Pokemon Go players beware — a new app update has removed some essential features and may erase your progress.
We were finally getting a grasp on the rules behind Pokemon Go. After all, the game didn’t come with a set of instructions, so players had to figure out how to navigate it themselves. Once we’ve finally begun to understand the game’s intricacies, Niantic released a new update that removes two major features.
Niantic has removed the footprints of nearby Pokemon.
One of the best ways to track the rare Pokemon we see is by looking at the number of footprints under their image. If there were three footprints, we’d walk in a certain direction until we saw two footprints or until the Pokemon dropped off the map all together (that’s how we’d know we were walking in the wrong direction). Niantic has completely removed this feature leaving us aimlessly walking in circles hoping we’re heading in the right direction — really lame.
Niantic has removed the battery saver option.
Pokemon Go is a battery-guzzling app. If you don’t have a portable charger, good luck getting far while you’re playing. Until the recent update, there was a really neat battery saver option that was a life-saver. If you turned your cellphone upside down it would darken the screen to almost black and run the app in the background. When your phone vibrated to alert you of a nearby Pokemon, you could flip your phone right-side up and resume as normal. Niantic has completely erased that option, so it looks like you definitely have to invest in a portable charger if you’re planning to seriously play.
Users have reported their games being erased.
This is a trainer’s worst nightmare. Users are reporting that after downloading the update, their games have been erased. Of course, if your game is connected to your Google account, Pokemon Go may have just automatically signed you into the wrong Google account. Users have said if you log out, delete the app, then reinstall it and make sure you log in on the correct account, it should fix the problem. We don’t really want to take any chances.
Of course, Niantic did fix some bugs with their update. We’re guessing it doesn’t crash as much as before, but seriously, why on Earth would you take away two fundamental features of the game?
In future updates, Niantic plans to release generation two Pokemon, allow for Pokemon breeding and trading, and include Pokemon babies (so cute!). Basically, we’re going to wait to update until our phones force us or new Pokemon are available. Sorry, Niantic, but you can do better.
