Pokémon GO is a popular augmented reality game that millions enjoy playing on their mobile devices. However, some users have reported issues with the app saving pictures without permission during gameplay.
If you’ve noticed unexpected photos being stored after catching Pokémon or visiting PokeStops, don’t worry; there are steps you can take to stop this.
In this blog post, we will cover simple steps on how to stop Pokémon Go from saving photos in your device gallery.
Also, read our blog post about Steps for Finding a Route in Pokémon GO
How to Stop Pokémon GO from Saving Photos
There are several steps you can take to stop the Pokémon GO app from automatically saving pictures on your Android device without your permission. One of the first things to try is disabling the app’s AR image setting.
Turn Off the AR Setting
The Pokémon GO app uses augmented reality (AR) features that overlay the game onto real-world scenes shown through your device’s camera. By default, the app will sometimes save photos taken during gameplay sessions to help with these AR functions.
However, you can turn this off by going into the AR settings, either through the Android system settings or inside the Pokémon GO app itself. Look for an option to disable the AR image setting.
Doing so tells the app not to save photos from your camera, preventing unwanted images from being stored without your consent. This is a quick and easy first step to stop Pokémon GO from automatically saving pictures.
Restrict the App’s Access to Your Device’s Storage
If disabling the AR setting does not work, you’ll want to check the permissions you’ve granted to the Pokémon GO app. Like with any app, Pokémon GO asks for certain permissions to access features of your
Android device, like your camera, location, and storage. It’s important to make sure the app does not have full access to save files wherever it wants. To do this, open your device’s settings menu and look for the app permissions section.
Find Pokémon GO in the list of your installed apps, then select it to see what permissions you’ve allowed. Take away permission for it to access your storage by toggling off the “Files and media” option.
This ensures the app is restricted from automatically saving any photos, videos, or other files without explicitly asking you first. By limiting the app’s storage access, you can better control what gets saved to prevent unwanted pictures.
Also, read How You Can Easily Beat Kingdra in Pokémon GO
Clear the App’s Cache and Data
If restricting permissions doesn’t solve the problem of unwanted photo saving, another option is clearing the cache and data stored by the Pokémon GO app. Just like your browser saves cache files, apps also store temporary data files that can sometimes cause issues. To clear this out, open your device’s settings, locate the app manager or apps section, and find Pokémon GO.
Select the option to clear cache or storage. This will delete all temporary files and reset the app’s settings without removing your game progress. According to the file, doing so may stop the app from automatically taking pictures.
Clearing the cache can often fix glitches and bugs, so it’s worth a try if the previous methods didn’t work. With any cached data removed, Pokémon GO may stop improperly saving photos during gameplay.
Reinstall the Pokémon GO Application
If clearing the app cache does not solve the issue of unwanted photo saving, the next step outlined in the guide is to try reinstalling the Pokémon GO app. Sometimes, bugs or glitches can develop that aren’t fixed simply by clearing temporary data.
By uninstalling and then redownloading the application, you can reset all of the app’s settings to default. The file notes that this process may stop the app from improperly storing pictures.
Give this a try if the previous methods failed—remove the app completely and then reinstall the latest version from the app store. A fresh install sometimes fixes persistent problems. If the photo saving is still occurring after reinstalling, you may need to wait for an update from the developer to fully address the bug.
Wait for an App Update
If reinstalling the app does not resolve the issue of unwanted photo saving, the final suggestion, according to the guide, is that you may need to wait for an update from the app developer, Niantic. Sometimes, specific app versions are to blame for bugs, and the only solution is for the company to release a patch.
The file notes that if none of the other methods work, it’s possible the problem stems from a glitch in the current version. In this case, all you can do is wait patiently for Niantic to push out an update for Pokémon GO that addresses the technical problem behind the photos being saved improperly.
Checking back periodically for a new app version is the last troubleshooting step if the other resets did not solve the photo-saving problem.
Final Words:
By disabling the app’s AR setting, restricting storage permissions, clearing cache files, reinstalling the application if needed, or waiting for an update, you should now be able to stop Pokémon GO from improperly saving unwanted photos on your Android device. I hope one of these solutions has helped resolve the issue for you.