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Faking your GPS location in Pokemon Go could get you soft-banned

You might be tempted to hack together a fake GPS location, but doing so can get you soft-banned from the game.

David Craddock

July 13, 2016 1:04 PM

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You might be tempted to hack together a fake GPS location to catch more Pokemon and stock up on more supplies, especially if you live in a rural area. But you probably shouldn't. According to a report on GameSpot, GPS spoofing can get you soft-banned from Pokemon Go.

A few Reddit users took one for the team and tested GPS spoofing to see how a soft ban would affect their Pokemon Go experience. User "ur_0" found that a number of features get turned off: you can't stock up on items at Pokestops; you won't be able to battle at or claim gyms; and most severely, Pokemon will shrug off any ball you throw at it, no matter how weak they are before you attempt capture.

User "TPMJB" mentioned that soft bans only last two or three hours. No big deal, right? Not at first, but no one knows how many soft bans you're allowed before Niantic cuts you off permanently.

Spoof with caution, or better yet, refrain from spoofing at all.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.