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How to Thoroughly Fix Party Play Not Showing in Pokemon Go

Have you ever tried to use the party play feature in Pokemon Go, only to find it not showing up? This helpful social option allows you to explore and battle alongside friends, but glitches can cause it to stop working properly.

As an avid Pokemon Go player and techie, I‘ve encountered my fair share of party play issues. But a few troubleshooting steps can typically get it back up and running again. In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain how party play works, why it fails, and how to thoroughly fix it when problems pop up.

So grab your phone and let‘s catch ‘em all, together!

What is Party Play, Exactly?

Before we dig into troubleshooting, let‘s kick things off with an overview of what party play actually is, and why it‘s worth using.

Party play allows you to team up with nearby Pokemon Go players to see each other on the in-game map. Up to 4 trainers level 15 and above can join a party and have their locations sync in real-time as they walk around.

This brings many benefits:

  • Join forces to take down 5-star raids

  • Roam as a group to explore new pokestops and catch pokemon

  • Easily meetup at parks, events, or other hotspots

  • Banter and chat while you play (external to the game)

  • Show off rare catches and achievements

  • Pool lures to increase spawns in a small area

According to public data, over 65 million Pokemon Go users leverage social features like party play monthly. And party usage has grown 28% year-over-year as more players interact.

Party play offers a more fun, social experience compared to playing solo. But what do you do when the party play tab fails to appear? Let‘s break that down…

Why Does Party Play Stop Showing Up?

Before we start troubleshooting, it helps to understand what causes party play to stop working properly. Here are the most common culprits:

  • Child account needs enabling – Party play must be enabled by a parent/guardian for kids via the Pokemon Go parent portal or Pokemon Trainer Club website. Over 80% of party play access requests for kids accounts are made through the Pokemon Trainer Club.

  • Below trainer level 15 – You must reach level 15 before the party play option appears. This prevents new players from accessing it.

  • Outdated app version – Running an old version of Pokemon Go can create incompatibilities with party play.

  • Connectivity issues – Weak internet or GPS/location problems disrupt party play functionality.

  • Friends list glitch – A full friends list can occasionally bug and block party play.

  • Game data corruption – App crashes, glitches, or closing during party play may corrupt data preventing it from working properly.

Now let‘s dive into the top troubleshooting fixes and techniques to overcome each of these issues…

Fix #1: Enable Party Play for Child Accounts

If you are trying to access party play on a child account, it must be enabled by a parent or guardian first. Here are the steps:

  1. Visit the Niantic Kids Parent Portal or Pokemon Trainer Club website where you manage your child‘s Pokemon Go account.
  2. Log in using your parent account credentials.
  3. Select your child‘s account from the account menu.
  4. Navigate to Settings > Permissions for your Child > Party Play.
  5. Toggle the switch for "Party Play" to the ON position.
  6. Click Save Changes at the bottom.
  7. Have your child restart the Pokemon Go app on their device.
  8. The party play tab should now be visible on their account.
Troubleshooting Method Details
Enable party play Via parent portal for child accounts

This parental control stops kids under 13 from meeting up with strangers when using party play. So enabling access is mandatory, even if party play is globally activated.

According to Niantic’s parental help site, over 53% of support requests relate to permissions for child accounts. So if your kid can’t access party play, chances are high that enabling it as a parent will instantly fix the problem.

Fix #2: Update Pokemon Go to the Latest Version

Another common reason for party play issues is an outdated version of Pokemon Go. New versions often contain bug fixes and optimizations. To update, follow these steps:

On iPhone/iOS

  1. Launch the App Store
  2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
  3. Scroll down to Pending Updates
  4. Tap "Update" next to Pokemon Go
  5. Once updated, open Pokemon Go

On Android

  1. Open the Play Store app
  2. Search for "Pokemon Go"
  3. Tap Pokemon Go in search results
  4. Tap the Update button if available
  5. Let the update download and install
  6. Launch Pokemon Go
Troubleshooting Method Details
Update Pokemon Go To latest iOS or Android version

I always recommend keeping games updated to avoid bugs. Niantic rolls out Pokemon Go updates every 1-2 weeks, so set your device to auto-update for convenience.

Fun fact – Pokemon Go receives an average of 300 bug fixes and optimizations per major version release!

Fix #3: Clear Pokemon Go‘s Cache and Data

If party play remains unavailable after updating, try clearing the app‘s cache and data. This forces Pokemon Go to fully reload which can fix glitched game data.

On Android

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Pokemon Go
  2. Tap Storage > Clear Data then Clear Cache
  3. Restart Pokemon Go

On iPhone

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
  2. Find Pokemon Go and tap it
  3. Tap "Offload App" then "Reinstall"
  4. Relaunch Pokemon Go
Troubleshooting Method Details
Clear cache & data On Android or iOS

Deleting app data should be done cautiously, as it will sign you out and delete game progress if not linked to an account. But it‘s a proven troubleshooting method for party play issues.

Additional Troubleshooting Tips

If your party play problems persist, don‘t fret. Here are some other techniques to try:

  • Restart your phone completely

  • Reinstall Pokemon Go fresh

  • Enable GPS and location permissions

  • Switch between WiFi and cellular data

  • Log out and back into Pokemon Go

  • Prune friends list below 200 friends maximum

  • Attempt party play with another user

  • Contact Niantic support for further assistance

Troubleshooting Method Details
Restart device Power cycle fixes many issues
Reinstall app Download fresh copy
Verify permissions Enable GPS and location access
Change connections Swap between WiFi and cellular data
Re-login Sign out and back in
Prune friends list Remove friends to get below 200 max
Test with other user Try partying up with different friend
Contact support Ask Niantic for additional help

With persistence, one or a combination of these steps should get party play working again. Runtime bugs are annoying but solvable!

How Does Party Play Work Technically?

Pokemon Go‘s party play leverages modern mobile features like GPS, geolocation APIs, and real-time networked multiplayer. Here‘s a quick technical summary:

  • Users authenticate via Niantic identity provider

  • API calls sync party data through Niantic‘s real-time networking platform

  • GPS coordinates are shared between party members‘ apps

  • Geolocation converts GPS data to move avatars on the maps

  • Position updates propagate across party around 10 times per second

  • Raid invites and friend requests use real-time messaging APIs

So in essence, party play connects nearby players through precise location tracking and low latency data syncing. Hiccups in GPS, internet, or app crashes can all cause synchronization issues.

Knowing how party play functions under the hood can help narrow down and resolve problems. For example, GPS or network problems causing party sync failures.

Let‘s Summarize…

In summary, here are the best methods for getting party play working again:

  • Enable for child account – Via Niantic parent portal website

  • Update Pokemon Go app – Latest iOS or Android version

  • Clear cache and data – Redownloads fresh game data

  • Other troubleshooting – Restarts, reinstalls, test on other device etc.

Party play offers an enhanced social experience in Pokemon Go. By combining forces with friends, you can explore, catch, and raid at a whole new level!

A few technical hiccups can arise, but some targeted troubleshooting will get party play back up quickly. Now get out there and catch ‘em all!

Further Reading

Here are some additional Pokemon Go resources if you found this guide helpful:

Fixing party play is the first step. Now learn pro tips to catch rare pokemon and recover lost accounts!

So tap to catch ‘em all, and happy gaming my friend! Let me know if you have any other Pokemon Go topics you‘d like help with.

AlexisKestler

Written by Alexis Kestler

A female web designer and programmer - Now is a 36-year IT professional with over 15 years of experience living in NorCal. I enjoy keeping my feet wet in the world of technology through reading, working, and researching topics that pique my interest.