Pokemon Go Updates Tracking with "Sightings" & "Nearby" Features

August 9th, 2016: The latest Pokemon Go tracking update is promising for players who miss the experiencing of tracking down a rare or beloved Pokemon! The latest Pokemon Go update, released late on August 8th, 2016, has made a huge number of changes to the app. Many of the changes are updates that Pokemon Go users have been begging for. Some of the changes fix bugs, but the largest fix made reinvigorated Pokemon Go tracking. Most users now have a Sightings panel, with Pokemon in front of tall grass. Although this does not fully fix the problem of removing the three step functionality, the Sightings panel is far more accurate than the previous list of nearby Pokemon. The Sightings panel of the Pokemon Go tracking update is responsive again. As you move away from or toward a particular Pokemon, it will disappear from the Sightings panel, unlike the previous tracking. You cannot click on and track a specific Pokemon, but Sightings is a step in the right direction. Some lucky Pokemon Go users received a tracking update with the "Nearby" panel. This beta tracking update shows you specific Pokemon by nearby Pokestops. If you tap on the circle with the image, the Nearby panel will show you exactly where that Pokestop is. Below, you can see a picture of the beta tracking update. [caption id="attachment_5348" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Image via Reddit[/caption] August 7th, 2016 Since the release of Pokemon Go, updates have done some serious damage to the tracking aspect of Pokemon Go. The first of the Pokemon Go tracking updates created the 'three-step bug' and a recent tracking update completely removed tracking capabilities.

New Methods of Pokemon Go Tracking

That being said, there are a few things you can still do to track Pokemon in Pokemon Go. First, it does appear that the Pokemon are still in the correct order on your tracking screen, accessible in the bottom right menu. Although it is impossible to tell how far any of the particular Pokemon are, you can see which is closest. It will not be particularly time friendly, but you can use that fact to help you track a particular Pokemon. If the order of Pokemon shifts, you'll know you're getting closer to one Pokemon and further from another based on who moves where. However, some users have reported that their nearby widgets are not updating at all once the app has been opened. You can see a tracking method created by Reddit user RamblinWredneck here if you're experiencing this bug. If you are going to use that tracking method, though, you should be aware that it is quite time consuming. For the many users who love the tracking aspect of Pokemon Go, the updates have been incredibly disappointing. You can check back at Pokemon-World for information on any new updates to the Pokemon Go tracking methods. Although Niantic claims to be working on the tracking, the lack of communciation and clarity has burned quite a few fans.

What To Do Until There are More Tracking Updates

Many users are swearing off Pokemon Go until the tracking updates have been fixed. However, there is no way to know when or even if Niantic will fix the tracking. You may want to just try walking around a bit more blindly. You may also find work-arounds like Skiplagged's Pokemon Go map to be helpful .