How to Limit Pokémon GO’s Access to Your Google Account

Pokémon Go Google account permissions

Nintendo and Niantic’s wildly popular Pokémon GO came under fire only days after it launched when users found out the game had permission to access everything in their Google accounts. Niantic said the game checked only basic account information and wasn’t supposed to get unfettered access to everything. There’s an patch out that fixes the permissions issue, but you’ll need to do more than simply install the update. Read on to learn how to limit Pokémon GO’s access to your Google account.

Pokémon Go Google account permissions
Pokémon Go update fixes Google account permissions issue

Here’s how to make sure Pokémon GO has limited access to your Google account:

Google manage apps option
Use Google’s manage apps option to remove Pokémon GO’s access to your account
  • Select Pokemon Go Release
  • Click Remove, then confirm you want to remove the game’s access to your account by clicking OK
Remove Google permissions for Pokémon Go
Google lets you revoke permissions for apps
  • Launch Pokémon GO and if you aren’t automatically logged out, tap the Poké Ball button, tap Settings, then choose Sign Out
  • Login again and you’ll see a dialog telling you the game wants to see your email address and know who you are
  • Tap Allow
Pokémon GO's Google account permissions
Pokémon GO shows the limited account access it needs when you log in again

Now Pokémon GO has access to basic account information and not full access to everything linked to your Google account. Bonus: you won’t lose any game progress and you can pick up right where you left off.

One thought on “How to Limit Pokémon GO’s Access to Your Google Account

  • Thanks for the info, it worked as expected, but for one scare, where when it first logged in I was in “generic” mode, low level, no Pokemon captured. BUT that may have just been as much as a server glitch as anything. I quit and re-launched and all was good.

    Interestingly enough, the game that Pokemon Go is based off of, Ingress, ALSO had full access for the past 3 years or so. I ran the same process and it worked as well.

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