‘Pokemon Go’ Version 1.17.0 & 0.47.1: What Did the Update Change?

Pokemon Go is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)

A new update has just been released for Pokemon Go. What has Niantic changed this time around?

Pokemon Go Version 0.47.1 for Android, and Version 1.17.0 for iOS, is not one of those updates that includes a plethora of new features. Instead, this seems to be a pretty minor one mainly intended to clean up a couple of glitches here and there, possible in the leadup to a larger update that’s on its way. The patch notes explain, for instance, that this update took care of an issue where the egg-hatching cutscene could sometimes be visible from the map.

And, of course, the update includes “minor text fixes,” that elusive phrase that appears in the patch notes for every single Pokemon Go update but that tells us exactly nothing. Typically this indicates changes that are so unimportant that it’s not even worth telling players.

A lot of times, though, the updates include some other fixes that Niantic doesn’t make mention of in the patch notes. A user on Reddit who got a hold of the update early pointed out, for example, that there is now a new sound effect when you close out of something in the game. There’s also a new sound effect that plays when you press on the compass. Speaking of the compass, tapping it now faces you north. There is also some speculation that the Poke Stop animation is a bit faster now, but that has not yet been confirmed.

More exciting is the fact that one Reddit user reported that they no longer have the sightings feature, which could possibly be an indication that Niantic is finally getting ready to roll out the new tracking system that was supposed to be released several months ago. Users at The Silph Road have also noted that the update file is unusually large considering how little content is in it, which has spawned speculation that there could be code in there that’s relevant to an upcoming event. Niantic’s Halloween spectacular was a huge success, so could they have something in store for Thanksgiving next week?

Here are the full patch notes from Niantic released along with the update today:

Trainers,

Pokémon GO is in the process of being updated to version 0.47.1 for Android and 1.17.0 for iOS devices. Below are some release notes and comments from our development team.

Fixed an issue where the Egg-hatching cutscene animation would sometimes be briefly visible from the map view.
Minor text fixes

The Pokémon GO team

Brendan Morrow is a Heavy contributor who focuses on entertainment and politics. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.
November 18, 2016 6:50 pm