Pokemon Go Red Warning Notice: Is the First Strike, Third Party Warning an Error?

If you’ve been playing Pokemon Go recently, you may have an encountered an unexpected surprise. Trainers are reporting that they’re receiving red “first strike” warnings on their game, informing them that they’ve been detected using third-party software or otherwise breaking TOS. But many trainers say they’ve done nothing wrong and can’t figure out why they’re seeing these warnings. Some of the warnings have cropped up once players started transferring or connecting to Pokemon Let’s Go on Nintendo Switch, but it’s not clear if this is connected or not. Here’s what we know so far. This is a developing story.

Have you gotten the warning? Here is what it looks like. Redditor redsoxguy676 shared this image, and is one of many who have received it:

The warning reads: “Warning Notice. We have detected activity on your account that indicates you are using modified client software or unauthorized third-party software in violation of our Terms of Service. This is the first Strike against your account. It will last for approximately 1 more days. We strongly encourage you to stop this activity. Any further transgressions will result in an account suspension.”

It’s important to note that this is different than the error Niantic sent to many trainers a few weeks ago that looked similar but claimed their suspension term had ended.

One trainer wrote to Niantic about the warning and posted Niantic’s response on Reddit here. This is the message that u/finishcarts received:

Hello trainer. Thank you for writing in. If you have previously received a warning or suspension notice, you may see a new acknowledgment screen when logging into the Pokemon GO. This is a one-time acknowledgment for previous violations of the ToS and it does not necessarily indicate a new punishment on your account. Please see our Help Center for more information. As long as you’re abiding by the Pokemon GO Terms of Service and Trainer guidelines, there should not be any reason for concern.”

The response is a bit troublesome because it doesn’t really address the exact message that people were receiving. Instead, the response sounds fairly similar to another form that Niantic sent out the last time they erroneously sent a bunch of red warnings to trainers. However, other trainers have said that Niantic has responded differently to them, saying the message was sent in error. 

Most people who are receiving this warning haven’t done anything wrong. As u/redosxguy676 noted, many players getting this warning don’t use jailbroken phones, aren’t using any third party apps, aren’t spoofing, and aren’t doing anything wrong that should trigger the warning.

If you’ve received this warning, you’re not alone. In fact, it appears that many trainers are getting this warning and can’t figure out why. Niantic has yet to address this publicly. However, if this is an error, then your account likely isn’t in danger.

The error isn’t limited to the United States either.

One theory is that this is an error connected to a recent update, and Niantic will sort it out soon.

Another popular theory is that this is connected somehow to Pokemon Let’s Go, which was just recently released. However, some people are receiving this warning who haven’t played Let’s Go at all. Others who play Let’s Go and transferred Pokemon between Go and Let’s Go have not received this warning. One person even noted that they had transferred nearly 100 Pokemon through Let’s Go and have not received a warning.

Other trainers think this warning may be an error connected to enabling Adventure Sync, or perhaps connected to using the Appel Watch.

If you’ve received this warning, send an email to Niantic Support and explain your confusion. You might also try changing your password, just in case, and screenshotting the warning so you have evidence of when it happened. Then let us know in the comments below when you got the warning, what device you use, and if you are also using Pokemon Let’s Go or have enabled Adventure Sync.

This is a developing story.

See also:

• How to Connect PokeBall Plus & Other FAQs
• Pokemon Let’s Go Version Exclusive Pokemon
• Pokemon Go Meltan Quest Step-by-Step Guide

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