Adventure Sync lets Pokémon GO count the distance you walk even when the game is closed. Your steps go toward hatching Eggs, earning Buddy Candy, and weekly fitness rewards. Changing the setting takes only a few taps, but it also depends on the right phone permissions and a connected health app, which is where most problems start. This guide covers turning it on or off on iPhone and Android and fixing it when it stops tracking.
Quick Answer
In Pokémon GO, tap the Poké Ball (Main Menu) > Settings > General, then check or uncheck Adventure Sync. When turning it on, allow access to Apple Health (iPhone) or your Android health service and set location permission to Always.
What Adventure Sync Does
- Counts distance while the app is closed, using data from your phone's health app.
- Weekly rewards for reaching distance milestones (historically 5 km, 25 km, and 50 km), which can include items, Stardust, and Eggs.
- Weekly fitness summary and optional notifications when an Egg hatches or your buddy finds Candy.
- Shared progress across other Niantic-made games if you sign in with the same account method.
Turn Adventure Sync On
- Open Pokémon GO and tap the Poké Ball at the bottom of the map.
- Tap Settings (the gear icon, top right).
- Open General and check Adventure Sync.
- Tap Turn It On when the game explains the feature.
- Grant the permissions it asks for:
- iPhone: allow access to Apple Health (Walking + Running Distance and Steps), and set location access to Always.
- Android: connect the health service the game requests (Google Fit on many versions; newer builds may use Android's Health Connect) and allow Physical activity and Location: Allow all the time.
Turn Adventure Sync Off
- Tap the Poké Ball > Settings > General.
- Uncheck Adventure Sync.
Turning it off stops background tracking. Distance walked while the app is closed will no longer count. Niantic notes that on some Android versions you need to switch it off in the game itself rather than only revoking permissions in phone settings. To fully disconnect, you can also remove the game's access in the Health app (iPhone: Health > profile picture > Apps) or in your Android health service.
Fix Adventure Sync When It Stops Tracking
- Confirm it's still checked in Settings > General. Updates and reinstalls can reset it.
- Check location permission: iPhone Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Pokémon GO > Always, with Precise Location on. Android Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO > Permissions > Location > Allow all the time.
- Check health data access: make sure the health app is actually recording steps and that Pokémon GO is allowed to read them.
- Turn off battery savers (Low Power Mode, Android battery optimization for the game and health app). They can pause the motion sensors.
- Allow time to sync. Niantic says syncing can take up to several hours; opening the game can force an update.
- Walk at walking speed. Distance recorded at high speed (driving, cycling fast) isn't counted; the commonly reported cap is about 10.5 km/h (6.5 mph).
- Manual entries don't count. Steps typed into a health app by hand are ignored.
- Toggle it off and on, then restart the phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Adventure Sync drain the battery?
Not much. It reads data your phone's motion sensors already collect instead of running GPS continuously, though “Always” location access can add a small amount of use.
Can a smartwatch count toward Adventure Sync?
Yes, if the watch writes walking distance to Apple Health or your Android health service, that distance can count.
Why did I get less distance than my step counter shows?
Distance above the speed cap, manually entered data, and very short movements may not count, and the game's distance can differ from what a fitness app estimates.
Summary
- Poké Ball > Settings > General > check or uncheck Adventure Sync.
- Allow health data access and Always location permission.
- If tracking stops, check permissions, battery savers, and give it time to sync.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.