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Does Pokemon GO Track Steps When Closed? – Find Out Now

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If you’ve played Pokemon GO at any point you probably know that it has a very accurate system for tracking your location. This is a crucial part of the game, so without it, it wouldn’t work properly. However, there has always been a lot of mystery about how it works, especially when it’s locked. So, does Pokemon GO track steps when closed?

Pokemon GO

Image Credit: NYTimes / Niantic, Inc.

How do you mark your location in Pokemon GO?

You should already know this, as it is part of the first steps when you log in as a new Pokemon GO user. You are always asked to give your permission to access your device’s location. This means that the app takes the information directly from the device, so there is no other system involved.

Under this same mechanic, the game allows Pokemon and other structures to appear on the map. Some users have even used internal software tricks to modify their original location and access other characters that they would not find in their locality.

Does Pokemon GO track the steps I take when closed?

In short, yes. However, the step count function is not enabled by default in the app.

The distance you travel along the best Pokemon Go routes turns out to be a fundamental aspect of certain elements of the game. Among them, we have the egg hatching and candy in the app, where both require your movement to get it. Therefore, the app includes many systems to ensure this function.

This means that you will have to give a series of permissions to activate the step counter.

There are two main ways to do this. Each uses a particular software, the following: Adventure Sync and GPS.

Activate Step Count with Adventure Sync

Does Pokemon GO track steps when closed? Activate Adventure Sync

Image Credit: Pokemon GO

This is an internal feature of the Pokémon GO application. To activate it, you’ll need to go into the app’s settings and locate this section.

Regardless of the type of device, the feature is available. It can be linked with Google Fit or Apple Health to track your steps even when the app is closed.

To enable this feature, go to Settings, Options, Sync Adventure, and check this box.

Once done, the feature may take a couple of hours to be enabled.

Activate Step Count with GPS

Unlike the Sync Adventure option, this is not aimed at tracking your steps outside the app. Therefore, it does not apply to adding time and distances to egg incubation or candies.

At the same time, this is the default option Pokémon GO uses to record your distances. Therefore, it is permanently enabled to provide your location and route to the app.

If you encounter issues with this option, ensure that all permissions are granted to GPS. You can check this in the settings section of your device.

Read next: Pokemon GO PVP Rankings Guide – How does PVP work in GO!

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