Pokémon Go Is Mistakenly Flagging Some iOS Users For Cheating

Published: June 15, 2020 9:45 AM /

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Artwork of many of the Pokémon and trainers from Pokémon Go

Reports are coming in that users are being unfairly banned in Niantic's Pokémon Go. These users aren't cheating or using unapproved third-party programs, but they're being banned as if they were. The issue only seems to be occurring on iOS devices and doesn't seem to be affecting Android users. Niantic says it's investigating the problem.

Several users on Reddit's Pokémon Go community r/TheSilphRoad have flagged up this issue. User TheBigBouska says that they've been receiving 7-day bans consistently over the past few months for cheating or using third-party programs, despite not doing so. Other users have also received warning messages claiming they've been using modified client software and are being banned. This is a serious issue; Niantic's three-strike policy means each warning will increase the severity of the punishment, so if users are receiving repeated warnings, they could end up with long-term bans despite not having broken the rules.

A Pokémon Go warning message received by a Reddit user
Despite not cheating, Reddit user thenewbaroque received this warning message.

Why is Pokémon Go dishing out these warnings?

According to user Itterror, the erroneous warning messages are happening to users whose iOS software version is 12 or below. Itterror recommends that, if you can, you should update your iOS version to 13. If you can't, then it's best to refrain from playing Pokémon Go until Niantic fixes this issue, because the problem could seriously jeopardize your ability to access your account in future. The problem is almost certainly with Niantic's anti-cheat software, but until it's fixed, you might want to stay away from the game.

Luckily, Niantic says it's on the case. The developer is "investigating reports" that players are being incorrectly flagged by its anti-cheat systems and receiving punishments. As such, Niantic says that as soon as it has more information to share, you'll be able to see what's happening on its Known Issues blog. Until then, if you're running iOS 12, be sure to update your system or keep away from Pokémon Go. We'll bring you more on this as soon as we get it.

Have you been affected by the false cheat flagging in Pokémon Go? Let us know in the comments below! 

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More Info About This Game
Learn more about Pokemon Go
Game Page Pokemon Go
Developer
Niantic
Publisher
Niantic
Platforms
Android, IOS
Release Date
July 6, 2016 (Calendar)
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