Everything You Need to Know About Soft Ban in Pokemon Go

Part 1. What Does Soft Ban in Pokemon Go Mean?

The soft ban in Pokemon Go is not deemed a stern form of punishment. In fact, it is often imposed to serve as a warning for first-time game rules offenders. But don’t underestimate the power of the Pokemon Go soft ban. It still inflicts a specific set of limitations that can heavily affect your game experience for the time being. For instance, you cannot catch any Pokemon in the wild because it will flee if you try. You can go to a nearby PokeStop, though, and try to spin it. However, there is no chance you can get items like you used to. That’s generally what happens if your account is placed on a Pokemon Go soft ban.

It’s true that the soft ban in Pokemon Go usually doesn’t last long. Oftentimes, it is lifted within 12 hours or even fewer. But just because the Pokemon Go soft ban is just a minor sanction doesn’t mean you’ll take it lightly. Of course, it’s still important to keep your account free of any potential violations that may result in a Pokemon Go soft ban. Check out the list below of common activities that often prompt a soft ban in Pokemon Go.

Unrealistically accelerated movement speed.

Is it possible for Pokemon Go players to record an unrealistically accelerated movement speed? Of course, it is. Let’s say you ride in a fast-moving vehicle to travel the distance required in the game. That’s one possibility. Although this trick can help players in incredible ways, it’s not widely recommended. A Pokemon Go soft ban might be imposed on your account if such illogical inputs get detected. Thus, don’t engage yourself in this kind of activity. Protect your account from the Pokemon Go soft ban.

Letting other people play Pokemon Go using your account.

What if a single Pokemon Go account has simultaneously recorded multiple log-in requests from different locations? Is there something bad going to happen? The short answer is most likely yes. You should know that account sharing in any form is against Pokemon Go’s Terms of Service. The account involved might get soft-banned if such activities are detected. Thus, avoid sharing your Pokemon Go account with other players.

Breaking Pokemon Go’s Cooldown Period.

Players usually receive a Cooldown notice after completing a massive in-game activity. Don’t worry. It’s just a temporary holding period that discourages you from subsequently engaging in one specific in-game action after another. Don’t dare to shorten the given Cooldown timeframe and break its governing rules. Doing so might result in a Pokemon Go soft ban on your account. Therefore, go through the Cooldown period as patiently as you can.

Spinning PokeStops automatically.

Spinning PokeStops is indeed beneficial to Pokemon Go players. Why so? Simply because you get various items from doing so. But always keep in mind to do it manually: Touch the PokeStop and swing the Photo Disc on both sides. Refrain from using tools or apps that automate these steps because it violates the Terms of Service. It might result in a Pokemon Go soft ban or more severe disciplinary actions.

Part 2. How to Get Rid of Soft Ban in Pokemon Go?

It’s definitely fair to say that the soft ban on Pokemon Go poses no serious threat to the players. But somehow, we cannot deny that the limitations it imposes on the involved account affect our overall gaming experience. The ultimate Pokemon Go soft ban fix is to wait as patiently as you can for its expiration. However, it’s seemingly not a challenge that most trainers prefer to take. Are you one of them? If so, check out the list of tips below on how to get away from the soft ban in Pokemon Go.

• If you prefer the most conservative approach to resolving this issue, there’s nothing you can do other than to wait. Maybe you can focus on other stuff in the meantime to distract yourself. Forget about Pokemon Go until the soft ban has been naturally lifted from your account. Don’t worry. The waiting period typically takes a few hours only. It’s just a little sacrifice you can ace so easily.
• If you don’t want to go through an excruciating waiting period, try to create a new Pokemon Go account. Uninstall and then reinstall the application afterward. After that, try to log in again to the newly installed Pokemon Go application using your old account. This trick works most of the time based on the experience of other players. Well, there seems no harm in trying. Who knows? It might be the Pokemon Go soft ban fix you need.
• Try to visit any nearby PokeStops and spin it at least 40 times. Sure. Doing so will not give you any items like the usual. However, it can somehow help you fix the Pokemon Go soft ban and eventually regain full control over your account. There is no definite explanation as to how this trick exactly works. But, according to some trainers, spinning PokeStops about 40 times is helpful in lifting the ban. It is worth a try if you don’t want to engage in an hour-long waiting game.

NOTE: There are lots of things you should not do while your account is under the Pokemon Go soft ban. Otherwise, you might receive additional penalties on top of the ban. That’s why you should at least keep these things in mind and refrain from practicing them on your soft-banned account. To give you some ideas on what exactly are those prohibited activities, check out the list below.

• Feeding Berries to a Pokemon in the wild.
• Bringing Pokemon to the Gym.
• Making any interaction with the Gym Defenders.
• Taking part in Gym Battles.
• Seizing Shadow Pokemon.