How To Catch Pokémon When Pokémon Go Freezes

Pokémon Go may have taken over the world, but total domination doesn't come without a few hiccups. Since its release in early July, players have come across a number of glitches, from unstable servers to the infuriating tendency for the game to freeze right after you've corralled a Pokémon. Fortunately, there are a number of hacks for catching Pokémon when Pokémon Go freezes, because life hacks are what the internet does best.

For those who have miraculously avoided it so far, the glitch is simple yet immeasurably infuriating. Every so often, Pokémon Go will freeze right after you've caught a wild Pokémon. Staring at the unmoving PokéBall taunting you from your phone screen, the result is a sort of Schrödinger's Pokémon: Until the game starts working again, you have no way of knowing whether you actually caught your cartoon prey. The best way to get around the glitch, of course, is to simply close and restart the app, but that runs the risk of losing your Pokémon — not a big deal if you're trying to capture yet another Pidgey or Rattata, but positively enraging if you've just managed to catch an elusive Dratini. (Ash Ketchum never had this problem.)

So what are you supposed to do when Pokémon Go freezes? Here are the suggestions that are most likely to work, curated from all around the internet. Worth noting is that I can't personally attest to them working, as I haven't tried them out myself — but they're worth a shot, right?

1. Close Other Apps Before You Play

It doesn't help much if you're already stuck in the glitch, but Touch Arcade suggests closing other apps before you start playing Pokémon Go as a preventative measure; the hope is that it will allow the game to run more smoothly. Even if it turns out that this doesn't prevent the glitch from happening, it should help extend your battery life.

2. Watch The White Pokéball

This particular solution works off the assumption that the glitch is caused by a problem with the animation of the Pokéball. You've probably noticed that the spinning white Pokéball in the top left corner means the game is loading. It doesn't work for everyone, but according to Heavy, many players have had success with waiting for the PokéBall to disappear and force closing the app. When you reopen Pokémon Go, check your journal; if you caught the Pokémon, it should be recorded. If you didn't, the Pokémon should be waiting nearby for you to try to capture again.

3. Mess With Your Data Settings

A third solution has been floating around to some success: According to Mic, a Pokémon Go fan Twitter account recently suggested messing with your data settings to make sure your Pokémon doesn't disappear. Players are supposed to close the app, turn on Airplane Mode, and open Pokémon Go again. After the app says there's no internet connection, turn off airplane mode and head back into the app. If it worked like it should, your Pokémon should be in your Pokébag.

None of these solutions are foolproof, but even if the game didn't record your catch, the Pokémon should be waiting in the same area for you to capture again. Now go make Professor Willow proud.

Images: Giphy (2)