this app, that battery saver is not limiting location, and that you are not indoors.