Some Samsung Galaxy users unable to log in to Pokémon Go after One UI 5.1.1 update, issue acknowledged (workaround inside)

Here’s the crux of the article in video form:

Are you a regular Pokémon Go player and user of a Samsung Galaxy smartphone? Then it is possible that the game has been giving you headaches for a few days.

Recent reports indicate that some Samsung Galaxy users have been unable to log in to Pokémon Go after installing the One UI 5.1.1 update on their devices.

Receiving a new update with improvements and new features should normally be a source of joy for users of any smartphone. However, sometimes these updates can affect the operation of some of your favorite services or apps.

Apparently, that’s what’s happening with Pokémon Go on some Samsung Galaxy devices, as multiple users are currently unable to log in. According to reports, the issue started after the One UI 5.1.1 update (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Problems starting Pokémon Go after Samsung UI 5.1.1

Yesterday or the day before that I got the Samsung UI 5.1.1 update for my Samsung Z Fold 3, and since then I’ve barely been able to login to Pokémon Go. That’s the only thing I can think of that could affect what’s happend recently.
Source

Please help with a Pokemon Go issue!

I have a Samsung Galaxy S21+ and was just forced to do a system update. Since then, no matter what I do, I can’t get in to Pokemon Go.
Source

Curiously, the bug seems to be especially affecting Samsung Galaxy flagships. There are reports from users of devices such as the Galaxy S21 series, S20 series, Z Fold series, and even the ‘defunct’ Galaxy Note series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Fortunately, there is a potential workaround that has helped some players to regain access to their accounts (1, 2). The process consists of the following:

Also, to make things even easier, another player points out which exact part of the process was the one that helped them:

Specifically, I only followed the clear cache and clear data step with the Google apps listed in the post. I did this a few times before rebooting then clearing cache and data of PoGo. The clear data step of the Google apps is weird because you think it completed but maybe it didn’t so give that part a few minutes for each each app.
Source

It’s noteworthy that the Niantic team confirmed that they are already aware of the issue and investigating, although they only mentioned the Galaxy S21 series as the affected devices.

Thanks for sharing, Haley! We’ve received similar reports regarding the login issues after the latest update on Samsung S21 devices. Our team is looking into it, please keep an eye out on our official channels for updates! ^TA
Source

Hopefully the dev team can find a fix soon, and players with affected Samsung devices don’t have to rely on convoluted processes to log into the game.

We will be monitoring the situation to update this story once new developments arise.

NOTE: You can also check the Pokemon Go bugs/issues tracker.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.