Pokemon Go update finally fixes Add Friends & Incense glitches

Essential guide to Pokemon Go July 7 bug fixes with practical gameplay strategies and optimization tips

Critical Bug Resolutions Overview

Niantic’s July 7 update delivers crucial solutions for Pokemon Go enthusiasts, addressing two persistent technical problems that significantly impacted player progression and collection mechanics.

Game developers have officially confirmed resolution for both the Add Friends functionality glitch and the Incense/Lure item despawn anomaly affecting spawn stability.

The Friend Request completion bug prevented trainers from advancing through Special Research objectives despite meeting friendship addition requirements, creating progression barriers during limited-time events.

Impact Analysis on Gameplay Experience

Player frustration reached peak levels during June’s Deino Community Day when the despawn glitch disrupted spawn mechanics, with numerous trainers reporting immediate Pokemon disappearance upon interaction attempts.

Social media platforms overflowed with community complaints about basic challenge incompletion, particularly affecting the “Add three friends” objective that gates valuable Special Research rewards and bonus allocations.

The Incense and Lure module instability presented additional collection hurdles, causing certain Pokemon species to vanish when trainers attempted encounters, effectively wasting valuable in-game resources and time investments.

Community-reported visual bug during Deino community day showcasing instant despawn behavior
byu/p33k4y inpokemongo

Detailed Technical Solutions

July 7 marks the official resolution date for both documented issues, transitioning them from the Known Issues registry to fully resolved status with specific implementation requirements.

Niantic’s support documentation outlines precise fix parameters and version dependencies for optimal functionality restoration.

  • “Add {#} friends” task may not complete even after adding the required number friends.
    • Issue description: After adding friends to complete tasks such as “add 3 friends” to complete a Special Research task, the task is not marked as complete and Trainers are unable to progress in their Special Research.
    • Issue Status: Resolved in the upcoming 243 release. The task will only begin to progress once Trainers have updated to 243, so any Friends added before updating will not count for the task.
  • Some Pokémon appearing due to Lures and Incense are unable to be encountered
    • Issue description: Some Pokémon appearing due to a Lure or Incense will disappear immediately when tapped.
    • Issue status: Resolved

Critical Implementation Note: The Friend task resolution requires version 243 installation before progress tracking activates. Previous friendship additions won’t retroactively apply toward task completion objectives.

Advanced Optimization Strategies

Post-Update Gameplay Enhancement Tactics: With both critical bugs eliminated, trainers can implement advanced strategies to maximize feature utilization and prevent future progression interruptions.

Friend Task Optimization: Schedule friendship additions after confirming version 243 installation. Coordinate with community members for mutual task completion during optimal event windows with bonus multipliers.

Incense/Lure Deployment Strategy: Utilize fixed spawn mechanics during Community Days and spotlight hours. Deploy modules in areas with stable GPS connectivity to prevent spawn instability and maximize encounter opportunities.

Common Avoidance Practices: Never add friends before updating during Special Research tasks. Avoid using Incense in areas with poor network coverage. Always verify game version before attempting time-sensitive objectives.

Resource Management: Plan Incense usage around fixed spawn windows. Coordinate Lure modules with community events for multiplied effectiveness. Monitor update schedules to align gameplay with resolved feature availability.

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