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Pokémon GO Adventure Sync Not Working on iPhone: Fix Distance Issues

Check Adventure Sync, iOS location access, and Apple Health permissions when Pokémon GO misses walking distance on iPhone. Learn what to try next.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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If Pokémon GO is not crediting your walking distance while closed, check that Adventure Sync is on, Pokémon GO has the required iOS location permission, and Apple Health is recording activity and sharing it with the game. Syncing can take several hours. If the problem is that your avatar’s live location is inaccurate while the game is open, that is a separate GPS issue.

First identify what is inaccurate

  • No or incomplete distance after walking with Pokémon GO closed: troubleshoot Adventure Sync, iOS location permission, and Apple Health data access.
  • Your avatar is in the wrong place while Pokémon GO is open: troubleshoot live location accuracy separately. Niantic’s cited Precise Location instructions are specifically for iOS 14, so do not treat them as a universal fix for current iOS versions or background distance credit.

Adventure Sync is an optional feature, available from Trainer Level 5 according to Niantic’s Adventure Sync overview.

Fix missing or inaccurate Adventure Sync distance

  1. Make sure Adventure Sync is enabled

    In Pokémon GO, open the in-game Settings and check that Adventure Sync is selected. Niantic describes it as an optional setting, so verify it remains on rather than assuming it is enabled.

  2. Allow Pokémon GO to use location in the background

    Niantic’s iOS troubleshooting guidance calls for Pokémon GO location access to be set to Always. If you are setting it up and iOS first offers Allow While Using App, Niantic says to choose that, then select Change to Always Allow when prompted again. Menu labels can differ by iOS release; find Pokémon GO’s location permission in the current iOS Settings app. Apple explains how Location Services permissions work in its privacy and Location Services guidance.

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  3. Confirm Apple Health is recording your walk

    Open Health and check whether steps or walking and running distance appear for the relevant time. Apple says iPhone automatically records steps and walking/running distance. If the activity is absent from Health, Pokémon GO cannot use that Health record for Adventure Sync.

  4. Check Pokémon GO’s Health access

    In Health, review the apps connected to Health and the categories they can access; also inspect the data sources for steps or walking distance. Niantic says Pokémon GO should appear as a connected source. Apple’s Health interface can vary by iOS version; its guide to managing Health data covers app access and data sources.

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  5. Wait for the sync, then restart the game

    Niantic says Health or Google Fit activity may take up to several hours to sync into Pokémon GO, so the distance shown may temporarily lag. If it has not updated, close and reopen the game.

  6. Turn off battery-saving modes while testing

    Niantic warns that device battery-saving modes can disable sensors Adventure Sync needs. Battery-saving modes in Health or Google Fit may also interfere. Temporarily disable them while checking whether new, automatically recorded activity is credited.

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  7. Use automatically recorded activity, not a manual entry

    Manually adding a workout or distance in Apple Health does not test Adventure Sync. Niantic’s Help Center states: “Fitness data that is manually entered into Apple Health or Google Fit will not count towards your Adventure Sync progress.”

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If distance still does not update

Try Niantic’s general iOS app checks: update Pokémon GO, confirm the internet connection, refresh game data, verify Adventure Sync is still enabled after refreshing, and check that the device’s date and time are set automatically. Reinstalling the official app is another option in Niantic’s iOS troubleshooting guide. If these steps do not resolve the Adventure Sync problem, contact Niantic through in-app support, as advised in its Adventure Sync troubleshooting guide.

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For inaccurate live location

If the issue is the on-screen location while playing—not distance credited after closing the game—Niantic’s article for iOS 14 location accuracy says to enable Precise Location for Pokémon GO. That article is version-specific; the available guidance does not establish it as a general fix for Adventure Sync distance on current iOS releases.

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