Pokemon Go stops working in parts of India, Pokestops and Gyms missing

An app that is not yet in India officially through Google Play Store is already so popular, and because it is an Android app that does not hold any regional restrictions, an APK file of that is enough to install it. Pokemon Go was released for a few countries but that didn’t stop players from other countries from playing the game.

Now, what seems like an interference by the game maker Niantic, Pokemon Go isn’t working in India for a few hours now. This seemed like an error with the device initially, but the number of people reporting about it on Reddit and social networks now makes it clear that it is something to do with the entire userbase in India.

“I end my work early morning and head outside. Everything is empty. The PokeStops, the Gyms, the nearby list. All gone. I ran to my PC and create an account in PTC [Pokemon Trainer’s Club] and use the Pokemon locator that has been around since yesterday. It’s BLANK for my city. I then change co-ordinates to US/Japan; Welp! There are all my Pokemon. Guess they deleted or hid all the spawns/and data for countries yet to have a release,” posted Redditor likemsan, followed by over a hundred comments, most of them talking about a similar situation.

The issue is not seen in every city in India, because players in Delhi and NCR claim that they have been able to play the game with ease, while many complains have been coming from South Indian cities. I’m not able to find a single Pokemon, a Pokestop, or even a Gym, and the entire map is empty with only the GPS helping me with the correct location.

The major cities where users are reporting about the game not working include Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, and some users in Mumbai as well, though there are users from the same city claiming to still be able to catch Pokemon and train at gyms.

Niantic is not responding to user’s queries about this, so it is unclear whether we are looking at a technical problem or is it the developer’s step taken ahead of the official launch of the game in the country.

We’ll keep an eye on this and update the news if we see the status changing in the next few hours or days, but till then, be assured that you are not alone if you are not able to play Pokemon Go in India.

As for the release date in India, Niantic isn’t talking about that either. While there are some rumors claiming that it is in the first week of August that we will see the game launching officially in India, some others say that it won’t come before September.

If you are able to play the game without any problem, check out how to earn XP in Pokemon Go game, and also find out the best tips to save battery while playing Pokemon Go.