It seems like Niantic is running into a litany of issues when it comes to exploitation and cheating in Pokémon Go, and now an entire operating system is being flagged as cheating software.
Anyone playing Pokémon Go on an iPhone that utilizes iOS 12.4.7 or other versions of the more recent updates might be at risk of being flagged for violating the game’s Terms of Service.
The message affected users are seeing says the app has “detected activity on your account that indicates you are using modified client software or unauthorized third-party software.” This is usually used to defend the game against location “spoofers” or modified software that can enable cheats.
Upon the first offense, players will receive a warning and a strike that will remain on their account for seven days. Subsequent offenses can result in up to a 30-day ban from the application, and appealing to Niantic’s in-game support has had very mixed results for several players.
This is nothing new, as some phones or operating systems have suffered similar issues in the past, and this iOS flagging problem has been circulating within the community for a while now.
Niantic is currently investigating reports about the mass flagging that is punishing players for just trying to log-in and play Pokémon Go. The last update on the situation was given on June 14, but the developers have promised to share any further information once they know more about the situation.
If you are playing on one of the newer iPhone operating systems and get flagged when trying to play Pokémon Go, your best bet is to stop playing the game until Niantic finds a fix. Not every iOS user will be hit with the account strike, but taking a short break from playing the game is better than getting banned and having to wait even longer for an appeal to go through.
