Can you get banned for playing Pokémon Go while driving?

You won’t get banned from playing Pokémon Go for driving, as this is a precautionary measure put in place by Niantic to avoid lawsuits from players claiming they didn’t know they shouldn’t play while driving. However, Niantic will not let you collect any Pokémon rewards if the game detects that you’re moving faster than 30mph, as part of their efforts to prevent accidents that might result from playing Pokémon Go while driving a car.

Understanding Pokémon Go’s Driving Policy

How Pokémon Go Detects Driving

Pokémon Go detects driving by tracking the player’s speed, and if the player is moving faster than 30mph, the game will not reward them with any Pokémon or items. This feature is designed to encourage players to play the game safely and responsibly.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you play Pokémon Go while driving?: No, as with any mobile app, Niantic apps should not be operated while driving a vehicle, and this is reinforced by warnings and behaviors within the app.
2. Does Pokémon Go detect driving?: Yes, the company will not let you collect any Pokémon rewards if the game detects that you’re moving faster than 30mph.
3. What gets you banned on Pokémon Go?: Actions such as falsifying location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software, and/or accessing Pokémon GO clients or backends in an unauthorized manner can get you banned.
4. How to bypass Pokémon Go driving?: Players need to open the journal when near a PokeStop and then immediately close it, causing the game to load and giving players a short window of opportunity to spin the PokeStop wheel and collect items.
5. Why do Pokestops not work when driving?: Niantic recently disabled the ability to spin PokeStops at driving speeds, making the game unplayable at anything above a brisk walk.
6. How do you get a drive to investigate in Pokémon Go?: To take part in Pokémon Go A Drive To Investigate, players need to purchase the event ticket from the in-game shop.
7. What is the punishment for Pokémon Go?: Disciplinary actions include temporarily losing access to the Pokémon GO account, with the player being presented with a message stating that their account is suspended.
8. How does Niantic detect spoofers?: Niantic can detect spoofers by tracking IP addresses, which would change if a player were moving from country to country, but would remain the same if the player was spoofing their location.
9. What happens if Niantic catches you spoofing?: Players caught spoofing can face temporary or permanent bans, leading to the loss of all progress in the game.
10. At what speed does Pokémon Go stop tracking?: If players reach 35 kilometers per hour (or 22 miles per hour), the speed-lock popup will show, indicating that little if any of a player’s distance will be counted.
11. How does Pokémon Go detect walking?: Pokémon Go’s Adventure Sync connects with the built-in Apple Health on iPhone and Google Fit on Android, turning a mobile device into a pedometer that can track the number of steps taken and distance traveled.
12. Can you get banned for using fly GPS in Pokémon Go?: Using a fake GPS for Pokémon Go is against the game’s terms of service and can lead to severe consequences, such as a permanent ban from the game.
13. Does driving in a car count as walking in Pokémon Go?: If a player is a passenger in a car driving at normal speed, they can still spin any PokeStops they pass if they get the timing just right, but the game won’t record the distance traveled.
14. Can I ride my bike and play Pokémon Go?: Players can play Pokémon Go while riding a bike, but the speed at which they travel counts, and if they’re going too fast, the kilometers covered won’t count.
15. What does Niantic consider cheating?: Niantic considers actions such as accessing services in an unauthorized manner, playing with multiple accounts, sharing accounts, and using techniques to alter or falsify a device’s location as cheating.