How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screen? 9 Proven Ways 2025

As one of the most popular augmented reality games recently, Pokémon GO brings the thrill of catching Pokémon into the real world. However, players occasionally encounter technical issues, and one of the most frustrating problems is the Pokémon GO black screen error.

This issue can pop up at any time - while launching the app, during gameplay, or after an update, leaving you unable to enjoy the game. Meanwhile, you can't view your character's movement, buttons, and scores.

No need to worry more, in this guide, we'll explore the practical solutions on how to fix Pokémon Go black screen. Without further ado, let's begin.

Part 1. 3 Quick Fixes to Pokémon GO Black Screen If You're In a Hurry

If you want to jump back into the game quickly, start with these three easy fixes. In most cases, the black screen issue on Pokémon GO is caused by a temporary glitch, and one of these methods will likely solve it.

#1. Check the Server Status

Before troubleshooting your phone, make sure the problem isn't on the game's server end. If the Pokémon Go servers are down for maintenance or experiencing issues, no fix on your device will work.

👉 You can check :

• Niantic Support's Twitter for official updates
• Downdetector for real-time outage reports

If the servers are fine, move on to the next step.

#2. Force Quit the App and Re-open

The second quick solution is to force quit and re-open Pokémon GO. This is useful if your game crashes often but you're not concerned about losing recent or current data.

How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screent On iPhone (iOS):

Step 1: For iPhone with Face ID, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle; for iPhones with a Home Button, double-press the Home button.
Step 2: Locate the Pokémon GO app in the app switcher.
Step 3: Swipe the Pokémon GO app upwards to close it.
Step 4: Tap the app icon on your home screen or app library to restart the game.

How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screent On Android:

Step 1: Swipe up from the bottom and hold (gesture navigation) or tap the Recent Apps button (three-line or square icon).
Step 2: Scroll through the list to find Pokémon GO.
Step 3: Swipe the app to the side (or upwards) to close it.
Step 4: Go to your app drawer or home screen and tap the Pokémon Go icon to restart the app.

If the above steps don't work, you can do so:

Step 1: Go to Settings > Apps (or Applications) on your Android phone.
Step 2: Find Pokémon GO in the app list.
Step 3: Select Force Stop option.
Step 4: Re-launch the game.

#3. Restart Your Phone

If force-quitting the app doesn't work, a full device restart is the next logical step, which often clears deeper system-level issue in RAM. And according to a quora user answer, restarting your phone does help with the Pokémon GO black screen issue. Here's how.

For iPhone user:

Step 1: Press and hold the Side Button and either Volume Button until the power-off slider appears.
Step 2: Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone. Wait about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Press and hold the Side Button until the Apple logo appears.

For Android user:

Step 1: Press and hold the Power Button until a menu appears.
Step 2: Select Restart.
Step 3: Wait for your phone to turn off and back on automatically.

Part 2. How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screen Issue Effectively [6 More Ways]

If the quick fixes didn't do the trick, don't worry - there are still several reliable methods you can try. Sometimes the black screen Pokémon GO comes from corrupted data, outdated settings, or even storage issues. These next six fixes are designed to tackle more persistent problems.

Fix 1. Clear Pokémon GO Cache (Android Only)

On Android devices, clearing the cache can solve glitches, improve performance, and fix display problems like the Pokémon GO black screen. While iPhone doesn't have a built-in option to clear app cache, iOS user can go to Settings > Pokémon GO > Offload, to clear Pokémon GO local data.

How to clear cache on Android:

Step 1: Go to your device's Settings app.
Step 2: Select Apps or Applications (may vary based on your device).
Step 3: Scroll through the list or use the search bar to locate Pokémon Go.
Step 4: Tap on Storage & Cache (or just Storage).
Step 5: Tap Clear Cache to remove temporary game data.

Fix 2. Turn Off Battery-Saving Mode

Battery-saving modes are great for extending your phone's life, but they can limit background processes and reduce app performance - sometimes leading to the Pokémon Go black screen on startup.

Try disabling Low Power Mode (on iPhone) or Battery Saver (on Android) from your device's settings and relaunching the game to fix a black screen Pokémon GO issue.

On iPhone:

Step 1: Go to your iPhone's home screen and tap Settings.
Step 2: Scroll down and select Battery.
Step 3: Toggle off Low Power Mode if it's enabled.

On Android:

Step 1: Swipe down on your screen to open the Quick Settings menu or go to Settings from your home screen.
Step 2: Search for Battery or select Battery from the list.
Step 3: Toggle off Power saving mode or select Off if there's a manual option.

Fix 3. Toggle off location services and toggle on it

Since Pokémon Go relies heavily on GPS, a glitch with location services can trigger the black screen. Therefore, toggling location services off and back on can help resolve Pokémon Go black screen issues. Here's how to do it on iOS and Android:

On iPhone:

Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2: Tap Privacy & Security (or just Privacy in older iOS versions).
Step 3: Select Location Services at the top of the screen.
Step 4: Use the switch at the top to turn Location Services off. Confirm if prompted.
Step 5: Leave it off for about 5–10 seconds. Turn the switch back on.

On Android:

Step 1: Navigate to your device's Settings app.
Step 2: Look for Location or Privacy > Location (the menu may vary by device).
Step 3: Turn off the switch for Location or Use Location.
Step 4: Keep it off for about 5–10 seconds. Then toggle it on.

Fix 4. Update Pokémon GO App or Reinstall It

Keeping Pokémon GO updated ensures you have access to the latest features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. And also, it can potentially fix black screen Pokémon GO issue.

