Starting Fresh in 'Pokémon Go' is More Challenging than Capturing a Vaporeon

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Pokémon Go enthusiasts: Are you tired of the game’s chaos and concerned about your phone’s battery life? Did you exhaust all your Poké Balls while learning the ropes and now want to start anew with a fresh supply of 50? Perhaps you regret choosing your Instinct or Mystic team, or maybe you simply desire that elusive starter Pikachu. Unfortunately, you can’t reset your account, so deleting it is your only option. But it’s not as straightforward as it seems.

Deleting Your Pokémon Go Account

Deleting your in-game account is a multi-step process, and the changes may not take effect immediately. You cannot delete your account directly from the app either. Let’s go through the necessary steps:

First, visit Niantic’s support site and navigate to the Pokémon Go page. Click on “Support” and search for the deletion instructions. We suggest searching for “How do I delete my Pokémon GO account?” then clicking on the “contact us” link. Alternatively, you can directly access the page here.
Fill in all the required fields on the page. Although it’s unclear what Niantic expects in the blank sections, it’s best to keep your response simple. You have the option to attach a file, but it may not be necessary in this case.
After submitting the form, you will receive an email confirming that your deletion request has been received. The email emphasizes that this process is irreversible, but if you have any doubts, you can still choose not to proceed.
To complete the deletion, reply to the email with the word “DELETE.” Keep in mind that this action permanently erases all account data, and you won’t be able to reuse your previous nickname. Consider this carefully before confirming your decision.

Deleting a Pokémon Go account requires an unusually involved process, highlighting the seriousness with which players treat the game.

The Waiting Game

Even after following all the necessary steps, the process isn’t over yet. As mentioned on the Niantic website and reiterated in the cancellation confirmation email, “Account deletion requests currently take several weeks to review and process.” For instance, I canceled my account nearly two weeks ago to start fresh, and I still have access to it.

You might wonder, “Why not simply create a new account?” However, as you may have noticed, the Pokémon Go servers have struggled to accommodate the massive influx of players. While you can use a different email address, you’ll likely encounter errors when attempting to create a new Pokémon Club Trainer account. We still face such obstacles when initiating the process, and even when we manage to proceed, various messages prevent further progress.

Currently, it’s not possible to have multiple profiles on a single account. So, if you wish to keep using your existing Club Trainer account, you’ll have to endure the aforementioned steps and wait. Although registering through your Google account is an option, you might still hesitate to take the risk, despite Niantic and the Pokemon Company’s reassurances regarding security and data concerns.