How to fix Incenses not working in Pokemon GO

Incense can allow Pokemon to spawn more frequently (Image via Niantic)
Incense can allow Pokemon to spawn more frequently (Image via Niantic)

Trainers in Pokemon GO who are having issues with incense can rest assured that there is an easy fix.

Now certainly isn’t a great time to have with incense. The Season of Alola has begun, which means tons of new Pokemon are definitely on their way. With other events like Mudkip’s Community Day coming down the pipe, trainers will definitely want to make sure that their incense is functioning properly.


How can Pokemon GO trainers make sure their incense works?

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Typically, incense stops working due to a discrepancy with the time on the user’s device. As such, all trainers will need to do is make sure the clock on their phone is set to automatic.

Here is how trainers who use iPhones can fix this issue:

  • Go to the Settings App
  • Select General
  • Select Date and Time
  • Make sure Set Automatically is activated

Here is how Android trainers can fix the issue:

  • Open the System app
  • Select Date and Time
  • Make sure Automatic Date and Time is active
  • Make sure Automatic Time Zone is active

Before doing either of these, though, trainers should keep in mind that Niantic did change the way that incense operates. Trainers might think that their device isn’t working, when in actuality there’s no problem at all.

Basically, the change is that incense now causes Pokemon to spawn every five minutes instead of every 90 seconds. This only applies to stationary trainers, though. Those who are moving will get spawns at a normal rate.

It's a good idea to save some incense for Mudkip's Community Day (Image via Niantic)
It's a good idea to save some incense for Mudkip's Community Day (Image via Niantic)

This means that those who are out and about won’t have to worry, but trainers playing inside can easily run into this issue. If they are playing from home, and they pop an incense without seeing a spawn for a while, there’s no need to worry. The device isn’t broken, trainers just have to wait longer for the next spawn.

Another thing trainers might want to keep in mind is that most incense will be active for three hours during events. Niantic recently shortened the length of most of their events to three hours anyway, meaning a trainer could use an incense at the beginning of an event and it will be active for the entire thing.