Update: As some readers have pointed out, currently the best way to deal with an unwanted PokeStop or gym is to fill out this form requesting it be removed. If that doesn’t work, you can make an appeal at this new Google Plus page specifically dedicated to Pokemon Go. If neither of those pan out, and you want to appeal to the page we linked to previously, make sure you’re specifically asking for your location to be removed from Ingress — directly asking to be removed from Pokemon Go on the Ingress Google Plus page is kind of a jerk move.
Pokemon Go is a full-fledged social phenomenon, and like any craze, it’s causing its fair share of problems. One of the bigger issues, is that the game places PokeStops or gyms at certain real-life locations without asking anybody’s permission. Most of the stops and gyms are public landmarks, so it’s not a big deal, but we’ve also heard stories of police stations being overrun, jerks catching critters at the National Holocaust Museum or people’s private homes accidentally becoming gym-ified. The worst part of all this, is that the makers of Pokemon Go haven’t clearly explained how to remove a PokeStop or gym once it’s been established.
Thankfully, it turns out there is a way. Pokemon Go shares technology and information with Ingress, a real-world MMO released by the game’s developer Niantic in 2012. Much like Pokemon Go, Ingress revolves around capturing various real-life locations — in fact, the madly popular app actually “borrows” all its PokeStop and gym locations from Ingress.
Why’s that important? Well, while there isn’t an official way to remove a stop or gym location from Pokemon Go yet, there is a way to do it for Ingress, and once you’re removed from Ingress, you’re also scrubbed from Pokemon Go. All you have to do is hit up this Google Plus page and request that a landmark be removed. There’s currently a bit of a backup, so it might take Niantic a while to grant your request, but eventually the crowds milling around your front porch should be gone.
Anybody have any good stories about their house/business/place of work becoming the center of Pokemania?
Share ’em below.