Pokemon Go drops Apple Watch support ahead of watchOS 6 unveiling

Posted:
in General Discussion
Users of Niantic's Pokemon Go iPhone game were able to track their walking steps using an Apple Watch companion app, but the developer is discontinuing the feature from July 1.

Pokemon Go on Apple Watch
Pokemon Go on Apple Watch


Niantic, Inc, has announced that it is discontinuing support for Apple Watch in its Pokemon Go game. Currently, the Apple Watch companion app tracks your steps and sends that data to the game. However, after July 1, 2019, players will no longer be able to connect their Apple Watches to the iPhone Pokemon Go app.

The company says that the decision is because of the launch of Adventure Sync in October 2018. "Because Adventure Sync allows Trainers the option of tracking their steps... in one mobile device instead of two separate devices, we wanted to focus on building Adventure Sync," Niantic said in a statement on its website, "so that Trainers will no longer have to split their gameplay between two devices."

Pokemon Go with Adventure Sync will continue to track walking but will do so using solely the iPhone. "Trainers can use Adventure Sync to track their distance by syncing their fitness apps in their phones," continues the company, "which does not require devices such as Apple Watches."

Using the accompany Pokemon Go Apple Watch app, users were able to start a workout and sync that data back to the Health app. As you compete that workout, the app would tell you how close you were to hatching your incubating Pokemon egg.

Niantic's announcement on its website about dropping Apple Watch
Niantic's announcement on its website about dropping Apple Watch


The decision comes ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of both watchOS 6 and possibly an Apple Watch app store. It also comes after the Pokemon Company revealed a sleep-tracking version of the game which uses its own hardware instead of Apple Watch.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    genovellegenovelle Posts: 1,480member
    They are making what is a definite loss sound like a good thing 

    racerhomie3chia
  • Reply 2 of 9
    CelTanCelTan Posts: 46member
    Just wish adventure sync would start working again... 
  • Reply 3 of 9
    f1turbof1turbo Posts: 257member
    New to Pokémon Go.  I’ve already deleted the watch app, but it’s still completely taken over Apple Workouts/Activity (no longer get heart rate readings while working out in Apple workout app, nor does it track them in Activity).  Any tips on how to get PG working more cooperatively?  Seems to me to be a poorly behaving app, including enabling Apple Watch on my wife’s setup even though she told it not to.  Paid to expand storage, and it still says my bag is full.  And does it really have to track me all the time (vs when I’m using the app) to work, as it claims? 
  • Reply 4 of 9
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,294member
    I guess this sort of makes sense, given that you have to have the iPhone (rather than the Watch) with you in order to play the actual game, but there are times when an Apple Watch 4 owner would prefer to leave the iPhone at home (and they can) and still track activity for the benefit of hatching eggs ... I expect those people will have a lot of negative feedback on this move, and ditto for the Sleep app. There's little assurance that PG's activity or tracking is on the same level of medical-grade accuracy as Apple's hardware.
    chia
  • Reply 5 of 9
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,294member
    f1turbo said:
    New to Pokémon Go. Any tips on how to get PG working more cooperatively?  Seems to me to be a poorly behaving app, including enabling Apple Watch on my wife’s setup even though she told it not to.  Paid to expand storage, and it still says my bag is full.  And does it really have to track me all the time (vs when I’m using the app) to work, as it claims? 
    Can't help you, but congratulations on discovering why PG is "free" -- it collects data about you for itself, and might be selling that info (things like your real-time location and activity data) to third parties. Like FB and Google do.
    Radio_Signal
  • Reply 6 of 9
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    f1turbo said:
    New to Pokémon Go.  I’ve already deleted the watch app, but it’s still completely taken over Apple Workouts/Activity (no longer get heart rate readings while working out in Apple workout app, nor does it track them in Activity).  Any tips on how to get PG working more cooperatively?  Seems to me to be a poorly behaving app, including enabling Apple Watch on my wife’s setup even though she told it not to.  Paid to expand storage, and it still says my bag is full.  And does it really have to track me all the time (vs when I’m using the app) to work, as it claims? 
    I don’t think it’s possible for an AW app to prevent Apple Workouts from collecting and presenting HR. I’d contact support or erase and redo your AW. 
  • Reply 7 of 9
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    I’ve never installed the watch app yet with Adventure Sync the movement data from the watch is counted within the game via the Health app settings. 

    So my take is it it was redundant for that aspect. 
    edited June 2019
  • Reply 8 of 9
    f1turbof1turbo Posts: 257member
    f1turbo said:
    New to Pokémon Go.  I’ve already deleted the watch app, but it’s still completely taken over Apple Workouts/Activity (no longer get heart rate readings while working out in Apple workout app, nor does it track them in Activity).  Any tips on how to get PG working more cooperatively?  Seems to me to be a poorly behaving app, including enabling Apple Watch on my wife’s setup even though she told it not to.  Paid to expand storage, and it still says my bag is full.  And does it really have to track me all the time (vs when I’m using the app) to work, as it claims? 
    I don’t think it’s possible for an AW app to prevent Apple Workouts from collecting and presenting HR. I’d contact support or erase and redo your AW. 
    Thanks!  I’ve already deleted the AW app, and I’m still getting no heart rate data showing during my workouts or on the Activity app on my iPhone.  Guess it’s time to ditch Pokémon Go.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,265member

    I just got affected by the "same word, different meaning" syndrome!

    Apple "drops" iOS 5.3 Beta means that Apple has released a new beta. Pokémon Go "drops" support for Apple Watch means that they are no longer supporting the Apple Watch! Confused me for a bit.

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