How to fix incense not working errors in Pokemon GO

In Pokemon GO, incense is a widely helpful item due to its ability to attract nearby Pokemon for a set time. However, occasional bugs can prevent Pokemon from spawning, rendering the incense useless.

Fortunately, Pokemon GO's community has found multiple fixes that can address incense errors in-game. Niantic has also provided troubleshooting and workarounds to assist players in these pursuits as well. These fixes aren't uniform and won't apply to all players depending on the circumstances, but they should assist a wide swath of trainers who are encountering incense problems. Below, trainers can find a few of the most common fixes to address incense not spawning Pokemon.

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Pokemon GO: Common fixes for incense spawning troubles

A working incense is much preferred to a bugged one (Image via Niantic)

One of the most common causes of the incense item not working correctly in Pokemon GO is the device's time settings. If trainers notice that spawns aren't appearing at least every few minutes, they may want to check their device's time and calendar settings to make sure that the time is being accurately tracked. Doing so is fairly straightforward, and involves the steps shown below:

Adjusting Your Time Settings for Pokemon GO

1. For iOS users, trainers will want to open their Settings app.
2. Select General and then choose Date and time.
3. Check to see if the time is set to "Set Automatically," if it isn't, activate this feature now.
4. For Android users, open your device settings via the system app.
5. Navigate to date and time, and ensure that "automatic date and time" and "automatic timezones" are active. If they aren't, be sure to activate them before closing the system app.
6. Close any existing instances or windows of Pokemon GO and then restart the game. For an added measure, it may not hurt to sign out and sign back in.

It's also important to note that Pokemon GO should have access to the player's map and GPS positioning as well, as this is how the augmented reality game keeps track of the player's position over time. If possible, the map and GPS should be set to "Always allow" for the mobile title to ensure that there are no problems in the future. Using additional apps such as Google Fit can also be helpful, not only for the added rewards it brings, but also to better keep track of a player's movements.

If all else fails, it may not be a bad idea to clear the app's cache from your device's app settings. Occasionally caching issues can cause problems with the game accessing previously cached data. While this doesn't have a direct correlation to the way incense operates in-game, it never hurts to occasionally clear the game's cache to ensure smooth operation. Logging out and logging back into the game using a different account method (Google, Facebook, Pokemon Trainer Club) can sometimes fix a host of problems as well. If all else fails, trainers will simply need to uninstall the app, delete all pertaining files, and reinstall it to verify the integrity of the game's files.