How to Turn Off AR in Pokémon GO

To turn off AR in Pokémon GO, tap a wild Pokémon and switch off the AR toggle at the top right of the catch screen. You can also tap the Poké Ball button, tap Settings, and clear the AR option. After that, wild Pokémon appear on a plain in-game background instead of through your camera. The steps are the same on iPhone and Android.

Before you start

AR is short for augmented reality. In AR mode, Pokémon GO opens your camera and draws the Pokémon over the live view of the place you are standing in. With AR off, the game shows a drawn background and never opens the camera during a catch.

• Devices: this guide covers the current Pokémon GO app on iPhone and Android. Menu names can shift a little between app versions.
• No AR control at all? AR only appears on phones that support it. Niantic’s current GO Snapshot page lists iPhones on iOS 15 or later and 64-bit Android phones that support ARCore, which is Google’s AR software. An older Niantic page still lists iPhone 6s with iOS 11 and Android 7.0. If your phone does not support AR, the game already uses the plain background.
• Nothing is lost: turning AR off does not delete anything, and you can turn it back on at any time.

Turn off AR from the catch screen

This is the shortest route, and it uses a control Niantic documents on the encounter screen.

1. Open Pokémon GO and tap any wild Pokémon on the map to start an encounter.
2. Look at the top right corner of the catch screen for the AR toggle.
3. Tap the toggle to switch it off. The camera view closes and the Pokémon moves to the in-game background.
4. Catch the Pokémon as usual by throwing a Poké Ball.

Niantic lists Toggle AR mode among the encounter controls in Finding & Catching Wild Pokémon.

Turn off AR in Settings

Use this route when you are not in an encounter, or when you want to check the setting itself.

1. Open Pokémon GO and tap the Poké Ball button at the bottom of the map to open the main menu.
2. Tap Settings (the gear at the top right).
3. Find the AR option. Some app versions have labeled it Niantic AR or AR+.
4. Clear the check mark next to it.
5. Close Settings. Your next encounter uses the regular background.

Niantic describes the setting in Catching Pokémon in AR mode. That page says you can change AR in the Settings menu at any time, but its wording about checking and unchecking the box is not consistent. If the box seems to work the opposite way in your version, trust the catch screen instead. The same Settings menu is where you can turn off Pokémon GO music and sound effects.

Check that AR is off, or turn it back on

Tap a wild Pokémon. If you see a drawn game background, AR is off. If you see the room or street around you, AR is still on, so tap the AR toggle again.

To undo the change, switch the catch screen toggle back on, or return to Settings and select the AR option again. The game may ask for camera access if you have never allowed it.

What changes when AR is off

Normal catching works the same way. Niantic’s page on changes to AR in Pokémon GO explains the limits:

Feature	With AR off
Wild Pokémon encounters	Work normally on the in-game background
Mew and Celebi encounters	No longer require AR
Expert Handler Bonus	Not available. It is extra Stardust and XP for an AR catch made without filling the awareness meter
Buddy photos	Still possible, against a static background
GO Snapshot of stored Pokémon	Requires AR

Feed your buddy without AR

Your Buddy Pokémon is the one you pick to walk with you. Playing with it normally asks you to place it in AR. Niantic’s Quick Treat mode skips that step for feeding:

1. Open the Buddy Profile screen.
2. Tap Play with Buddy.
3. Tap Quick Treat instead of placing your Pokémon in AR.
4. Toss a Berry or Poffin to your buddy.

Quick Treat is offered only when your buddy is not already on the map with you. Niantic says petting your buddy or opening a present still needs the buddy placed in AR mode.

Why turn AR off?

• Easier catching. You do not have to find a flat surface or walk toward the Pokémon.
• Safer play. AR asks you to move around, which is a bad idea near traffic or in crowded places.
• Works in the dark. Niantic notes that the camera may not detect your surroundings in low light.
• Less work for the phone. AR keeps the camera running, so it generally uses more power than the plain background.

Stop the camera from turning on at all

The in-game setting only controls AR. To block the camera completely, change the phone’s camera permission for the game. Be aware that this also stops AR photos and the QR code scanner used for adding friends until you allow the camera again.

• iPhone: open the iPhone Settings app, tap Privacy & Security, tap Camera, and turn off Pokémon GO. Apple covers this in Control access to hardware features on iPhone. Our guide on how to turn off camera permissions for Pokémon GO has more detail.
• Android: open Settings, tap Apps, tap Pokémon GO, tap Permissions, tap Camera, and choose Don’t allow. Google lists these steps in Change app permissions on your Android phone. Menu names vary by phone maker.

You can also stop the game from saving pictures to your camera roll.

Troubleshooting

• There is no AR toggle or AR setting. Your phone probably does not support AR, so there is nothing to turn off. Updating the app from the App Store or Google Play is worth a try if you expected to see it.
• AR comes back on. Niantic says the game prompts you to enable AR the first time you meet a Pokémon on a supported phone. Dismiss the prompt, then check the option in Settings.
• The camera still opens for your buddy. Buddy play and GO Snapshot are built around AR. Use Quick Treat for feeding.
• The game misbehaves after the change. Close and reopen the app. If it keeps happening, you can refresh game data in Pokémon GO.

Frequently asked questions

What do I lose by turning off AR?

You cannot earn the Expert Handler Bonus. Niantic gives that extra Stardust and XP only when you catch a Pokémon in AR mode without filling its awareness meter. GO Snapshot photos of stored Pokémon also need AR.

Does turning off AR make Pokémon harder to catch?

Niantic’s Help Center does not list any catch penalty for playing with AR off. You throw Poké Balls and use Berries the same way in both modes.

Why does the game keep asking me to turn on AR?

Niantic says the game prompts you the first time you meet a Pokémon on a phone that supports AR. Once you dismiss the prompt or turn the setting off, you can change it any time in Settings.

Does AR use more battery?

AR keeps the camera and motion sensors busy, so it generally uses more power than the plain background. Niantic does not publish a figure. See what the Battery Saver setting does for another way to save power while playing. To see the effect of the game on your data plan, check how much cellular data Pokémon GO uses.

Next step

With AR off, the game is simpler to play one-handed. If it looks choppy on a newer phone, try turning on Native Refresh Rate.