‘Pokemon GO’ Freezing After Update: How To Fix Freeze Glitch On Launch For iOs And Android

A Pokemon GO freezing glitch has been reported upon the game’s latest update. Earlier this week, Niantic Labs released a new update of the popular app to bring versions 1.21.0 and 0.51.0 for the iOS and Android devices. However, many players may be getting frustrated that upon launching the game, a freeze is occurring. Luckily, there are ways to address the freeze glitch and still be able to play Pokemon GO. There also appears to be good news on the way in terms of a possible special Pokemon GO Christmas holiday event.

As reported by Heavy yesterday, there were numerous reports by gamers who discovered that the app was freezing up when launched. The glitch reports came in conjunction with the game updates released for both iOS and Android mobile devices. Basically, the game will suddenly become frozen on the screen after Pikachu is shown hanging up Christmas lights. The trainer avatar usually doesn’t move at all once this happens, leaving gamers unable to play the game and frustrated over it freezing.

A force quit of the game is the first recommended fix for the freezing Pokemon GO app. Simply tap the home button and swipe up on an iPhone to do this. For an Android, head to the Settings area, choose Apps, then choose “Running” and Pokemon GO. Select the “Force Quit” option to get out of the game. Next, see if re-opening the app may be the fix for the freeze. If not, don’t fret, as there is something else that may work to fix the freezing issue.

Another recommended fix was suggested on a Reddit subreddit by a gamer who recommends gamers should disable GPS on their phone to fix the freeze glitch. The GPS setting is found under Location Services for iPhones or Location for Androids. Once this is shut off, there have been some reports by gamers that this fixed the issue. Of course, turning GPS back on is crucial for playing the game, so go back to Location Services on iPhone or Location on Android devices to do so. It’s been noted this solution works for only certain phones so far and may not work for all mobile phones.

The latest Pokemon GO update reported by the Inquisitr arrived earlier this week. It included a few fixes and updates, including a change to the day and night mode to make it more accurate. In addition, curious gamers looked over the updated code and discovered that it contained code about the Apple Watch app. Unfortunately, there’s still no release date for that app, and Niantic Labs seems to be developing another wearable that might be similar to Fitbit and smart watches but works with Pokemon GO.

According to BGR, it looks like there will also be a Pokemon GO Christmas holiday event. In the past several months, there were Pokemon GO Halloween and Thanksgiving-themed events that featured extra bonuses and rewards for gamers. The website reported (via Silph Road) there were some hints in the latest updated code including “present/gift” assets. These assets aren’t available in the game yet but appear to be in tiers from Bronze to Gold level and there are also “Special/Ultra/ variants.”

Could the holiday event be the answer to Pokemon GO surging back into more revenue and possibly moving up closer to Super Mario Run in the app store charts? According to TechCrunch in their recent report, Super Mario Run could be the first mobile app to surpass 40 million downloads in four days time. However, the website also reports the popularity of the game is already declining in terms of buys. The Super Mario game is available free only for iOS devices and includes three playable levels. After that, gamers need to spend $9.99 to purchase the complete game. Meanwhile, Pokemon GO is free to install and available on two devices.

Holiday events tend to increase revenue for Pokemon GO, so expect the holiday event soon. As of this report, Christmas is under four days away, so that means the reveal could be coming within the next few days, as there are likely to be plenty of new iPhones, iPads, and Android mobile devices exchanged for the holidays. That means more gamers will be installing the Pokemon GO app and hoping they can get by the freezing in order to enjoy those holiday rewards!

[Featured Image by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]