If you’re still hunting Pokémon on an older Android phone, your days of catching them all may be over. Niantic’s popular AR game has officially stopped working on thousands of 32-bit Android phones, closing the door for anyone still playing on aging hardware.
The phase-out, announced earlier this year, began in March and wrapped up in July. The first wave of players to lose access were those who downloaded the game from the Samsung Galaxy Store. And by last month, Google Play users with older phones were cut off too. Now the process is complete, closing the door for good on a long list of aging models.
Luckily, not everyone is affected. Players using newer 64-bit Android phones or iPhones can keep playing Pokémon Go without a hitch.
According to Niantic, dropping support for outdated devices will help the team focus on updates and keep the game compatible with newer tech. For some players, though, it means an additional expense if they wish to continue finding Pokémon.
The list of affected models includes some popular older names:
- Samsung Galaxy S4, S5, Note 3, J3
- Sony Xperia Z2, Z3
- Motorola Moto G (1st generation)
- LG Fortune, Tribute
- OnePlus One
- HTC One (M8)
- ZTE Overture 3
- Other Android phones released before 2015
What to do now
Those who want to keep catching Pokémon will need to switch to a newer phone. Luckily, the solution is simple: log in on a device that supports 64-bit Android or on a compatible iPhone. Once signed in, all items and progress will still be there. The only catch is making sure you remember your account details.