6 Solutions for Pokemon Go Failed to Detect Location Error

Andrew Johnson | Mar 31, 2023 7 min read

A renowned Pokémon GO player is passionate about hunting and collecting the rarest of Pokémon and sharing his game insights with the global community.

Occasionally, Pokemon GO may encounter different glitches, one of which fails to detect location.
This post will explain why Pokemon GO failed to detect your location and provide concrete solutions.
I will make it easy for you to learn how to connect the disconnect location on your iPhone or Android and other tricks you can use to avoid that. Let us start!

Why Does Pokemon Go Fail to Detect Location?

PokemonGo might fail to detect location due to the following reasons.

  • Glitches in Pokemon Go
  • Disabled Location Service
  • Didn't provide Pokemon Go location access
  • Using an unstable GPS Spoofer
  • Wi-Fi and internet issues
  • Other Uncertain Reasons

6 Ways to Fix the "Pokemon GO Failed to Detect Location" Issue

Way 1. Turn on Location Services and Enable GPS

Nobody is unaware that Pokemon Go is a game that requires you to go to various locations and utilises location-based services. It must be switched on for it to function correctly.

Often, we deactivate location services, or they have switched off automatically while our smartphones are in energy-saving mode. There are several reasons for this, but the objective here is to determine whether or not your location services are enabled. What to do is as follows:

Steps for iPhone:

iPhone: Click on Settings > Privacy > Location Services and flip the On/Off switch next to Location Services.

Steps for Android:

  1. Go to "Settings" and choose ""
  2. Select "High Accuracy" from the "Mode" menu to set GPS to its highest location accuracy mode.
  3. Now, attempt to play Pokemon GO to see if the problem with the Location failing to detect has been fixed or not.

If the issue remains unresolved, go to procedure #2 below.

Way 2. Use Location Spoofing Apps to Let It Detect Available Location

MagicGo (most recommended for iPhone)

MagicGo is a location spoofing software that will enable you to spoof your location without affecting other apps. Some of the MagicGo features allow you to work without jailbreaking your phone and are mainly recommended for iPhone users.

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Why Do I Recommend Mobitrix MagicGo?

  • One-click to move the iPhone's location to another place so that Pokemon Go may detect the new location.
  • Simulate virtual movement at a user-defined pace, allowing you to play Pokemon Go without moving.
  • Joystick mode adds to the enjoyment of the game.
  • Secure and will not result in your account being banned by Pokemon Go.

Steps to use MagicGo:

  1. Install MagicGo

You can download MagicGo on your computer/Mac. Install and activate it. To get started, click the Start button. Then, using a USB cable, connect your phone to the computer.

  1. Locate a location on the map.

It will lead you to select a location on the map within MagicGo To by dragging and rooming the map. Once you've chosen a place, a sidebar will appear with information on your chosen area - select Move.

  1. The GPS location of Pokemon Go has changed.

After clicking Move, your GPS location will be rapidly updated. You'll see that your GPS location on Pokemon Go has been updated to this new location! That is how you may simply modify your GPS location when it fails to detect one.

Fake GPS location (most recommended for Android)

This is perhaps the most okay Pokemon GPS spoofing app available for Android, with a 4.6/5 rating on the Google Play Store. Although it hasn't been updated in a while, the software effectively switches your Pokemon GO location. Luckily, it is entirely free.

Pros:

  • 6-star rating on Google Play Store.
  • Capture Pokemon from all across the world.

Cons:

  • Each time the program is restarted, the last position is lost.
  • No update on the app recently.

How to use it step by step

  1. Navigate to the Google Play Store and download and install the Fake GPS Location.
  2. Launch the app and scroll down to the Choose a starting option section.
  3. Select the option to Set Location. To access the map, choose the Click here to open the map option.
  4. Start by tapping. You'll notice a dialogue labelled Draw Permission Required, which encourages you to modify a system configuration. Go to Settings by clicking.
  5. Allow sketching over other programs, and then touch to return.
  6. Activate a fake location. Go to Settings, About, and locate the Build Number (alternatively, you may just search for the Build Number option in the Settings menu on your phone).
  7. Click Settings > Developer Options > Mock location app, and press the Fake GPS Location.
  8. Tap Start on the Fake GPS Location. You can open Google Maps or a similar app to see if your location is now updated. Your faked location may take seconds to display on other people's phones.

