Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Apple
  4. Mobile
  5. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

‘Pokémon Go’ version 1.0.1 fixes that scary Google login security issue

Add as a preferred source on Google

Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs has pushed the game’s first update, version 1.0.1, on iOS, which fixes a variety of bugs including the game’s much-maligned security issue for players logging in with their Google accounts.

Earlier this week, players discovered that signing in with a Google account granted the developer full access to that account, including location data, recent web browsing information, and the ability to both read and write email. The discovery caused analysts and security conscious players to criticize the app for causing players to unwittingly make their data less secure. Pokémon Go, because of its popularity, has already become a target for malware.

Recommended Videos

Niantic responded to the news Monday, clarifying that the game only gathered player usernames and email addresses, and calling the scope of the access “an error.”

“Google has verified that no other information has been received or accessed by Pokémon Go or Niantic,” the statement said.

With the update, Niantic seems to have made good on that promise. When you log in to the game after installing the patch, the game only requests access to your username and email.

Updated Pokemon GO iOS Google permissions pic.twitter.com/VeFU3C4w7Q

— Wario64 (@Wario64) July 12, 2016

That said, it’s worth pointing out that at least one Digital Trends writer who downloaded the patch said he still had to still manually revoke the app’s access and log in again to reduce the app’s access to his Google account. Despite previous reports, revoking the game’s Google access should not cause you to lose your progress, even before downloading the patch.

In addition to the security issue, the update also fixed a login bug that forced players to re-enter their username and password after a forced log out, fixed instability issues for players who logged in with a Pokémon Trainer Club account, and patched out miscellaneous “issues causing crashes.”

You can download the patch now through the iOS App Store.

Download for iOS Download for Android

Mike Epstein
Former Associate Editor, Gaming
Michael is a New York-based tech and culture reporter, and a graduate of Northwestwern University’s Medill School of…
This VR empathy game could be the start of something much creepier
Rekindle uses face-tracking biometrics to deepen player involvement, but the same idea could eventually shape therapy tools, safety systems, and emotionally responsive interfaces.
VR Headset, Accessories, Goggles

A new VR empathy game called Rekindle turns facial expressions into part of the controls. The game asks players to perform emotions, then watches their faces to see whether those reactions match the scene.

The first-person story centers on memory, identity, and empathy for the LGBTQ+ community. Players move through a dystopian future where sexual identity has been targeted and erased, collecting memory fragments tied to the protagonist’s experience.

Read more
PlayStation’s disc-killing move may have blindsided the very partners keeping its games business alive
Sony’s reported shift away from physical discs allegedly caught publishers, regional teams, and retail partners off guard, turning a gamer ownership fight into a business trust problem.
A PS5 sits on a table with a DualSense standing up next to it.

PlayStation’s reported move away from physical discs already looked bad for players who still care about owning games. Now it sounds messy for the companies expected to sell, support, and build around Sony’s ecosystem.

High Chaos Run reports that Sony’s decision to end physical disc production for PS5, and likely PS6 in 2028, came without warning publishers, business partners, or some regional operations. If accurate, Sony didn’t only create another fight over PlayStation discs. It left parts of its own games business catching up after the decision was already public.

Read more
You don’t need a Switch to play Mario Kart. This YouTube video somehow lets you join the race.
Someone smuggled Rainbow Road into YouTube, and it kind of works
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

A pair of creators has found a way to make YouTube more than just a video streaming experience. You can now play Mario Kart inside it. Atlas Arcade and Animated Subtitles have created a fan-made interactive video that lets desktop users drive through Rainbow Road using keyboard controls.

It lasts just over a minute and offers a stripped-down version of the familiar kart-racing experience, yet the technical trickery behind it is far more interesting than its size suggests. This is not an official Nintendo release or a complete browser port of Mario Kart. It is a YouTube video twisted into behaving like a game, and that may be even cooler.

Read more