Every account in Pokémon GO is unique and many trainers take pride in what they have achieved in the game over time. It is all the more painful when one can no longer access their profile and everything seems lost. This is now being reported in the Reddit community. We at MeinMMO will tell you what happened.
What is it about? Anyone who wants to play Pokémon GO has to create a player profile at the beginning. This is where all progress is saved. Unlike other games, however, Pokémon GO is about much more than just leveling up. Due to the various options in the game, every account is something quite special.
Especially the numerous Pokémon that one has caught and traded over time, as well as the collected medals, make many players proud. But now, trainer Amyrantha_verc reports in the Reddit community that his friend’s account has suddenly disappeared. But what happened?
Trainer can no longer access Level 50 account
As Reddit user Amyrantha_verc reports in his post, his friend recently reached Level 50. When he tried to log in with his Google account, the login failed and a new player profile with Level 1 was created using the same Google email address. In search of help, he turned to the Reddit community (via reddit.com).
The post drew significant attention and received nearly 2,000 upvotes within a short period of time (as of February 3, 2022, at 11:30 AM). For most trainers, it is unthinkable to lose their account and have to start over at Level 1.
The user aarpcard jokingly asks if this is what happens when one finally reaches Level 50 (via reddit.com). But what could be the reason that Amyrantha_verc’s friend can no longer log into his account? This question is being explored by the Reddit community as they try to help.
Possible reasons from the community’s perspective
Many users initially suspected in the comments that the login data was entered incorrectly and also recommended checking whether the nickname is still listed in the friends’ list.
For example, Vulpes_macrotis writes: “Are you both sure it was connected to this specific Google account? Was it not via Facebook, another Google account, or something? I mean, are you more than just sure? Sometimes memory can be faulty. Also check if you can see his nickname in the friends’ list.” (via reddit.com)
Others trainers also suspect a change in the email address due to switching smartphones or registering in another Niantic game, such as Pikmin Bloom. Therefore, some recommend contacting Niantic support.
Another suspicion is unauthorized access by a hacker. Turbulent-Ad6384 reports that during a previous update, user names were hacked, and people could no longer log into their accounts (via reddit.com).
Experiences of other trainers and how you can protect your accounts
However, in the comments, there are also like-minded individuals. Other trainers also report that they have experienced similar issues in the past (via reddit.com):
- IllustriousGuide3450: “This happened with my main account from 2016 about a year ago, and since I had already opened a new account, they could do nothing as they told me. You could try, but don’t get your hopes up.”
- Axenrott_0508: “I got mine back just a few months ago. Something similar happened to me.”
- Deoxys_nuts: “This has happened to me as well. My Gmail account (which I logged in with) disconnected from my Pogo account. And when I logged back in, a new account was created with that email. I completed the tutorial because I thought it would magically remember my old account. Luckily, I was able to log in with Apple login. If he doesn’t have it, try his Facebook account if it was ever linked.”
That reactivating a profile is not entirely unthinkable is also explained by Level-Particular-455 in the comments. According to him, Niantic does not delete accounts, even if one wishes this.
How can you protect your accounts?
From personal experience, Reddit user Deoxys_nuts has a clear opinion on this and advises all players: “Everyone should check their account and link it with multiple services to avoid this situation.” (via reddit.com).
This is indeed a sensible tip. If the connection to one of the services disconnects due to technical difficulties, you then have another login option and your account is not completely lost. It is also important that you do not share your login data with other trainers.
As Amyrantha_verc has now reported, however, his friend’s Pokémon profile was indeed hacked. Probably by a trainer he knows. The matter has been reported to Niantic. Whether he will get his profile back remains to be seen for him (via reddit.com).
Has something like this happened to you as well, that you suddenly couldn’t access your profile anymore? How could you save your account? Or did you really have to start all over again? Share your thoughts and experiences here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange views with other trainers.
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