Way 3. Give Apps Permission to Use Your Location

How to allow the Pokemon Go App to access the location

Verify that Pokemon GO's location permissions are set to "always allow" access to your location even when the app is closed.

For Android devices:

Access the Pokemon GO App permissions through Settings -> Apps & notifications -> Pokemon GO -> Permissions -> and set on "Location."

Please remember that certain phones may need a slightly different procedure for allowing location permissions in the settings menu.

For iOS devices:

Turn Location Permissions to "Always" in iOS Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Pokemon GO > and turn Location Permissions to "Always" in Pokemon GO.

How to turn on Background App Refresh

Background App Refresh enables your device's applications to search for new information automatically even while they are not running on the screen.

How to turn on Background App Refresh on your iPhone and iPad

  1. Open settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Refresh the background app by clicking it.
  4. Turn on Background App Update.

How to turn on Background App Refresh on your Android

  1. From the start screen, pull down the notification bar for Settings.
  2. In the upper right-hand corner, tap the gear icon.
  3. Tap Connections in Settings, followed by Data Usage.
  4. Tap Mobile Data Usage from the Mobile section.
  5. Select an app from below the usage graph.
  6. To enable background data to use, tap Allow background data usage.

Repeat these instructions for any app that uses Background App Refresh you want to allow.

Way 4. Update Pokemon Go app to Fix the Bugs.

Pokemon GO works best when using the newest version of the app. If you're having issues with an earlier version of the app, please upgrade it and see if it resolves the problem.

Steps:

  1. Open the App Store app.
  2. Tap Today.
  3. At the top of the screen, tap the profile button.
  4. Open the Pokemon GO app and press the Update

Way 5. Check Internet Settings.

Establish that your device is linked to a stable data network (Wifi, 3G, or 4G). Switch internet sources: if you're having problems connecting to Wi-Fi, try 3G or 4G. If you're having difficulty connecting to 3G or 4G, try connecting over WiFi.

Way 6. How to Fix Pokemon Go Glitches

  1. Close Pokemon Go and restart it.
  2. Reboot Phone
  3. Rebooting your device has been beneficial in resolving several technical issues. We noted earlier that Pokemon Go often fails to locate a location owing to location or GPS issues. However, if you are unfortunate and cannot get results using the above ways, you may attempt this.

    1. For a few seconds, press the lock or power key on your smartphone for a few seconds. A menu will appear from which you must choose "Reboot" or "Restart." In a few seconds, the device will resume. Hopefully, it will eliminate any flaws.
    2. After restarting the device, re-enable GPS. And then attempt to play the game again to check whether the "failed to detect location" error in Pokemon Go persists.

  4. Log out and Login Account
  5. Unfortunately, Pokemon Go is still unable to determine its location. However, this strategy is capable of resolving it. You must try logging out from the Pokemon account and logging into it again. This will likely address the problem of what is falling behind in the game. What you must do is as follows.

    1. Launch the game after it has successfully started.
    2. Next, touch on "Settings" in the upper right corner.
    3. Scroll down and click the "SIGN OUT" option.
    4. Once logged out successfully, re-login using your credentials. Now, let us see whether everything goes according to plan!

  6. Clear/Reset Pokemon Go Data and Log Back In
    1. If nothing changes, here is another option that may be your rescue. Reset the Pokemon Go data if necessary.
    2. Our smartphones' applications routinely accumulate hidden things such as caches. When these components are extensively stored on smartphones, they might use significant storage space, preventing the app from performing optimally. And this might also be the case with Pokemon Go.
    3. There is no question that you play it excessively whenever you have time. So Pokemon Go can't locate the location might be due to accumulated or corrupted caches or small goods. Kindly inform us how to do this.
    4. Take your Android handset and go to the "Settings" menu. Locate and hit the "Apps" tab. You will now see the option "Manage Apps." To continue, just touch on it.
    5. From the list of applications, locate and launch "Pokemon Go." Now, choose "Clear data." Confirm your actions by clicking "Clear Cache" and then "Clear data." This will clear all of your Pokemon Go data. As a result, you must log in again to play the game.

Note: These ways can solve the "Pokemon Go Failed to Detect Location" issue, but the low rate. However, you can still have a try.

Summary:

We hope the methods mentioned in this post have helped you resolve the Pokemon GO failed to detect location problem. We have Assisted you in spoofing your location using MagicGo in the game even after your phone has received the latest Android and iPhone security update. Just like that, you will continue to enjoy your game.