How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screen by Updating App

On iPhone:

Step 1: Tap the App Store icon on your home screen.
Step 2: Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Scroll down to see a list of apps with pending updates.
Step 3: Look for Pokémon GO in the list. If an update is available, you'll see an Update button next to it.
Step 4: Tap Update to download and install the latest version. If no update is visible, the app is already up to date.

On Android:

Step 1: Tap the Play Store icon on your home screen or app drawer.
Step 2: Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Select Manage Apps & Device.
Step 3: Under the Updates Available section, look for Pokémon GO.
Step 4: Tap the Update button next to Pokémon GO. If it's not listed, it's already updated.

How to Fix Pokémon GO Black Screen by Reinstalling App

If your Pokémon GO is the latest version, uninstalling and reinstalling Pokémon GO can often resolve persistent black screen issues by replacing corrupted game files or clearing hidden cache data.

It is worth noting that uninstalling does not delete your game progress, as it is linked to your Pokémon GO account (Google, Apple, or Trainer Club). And it is better to connect a stable Wi-Fi for faster download and installation.

On iPhone:

Step 1: Press and hold the Pokémon GO app icon until options appear.
Step 2: Select Remove App or Delete App and confirm.
Step 3: Reinstall the app from the App Store.

On Android:

Step 1: Press and hold the Pokémon GO icon on your home screen, then drag it to the Uninstall or Remove option.
Step 2: Launch the Play Store app. Type "Pokémon GO" in the search bar.
Step 3: Tap Install and wait for the download to complete.
Step 4: Open the app and log in using your account details.

After reinstalling, check if the black screen issue is resolved.

Fix 5. Check Your Phone's Available Storage

Do you face Pokémon GO black screen after loading? That might be caused by a low on storage running on your device. In this case, check your device's storage in Settings > My Devices and make sure you have at least 3-4 GB of free space available. If you're nearly full of storage, deleting unused apps, photos, or videos can help.

Fix 6. Check and Reset Your Internet Connection

A weak or unstable connection can prevent Pokémon GO from loading correctly. If you're stuck on a black screen, try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data to see which works better.

If the issue continues, consider resetting your network settings. Be aware this will erase saved Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings, so you'll need to reconnect afterward - but it can fix deep connectivity issues.

On iPhone: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings

On Android (Samsung): Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset Network Settings

Part 3. What the Community Is Saying About Pokémon GO Black Screen Issue

Sometimes, the best insights come straight from the community. On forums like Reddit's /r/TheSilphRoad, many trainers have noticed that the black screen Pokémon GO often appears right after a forced game update or when they're catching Pokémon.

"Anyone have experience with the game opening to a black screen and never loading? My husband was playing yesterday no problem then last night opens the game and nothing, just a black screen and it won't do anything. "
-- Quote from Facebook

This suggests that the problem is sometimes not on your end at all - it's a bug introduced by Niantic. If you see lots of recent reports of the same issue, chances are you'll just need to wait for the developers to roll out a patch. In the meantime, you can still try the fixes we've listed above, but don't be surprised if patience ends up being the best solution.

Besides, you might need to combine multiple fixes together to fix the black screen Pokémon GO.

For example,

On Android, toggle off the GPS Location, launch the Pokémon GO, and toggle back on the GPS Location until the game starts loading, if you meet the black screen issue on startup.

On iPhone, force-quite the Pokémon GO, relaunch it and turn off your WiFi instantly. Then, wait for the "Retry" or "Try A Different Account" warning and turn on your WiFi. Finally, go back to Pokémon GO and you can load without black screen.

Part 4. FAQs on Pokémon GO Black Screen

Part 5. Bonus: How to Play Pokémon GO At Home Freely

By now, you should have a clear idea of how to fix Pokémon GO black screen issues. But sometimes the real challenge isn't a glitch - it's being stuck at home because of bad weather, travel restrictions, or simply a busy schedule.

That's why many trainers enhance their gameplay by virtually exploring different places. Changing your location allows you to visit new PokéStops and Gyms, catch region-exclusive Pokémon, and enjoy the game without physically traveling.

One of the most reliable tools for this is TunesKit Location Changer. This software makes it easy to modify your GPS location on both iPhone and Android with just one click. It's user-friendly, doesn't require jailbreaking or rooting, and also works with popular social apps like Tinder, Bumble, and TikTok.

Sounds great, right? In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to quickly change your location on iPhone and Android phone, using TunesKit Location Changer.

Step 1: Download and install the software for your computer(Windows or Mac) from the official website. Launch it. Connect your iPhone or Android device to the computer using a USB cable. Unlock your device and grant the necessary permissions to allow access.

Step 2: For iPhone, no additional setup is needed as the software automatically accesses location services; for Android, you need to enable Developer Mode on your device:

• Go to Settings > About Phone and tap Build Number 7 times to enable Developer Mode.
• Navigate to Settings > Developer Options and enable Allow Mock Locations.
• Select TunesKit Location Changer as the mock location app.

Step 3: There are 5 modes available for you, and you can start by choosing the Change Location mode, then a map interface will appear in the TunesKit software. Use the Search Bar to enter the desired location or drag the pin on the map to the location you want to set.

Step 4: Click Start Modifying button in the interface. Your device's location will instantly update to the selected location. If you want to return to your actual location, simply restart your device or stop the spoofing in the software.

Wrapping Up

With these 9 proven fixes, you can cope with Pokémon GO black screen issue. Then you get a better gaming experience and catch more rare Pokémon. If you have any other better solutions to this problem, feel free to leave them in the comments section below! TunesKit Location Changer is recommended software if you want to change the location in one click on your iPhone or Android phone.