Niantic discontinues Pokemon Go’s Apple Smart Watch app

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has confirmed it’s withdrawing support for the Apple Watch from July 1, 2019, in order to “focus on building Adventure Sync”.

“Pokémon Go is officially ending support for Apple Watch devices,” Niantic said by way of a formal statement on the official website.

“Trainers using Apple Watch will no longer be able to connect their Apple Watch to Pokémon Go after July 1, 2019.”

The Pokémon Go Apple Watch app initially supported the game by syncing with Apple Watch’s step tracking systems.

Now, however, Niantic’s new tech system, Adventure Sync, enables players to count their steps in-game – which contributes to hatching eggs and earning buddy candy – even when the game isn’t running. Niantic adds that Trainers can still track their distance without secondary devices such as Apple Watches.

The app can also push notification to the player’s watch, indicating proximity to nearby Pokémon or PokéStops but again, the game needed to be open on the player’s phone for this functionality to work.

Nintendo mobile game developer, DeNA, recently confirmed it will release an “exciting” new Pokémon game for smartphones before April 2020.

Addressing its plans for the current fiscal year, the company said in a statement that it plans to launch a new game “based on the globally popular Pokémon franchise.”