What is Account Recovery?

When it comes to managing your Pokémon GO account, here's what you need to know:

Today, you can use Account Recovery to obtain a snapshot of your account. This snapshot serves as a reminder of your account details, such as the email address, Trainer Name, Trainer Level, and the login providers associated with it. As long as you know your Trainer Name or email address, we'll send a verification code to the email linked to your Pokémon GO account. Think of this email as confirmation of which email you have linked to the account, and you can use the verification code from the email to unlock the other details of your account on the Account Recovery website. 

If you're looking for help remembering an account password, it's important to note that Niantic does not store this information, so if you ever need to recover a password, we recommend reaching out to your login provider directly. Check out this article for links to each login provider's support page. 

In the future, we plan to provide Trainers with increased control over their accounts through the Account Recovery website, such as the ability to manage how they sign in to Pokémon GO. 

Why can't I recover my account with my Trainer Name or Email? / No verification code received

Below are common reasons why you might encounter issues with Account Recovery:

The Trainer Name / Email Address is misspelled or does not exist

Double-check that you've entered the Trainer Name or email address accurately. It's easy to make a typo, and this could lead to recovery issues. 

Visit Account Recovery once you’ve confirmed the details and try again. 

The verification code was sent to a spam or junk folder 

Sometimes, our emails can be mistaken as spam by your email provider. Check your junk or spam folders just in case our email is hiding there.

The account is suspended

If an account you're trying to recover is suspended, it cannot be recovered until the suspension has been lifted.

Your email is private 

Sometimes, your login provider does not share your email information with us, which can affect our ability to send verification codes. Even if you try to recover through the Trainer Name method instead, we won't be able to confirm the email and send a verification code.

Failed Captcha Screen 

Make sure you're entering the Captcha correctly, as errors can lead to failed attempts. Also, if you've had a few unsuccessful tries, there might be a short wait time before you can try again.

Invalid Verification Code

If a verification code was entered incorrectly, there might be a short wait time before you can try again, especially if you've had a few unsuccessful attempts.

Sign-in with Apple: Hide my email

If you choose to hide your email when using Sign-in with Apple, Apple will create a unique email for you, known as the Apple relay email, ending with privaterelay.apple.com. This keeps your actual email address hidden. In effect, we associate your Pokémon GO account with the Apple relay email. 

When using Account Recovery, find and enter the Apple relay email instead of your actual email address or use the Trainer Name method. To learn more, visit our Help Center for steps on finding your Apple relay email from your iOS device or on the web.

We’re having trouble looking up the Trainer Name

In rare cases, if the Trainer Name method doesn't work, we recommend trying the Email Address method and entering the email associated with the account instead.

What if I enter the verification code incorrectly? 

If you made a mistake, don't worry! You can try again. Keep in mind that codes expire within 10 minutes of when you requested it, and making too many unsuccessful attempts in a short period might result in a cool-down period before you can try again.

What happens if I request a verification code too many times?

To prevent misuse and unauthorized requests, we limit the number of requests someone can make within a certain time frame.

Please take a moment to double-check your information and ensure that you've entered the Trainer Name or email address accurately. After a cool-down of up to 24 hours, you should be able to request a new code.

For security reasons, we're unable to remove the cool-down period and you'll need to wait it out before requesting a new verification code.

What should I do if I've misspelled my Trainer Name / Email Address?

If you have made a mistake in entering your Trainer Name or email address, try to recall the correct spelling or look for any Pokémon GO screenshots you may have taken in the past, then attempt Account Recovery again.

We can only locate accounts with the exact Trainer Name or email address. Without either of these credentials, proceeding with Account Recovery is not possible.

I don't recognize an email address from my list of recovery emails

Trainers who use login providers such as Sign-in with Apple or Niantic Kids may not easily recognize the linked email associated with their Niantic account.

Sign-in with Apple

When using Sign-in with Apple as a login provider, Apple offers an option to hide the email address linked to Apple ID. This privacy measure can sometimes lead to confusion when viewing a list of account recovery emails from us. Here's why:

Privacy: If you decide to hide your email when using Sign-in with Apple, Apple will create a unique email for you, known as the Apple relay email, ending with privaterelay.apple.com. This keeps your actual email address hidden. In effect, we associate your Pokémon GO account with the Apple relay email.

To use Account Recovery, enter the Apple relay email instead of your actual email address or use the Trainer Name method. To learn more, visit our Help Center for steps on accessing your Apple relay email from your iOS device or on the web.

Niantic Kids

Niantic Kids accounts are linked to the email address of their parent or guardian, which was used to authorize the account. If you’re unsure which email address was used, it may help to look for the permission email we sent to the parent or guardian. Typically, we send this email from parents@nianticlabs.com.

The Trainer Name or Email Address is associated with a different account

Ensure you have entered the Trainer Name or email address accurately. Please be aware that we’re unable to use account information from one account to search for or verify you as the owner of another account.

What if I can’t access the email linked to my account?

While we recommend against using certain email addresses like school or work emails, we understand that sometimes it's necessary. If you can't access an email associated with your account, please reach out to our support team for assistance. You may also want to contact your login provider to ask about updating your login details, if possible. 

To report that you've lost access to your email address, please check out our Help Center article and complete the attached form, selecting the option 'I no longer have access to my email.'