Pokemon Go update 0.331.0 squashes bugs but breaks Go Plus devices

Pokemon Go players claim the mobile game’s 0.331.0 update has broken the functionality of Go Plus devices.

Developer Niantic rolled out Pokemon Go‘s 0.331.0 patch on Monday, September 16, with release notes promising bug fixes and improvements that should have made for a much smoother experience.

According to multiple Trainers, though, while the update fixed some problems it also caused a few others. Players using the auto-catching Go Plus claim the device stops working properly if a Pokemon is not in focus.

One person told website Pokemon Go Hub, “As soon as you switch tasks or lock the screen, the device disconnects within a minute. When you reopen the game, it starts working again.”

The same user detailed their issue in TheSilphRoad subreddit, saying they tried numerous workarounds to no avail. Not even uninstalling the game or resetting their devices helped. September 19’s 0.331.1 update did not come with a solution, either.

The Pokemon Company

What worked for a short time was reverting back to Pokemon Go’s previous 0.329.2 version. However, Niantic has since forced the latest update as a mandatory download, meaning those with now-broken Pokemon Go Plus devices have no choice but to endure until a proper fix goes live.

Unfortunately, may not be an isolated issue. Several Twitter/X users said their Go Plus devices haven’t worked properly for the last few days.

“No wonder it wouldn’t do anything while the game wasn’t in focus. Basically makes it useless until it’s fixed,” one player wrote beneath the Pokemon Go Hub post.

Someone else chimed in to add, “It’s the same case with Go ++ also…”

Others claim their auto-catchers work just fine, even after the latest updates went live on Android and iOS. As such, it is unclear how widespread the issue has become, especially since Niantic has yet to address the issue at the time of writing.