The First Pokémon Go Update Has Been Released

Bug fixes and privacy concerns addressed, but still no trading
Pokémon Go Google privacy
A Pokémon Go update is out Xavier Harding

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The Pokémon Go app has been updated. The pocket monster series’ first augmented reality game has seen monstrous popularity amongst smartphone owners — climbing to the top of iPhone and Android app store charts. The Pokémon mobile game seems to be the most popular of recent years (at least for this week). And this is in spite of privacy concerns (those who log in via Google will find that the game requests full access to your account).

The game’s developer, Niantic, promised yesterday that this would soon be addressed and the devs have delivered. Version 1.0.1 of the Pokémon Go app has finally hit your favorite smartphone app store.

Pokémon Go players on iPhone can grab the latest update here while Google users can locate their respective version on the Play Store. According to the release notes, 1.0.1 will reduce just how much Google data Pokémon Go can see and change.

(Update: The Pokémon Go update won’t automatically fix your privacy settings. Here’s where to go to make sure your data is safe!)

The release notes of the new Pokémon Go app update offer other fixes as well. Players may have noticed that after an app crash they were prompted to once again log in. A minor annoyance that became very noticeable in light of the numerous amount of crashes the prior app went through. Those with Google’s 2-factor authentication turned on would have to go through an extra step repeatedly as well. All of that hopefully will be alleviated now: the app is purportedly also more stable.

Upon startup, the game prompts users to allow notifications, suggesting that users will be able to receive alerts about nearby Pokémon.

Our tests attempting to play Pokémon Go by creating a new Pokémon Trainer Club account when first setting the game up were fruitless. Instead, you basically had to pick the Google login option (the very same one that raised privacy concerns in the first place). But the new 1.0.1 update should finally let players make use of this alternate, non-Google login option, according to Niantic.

One notable omission from this latest update: the game still lacks trading. While catching Pokémon remains a core part of both the main games and Pokémon Go, the mobile game on iOS and Android lacks the ability to exchange pocket monsters with friends online or even nearby. In our interview with Niantic’s CEO John Hanke, trading is confirmed to be on the way. We’ll cross our fingers that it comes in Pokémon Go 1.0.2.