To turn camera permission on or off for Pokémon GO on an iPhone, open the Settings app, tap Apps, tap Pokémon GO, and switch Camera on or off. With the camera off you can still play and catch Pokémon on the regular in-game background, but AR mode and AR photos will not work until you switch it back on.
Before you start
A camera permission is the iPhone setting that decides whether one particular app is allowed to use the camera. Each app has its own switch, so changing it for Pokémon GO has no effect on any other app.
- iOS version: the steps below are for current iOS versions, where the Settings app has an Apps section. On older versions without that section, Pokémon GO appears further down the main Settings list instead.
- The game must have asked first: the Camera switch only appears after Pokémon GO has requested the camera at least once. Apple says apps must request your permission before they use the camera, and its Camera list shows the apps that have requested access.
- Nothing is deleted: this is only a switch. Your account, Pokémon, and items are not touched, and you can reverse the change at any time.
Change camera access for Pokémon GO on iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the list and tap Apps.
- Find Pokémon GO in the alphabetical list and tap it. This opens the page that lists everything the game is allowed to use.
- Find the Camera switch. Turn it on to allow camera access, or turn it off to block it.
The change is saved as soon as you tap the switch. There is no Save button. These steps match the iOS instructions in the official Pokémon GO help center article on changing app permissions, which also recommends keeping Camera and Location enabled to get the full game.
Another route: the Privacy & Security camera list
The iPhone also keeps one list of every app that has asked for the camera. This route appears in Apple’s guide to controlling access to hardware features, and it is handy if you want to review several apps at once.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Camera. You will see the apps that have requested camera access.
- Turn the switch next to Pokémon GO on or off.
Both routes control the same permission, so you only need to use one of them. If Pokémon GO is missing from this list, the game has not asked for the camera yet.
What changes when the camera is off
AR stands for augmented reality. In Pokémon GO, AR mode uses the camera so that a Pokémon appears in the real-world surroundings in front of you instead of on a drawn background. The help center explains that the game uses your camera to detect your surroundings before a Pokémon can appear in AR mode, so AR cannot work while the camera is blocked.
- Catching wild Pokémon: still works. Encounters use the in-game background instead. The official guide to catching Pokémon in AR mode describes AR as an optional mode that you enable in the game’s Settings menu.
- GO Snapshot and buddy photos: the help center article on AR changes in Pokémon GO says GO Snapshot photos of Pokémon in your storage require AR. For your buddy, it says you can disable AR and take photos against a static background instead.
- Feeding your buddy: Quick Treat mode lets you feed your buddy without entering AR mode. Other buddy activities, such as petting, need AR.
- Location: not affected. Location is a separate permission on the same Pokémon GO page in Settings.
If your real goal is only to stop the camera view from appearing during encounters, you do not need to block the permission. It is simpler to turn off AR in Pokémon GO inside the game and leave the iPhone switch alone.
Blocking the camera also does not control where pictures are stored. Saving pictures depends on the separate Photos permission. Here’s how to stop Pokémon GO saving pictures to your camera roll.
To review every app that can read your pictures, see which apps have access to your photos on iPhone.
How to confirm the change and undo it
- Check the switch: go back to Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO. A green Camera switch means access is allowed. A gray switch means it is blocked.
- Watch for the green dot: a green indicator appears whenever an app uses the camera. If you see it while you are in AR mode, the permission is working.
- Undo it: repeat the same steps and flip the switch the other way.
Change camera access on Android
The Pokémon GO help center lists a slightly different path for Android phones:
- Open the phone’s Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Apps.
- Find Pokémon GO in the list and tap it.
- Tap Permissions.
- Tap Camera and choose whether to allow it.
Menu names vary a little between phone makers and Android versions, so the wording on your phone may not match exactly.
Troubleshooting
There is no Camera switch for Pokémon GO
The switch is only listed after the game has requested the camera. Open Pokémon GO and start something that uses the camera, such as turning on AR during a wild encounter. When the iPhone asks whether Pokémon GO may use the camera, choose to allow it. After that, the switch appears in Settings.
The camera is on but AR still does not work
- Check the in-game setting. The permission only allows the camera. AR also has to be turned on in the game’s own Settings menu.
- Check your iPhone and iOS version. The help center lists minimum requirements for AR mode. Its GO Snapshot article currently says AR mode needs an iPhone running iOS 15 or later.
- Improve the conditions. The help center suggests a well-lit area, an open flat surface, and slow camera movement while the game detects your surroundings.
- Close and reopen the game. Use the app switcher to close an app on iPhone. Then open Pokémon GO again.
The Camera switch is grayed out or will not change
This usually points to a restriction rather than a problem with the game. Screen Time includes Content & Privacy Restrictions, which a parent or guardian can use to prevent changes to privacy settings on a child’s iPhone. If that applies to you, the person who manages Screen Time has to allow the change. An iPhone managed by a school or employer may have similar limits. The exact menu names for these restrictions differ between iOS versions.
You want the iPhone to ask again
Warning: this affects every app, not just Pokémon GO. Apple’s Reset Location & Privacy option returns location services and privacy settings to their defaults, so apps have to ask for their permissions again. It is found at Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, as described in Apple’s guide to resetting iPhone settings. Do not choose Erase All Content and Settings on that screen, because that removes everything from the phone. In most cases, flipping the single Camera switch is all you need.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Pokémon GO keep asking for camera access?
The game asks when you try to use a feature that needs the camera, such as AR mode, while the Camera permission is off. Either allow the camera in Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO, or turn off AR in the game’s Settings menu so it stops trying to use the camera during encounters.
Can I play Pokémon GO without the camera?
Yes. Camera access is recommended by the game’s maker for the full experience, but it is not needed for the core game. With the Camera permission off, wild encounters use the in-game background and you can still feed your buddy with Quick Treat mode. If your goal is to use less power while you walk, see what Battery Saver does in Pokémon GO.
Does turning off the camera delete my Pokémon GO photos?
No. The Camera switch only controls whether the game can use the camera from now on. Pictures already saved on your iPhone stay in the Photos app.
What other permissions does Pokémon GO use?
The page at Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO lists every permission the game has requested, and the help center recommends keeping Camera and Location enabled. Photos access is used to save snapshots, and the game can connect to Apple Health if you use Adventure Sync.
Is the camera permission the same for every app?
The switch works the same way, but each app has its own. For example, you can allow Chrome to use the camera on iPhone while keeping it blocked for Pokémon GO. The microphone is a separate permission again. Learn more about microphone access for iPhone apps.
Next step
Open Settings > Apps > Pokémon GO and set the Camera switch the way you want it. If you turned it on for AR, start a wild encounter and enable AR to check that the camera view appears. If you turned it off for privacy, review the other switches on the same page while you are there.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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