You might be wondering if you’ve been hit by a Pokemon Go soft ban. This temporary ban restricts you from accessing certain parts of Niantic’s ARG. You may not know how or why you’ve been banned though or what the telltale signs are if you have been. To find out the answer to the question “Why have I been banned in Pokemon Go?” you’ll have to read this guide. Check out our Pokemon Go soft ban article for more details.
Pokemon Go Soft Ban | Spoofing or using bot accounts
The Pokemon Go soft ban comes into effect if you fall foul of specific rules set out by Niantic and The Pokemon Company. According to a thread on the Silph Road Reddit page, there are two major reasons why you’ll have this ban slapped on you.
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The first is if you’re deemed to be moving too fast. The app can detect if your in-game character is moving too quickly to simply be walking. This is why you sometimes see a “You’re moving too fast!” message pop up. Normally you have the chance to state that you’re a passenger in a moving vehicle, and this lets you keep playing.
However, if your in-game avatar continues to move too past for an extended period of time, the game will think you’re spoofing because your GPS location keeps teleporting. If this happens, a soft ban will come into force.
The second option is if you’re playing too much. You might catch too many Pokemon, spin too many PokeStops, or walk too far. Again, this system has been put in place to prevent people from using bots to play the game for them.
Pokemon Go Soft Ban | Temporary restrictions
If you’re found to be cheating by spoofing or using a bot account, you’ll receive a soft ban. This normally lasts for up to two hours, although it can be less.
You can’t catch Pokemon or interact with PokeStops during this time. Take a Pokemon Go soft ban as both warning and as advice: Stop playing the game so much or cheating your way through, and do something else with your time until the ban is lifted.
