Does Pokemon Go Track Distance When Driving? The Truth About Hatching Eggs on the Go
The short answer is: mostly no. While Pokémon GO does attempt to track your movement to calculate distances for hatching eggs and earning buddy candies, the game has built-in mechanisms to prevent players from racking up kilometers while driving. Niantic, the developer, implemented these features to discourage unsafe gameplay and prevent the exploitation of the distance-tracking system. However, the system isn’t perfect, and there are nuances to consider.
Understanding the Speed Cap and Tracking Mechanics
The game relies on GPS data to determine your location and calculate the distance you’ve traveled. Pokémon GO periodically checks your position and estimates the distance covered between these points. This data is then used to update the progress of your eggs and buddy Pokémon.
However, there’s a speed limit of approximately 35 kilometers per hour (22 miles per hour). If the game detects that you’re moving faster than this threshold, it largely stops accurately tracking distance. This is implemented to prevent players from benefiting from driving in cars, buses, or trains.
How the Speed Limit Affects Gameplay
When you exceed the speed limit, you’ll notice several consequences:
- Reduced Distance Tracking: The game will record little to no distance towards hatching eggs or earning buddy candies.
- Limited PokéStop Interaction: While you might be able to spin PokéStops as a passenger if your timing is perfect, the game makes it incredibly difficult to do so consistently.
- Pokémon Encounters: Encounters are still possible, but are significantly more difficult and some sources suggest they’re greatly reduced at higher speeds. The spawn radar updates every 10-15 seconds, so if you’re in a moving vehicle over 35mph, you’ll most likely not pick anything up.
Stop-and-Go Traffic: A Slight Exception
The game will record short bursts of distance when you’re accelerating up to the speed cap so if you’re in a lot of stop-and-go traffic and the app is running the entire time, it will record some distance. It’s important to note that this is far from efficient and you’ll only accumulate a small fraction of the distance you’re actually covering.
Ethical Considerations and Safe Gaming
It’s crucial to remember that Pokémon GO is designed to be played safely and responsibly. Playing while driving is not only dangerous but also a violation of traffic laws. Niantic actively discourages this type of gameplay and has implemented measures to prevent it. Prioritizing safety is crucial, and you should never put yourself or others at risk for the sake of the game.
Alternative Ways to Accumulate Distance
If you want to hatch eggs and earn buddy candies, consider these safer and more effective alternatives:
- Walking: The most reliable and intended method.
- Running/Jogging: A faster way to cover distance.
- Biking (Slowly): As the article indicates, it is possible to hatch eggs while biking so long as your speed is below the limit.
- Adventure Sync: Pokémon GO‘s Adventure Sync connects with the built-in Apple Health on iPhone and Google Fit on Android. These services, once enabled, essentially turn a mobile device into a pedometer that can track the number of steps taken and distance traveled.
- Roomba: This has been suggested as a creative workaround. All you got to do is place your phone on the Roomba and let it move around in your house. Since the robotic cleaner would move slowly, it will make Pokemon Go believe that you are walking instead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I trick Pokémon GO into thinking I’m walking while driving?
While GPS spoofing and other techniques exist, they are generally against the game’s terms of service and could result in account suspension or a ban. It’s best to play the game fairly and avoid using unauthorized methods.
2. Does being a passenger in a car help me hatch eggs?
As a passenger, you can still perform actions like spinning Pokéstops. However, you are still subject to the speed limit restrictions that prevent eggs from hatching when traveling at speeds faster than 35kph. You might be able to spin PokéStops as a passenger if your timing is perfect, but this is highly impractical.
3. What happens if I’m on a bus or train?
Similar to driving, if the bus or train is moving faster than the speed limit, the game won’t accurately track distance.
4. Does Adventure Sync work while driving?
While Adventure Sync counts your steps and doesn’t require data connection, you still need to adhere to the speed cap for it to translate to egg-hatching and buddy candy progress. Even if Adventure Sync is logging steps, Pokémon GO won’t credit you the distance if it detects you were moving too fast.
5. Why is Pokémon GO so strict about speed limits?
The speed limit is in place to prioritize player safety and prevent dangerous behavior, such as playing while driving. It also helps to maintain fair gameplay and prevent players from exploiting the distance-tracking system.
6. How accurate is Pokémon GO‘s speed detection?
The speed detection isn’t perfect, and there can be occasional discrepancies. However, it’s generally effective at preventing players from accumulating significant distance while driving.
7. What counts as a “seen” Pokémon in Pokémon GO?
Pokémon you’ve caught appear in color. Pokémon you’ve seen but haven’t caught appear as silhouettes; this includes Pokémon seen during encounters as well as at Gyms. Pokémon you’ve neither seen nor caught appear as their Pokédex number.
8. Why is Pokémon GO not tracking distance, even when I’m walking?
Make sure to enable location permissions for the app on your phone. For Android: Access the App permissions from your device’s Settings -> Apps & notifications -> [App Name] -> Permissions -> and toggle on “Location”, and make sure “Location” is toggled on. Please note that some phones may require a different path to enabling location permissions in the settings menu.
9. How often does Pokémon GO check my location?
The limit is 175 m/min, or 10.5 km/h (or 6.5 mph). The game doesn’t actually log distance. It marks your location, marks it again one minute later, and calculates the distance between the points. It does this four times before updating the distance shown on the egg/buddy screens.
10. Does Pokémon GO track distance without Wi-Fi?
Adventure Sync counts your steps and doesn’t require data connection, you only need to give the game full permissions to use the body sensors and walk with the phone on you. The distance gets added once you turn on the game and wait for it to update your location.
11. Do Pokémon GO auto-catchers work while driving?
It will auto spin anything you could manually spin and possibly slightly faster. In a car I still miss stops in many instances going 40mph. You can individually turn off auto catch and auto spin from the app or also from the device itself.
12. How can I bypass the Pokémon GO speed lock?
The method involves clicking on a stop, waiting to get in range, and then swiping quickly multiple times while in range (you can alternate between left and right swiping after each swipe, but consecutive same directional swipes should work too). However, success is not guaranteed, and it doesn’t bypass the distance-tracking limitations.
13. Does driving slowly count as walking in Pokémon GO?
If you’re going slow enough, GO will usually recognize it, including those little moments in your car where you slow down for a stoplight or for whatever other reason. You won’t be getting a ton of distance this way, though, as you spend 99% of the car time going too fast for the app.
14. Can I cheat my location in Pokémon GO?
To change your GPS location on Pokemon GO, you’ll need to download a GPS spoofing app and a VPN. Keep in mind that most GPS spoofing apps require jailbreaking or rooting your phone, which can be dangerous.
15. Is it possible to hatch eggs while riding a bike?
YES, it’s possible to hatch eggs while biking. The game’s tracking system is designed to differentiate between different types of movement, including walking, running, biking, and driving. Biking is considered a faster form of movement than walking, but slower than driving or riding on a train or bus.
Conclusion
While Pokémon GO offers exciting gameplay, it’s crucial to respect the rules and play responsibly. Driving and playing Pokémon GO is a dangerous combination, and the game’s mechanics are designed to discourage it. Focus on safe and ethical ways to enjoy the game, and remember that your safety and the safety of others should always be your top priority.
You can learn more about the societal impact of games and learning by visiting the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.