Are you having trouble with the Pokemon Go battle not working?
If so, you have come to the right place. A lot of gamers are in a similar situation.
Luckily there are some easy fixes to solve the issue. I am going to guide you through them in this post.
Before that,
Why is the Pokemon Go battle not working?
Keep reading the whole post to learn more in detail.
What Are The Issues With Pokemon Go Battles?
Pokemon Go is a highly successful mobile AR game. Niantic developed the game as part of the Pokemon franchise.
Pokemon fans around the world got to enjoy discovering and collecting Pokemons. The blend between the Pokemon world and real-life worked really well for the game.
But the game is not without issues. From its inception in 2016, it has had its fair share of bugs and glitches.
Though the developers regularly fix the bugs, new bugs come around often.
There are multiple battle modes in Pokemon Go that are ridden with bugs. One of them is PvP.
In PvP or player vs. player mode, two gamers (known in-game as trainers) get to battle each other using their Pokemons. They can either go for remote PvP or nearby PvP.
In remote PvP, two players do not need to be close together to battle out. It occurs over the network. For some players, the nearby PvP battle does not kick in.
On the other hand, in nearby PvP, two players need to stay close to each other to battle. But the problem is a lot of times, and the game will switch to remote PvP even though it is a nearby one. And that stops the players from battling due to the minimum requirements of remote PvP.
In Go Battle League, some players have reported the issue where the battle does not start. Instead, it shows an error with the time-out message.
Not only that, the app directly takes you to a blank results screen. If you try to relaunch the game, it will continue behaving the same way.
Also, check out our separate post on how to fix Pokemon Go snapshot not working.
You might even get the screen flashing every now and then. It will feel like the game is completely broken at that point.
Another issue is that sometimes players cannot challenge their friends. Usually, the Challenge option is seen at the bottom row in between the Trade and Send Gift option on the Friends screen.
But, when the issue occurs, gamers simply cannot find the option to challenge friends as it goes away.
These different bugs and glitches make the Pokemon Go battle modes look broken. Until the developers fix the issues permanently, gamers have to resort to workarounds and fixes.
How To Fix Pokemon Go Battle Not Working
There are different ways Pokemon battle stops working, as there are different modes of battle.
Whether you are going for a nearby PvP or a Go Battle League, there are some steps that you can follow as a workaround.
Here’s how to fix the Pokemon Go battle not working:
1. Enable automatic time update
By default, every device uses the network to detect the correct time for the device. It updates the time and date automatically.
But for some reason, if your time and date are not updated automatically, or the option is disabled, you need to turn it on.
Without the correct time and date on your device, Pokemon Go battles will fail to initialize.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Go to device settings.
- Go to time and date settings.
- Turn on the ‘Automatic Time and Date Updates’ option.
- Restart your device.
- Launch Pokemon Go.
Now your Pokemon Go battles should work correctly. But if you use a rooted Android phone, you need to use a different method.
You need to install an app called ‘ClockSync’ on your rooted Android. Once the app is installed, you need to turn on the synchronize option. The app will do the task of synchronizing the correct time to your rooted device.
This method worked for a lot of Pokemon Go players who were having battle issues.
2. Make sure you meet the minimum requirements
To engage in battles in Pokemon Go, you need to be at least level 10 or more. If you are below level 10, battles are locked for you.
So collect some Pokemons, train them, and level up to 10 or above to start battling in Pokemon Go.
Also, if you want to battle with your friends remotely, you need to be ultra or best friends with them. So make sure to check that out too.
If you are not ultra or best friends with them, you can only engage in nearby PvP battles.
3. Clear app cache
Clearing app cache to fix issues with an app is pretty standard. And it is also true in the case of Pokemon Go.
Sometimes corrupted data gets saved into the cache. Later, it causes the app to misbehave, triggers bugs, or creates new glitches.
So clearing out the cache ensures you do not have any corrupted data in the app cache storage.
Here’s how to clear cache for Pokemon Go:
- Go to device settings.
- Go to Apps.
- Find Pokemon Go.
- Find the option to clear the cache.
- Clear the cache.
- Restart the device.
- Launch Pokemon Go.
Now check if you can start battles successfully.
4. Allow battle challenges
There is an in-game option to allow battle challenges with friends. If the option is disabled on your settings, you will not be able to engage in battle challenges with your friends.
Though by default, the game should enable the option. But it is possible that through app updates or by mistake, the option is disabled.
So go to settings and find the ‘Allow Battle Challenges With Friends’. Once you spot it, turn it on.
Now you should be able to engage in battle challenges without issues.
Quickly check our related post on how to restart Pokemon Sun and Moon.
5. Switch connection
If you are failing to start remote PvP, you can try switching the connectivity.
If you are using WiFi to play Pokemon Go, use mobile data instead. If you are using mobile data, give WiFi a try.
In either case, make sure to restart the device before trying out Pokemon Go battles.
6. Use QR code
Even if remote PvP does not work using invites or friends, the QR code method almost never fails.
So, if other methods are not working for you, you can just use the QR code to challenge and start PvP battles. It is a pretty straightforward and convenient way as you do not need any 3rd party QR scanner.
Also, Don’t forget to check our epic guide if you are facing Error 11 on Pokemon GO.
FAQ
Question: Why can I not battle in Pokemon Go?
Answer: You cannot battle in Pokemon Go as you do not meet the minimum requirements. You need to be at level 10 or higher to start battling in Pokemon Go.
Question: Does battling in Pokemon Go do anything?
Answer: Battling in Pokemon Go gives you rewards and experience. You also get the opportunity to engage in battles using your favorite Pokemons.
Question: Does training your Pokemon make it stronger?
Answer: Training your Pokemon gives it CP. With more CP, your Pokemon gets stronger and has better stats.
Final Thoughts
Pokemon Go is a great way to engage in the world of Pokemon. It uses the power of Augmented Reality.
Pokemon battles are pretty exciting for Pokemon lovers. But bugs and glitches make the battle experience less rewarding.
The good thing is, there are easy fixes to go around the problem.
