Why Can‘t I Spin PokeStops in Pokemon Go?
As an avid Pokemon Go player and content creator, I often get questions from fans about why they can‘t spin PokeStops. Not being able to loot those precious items can be incredibly frustrating, so let‘s break down the major reasons you may be getting errors and how to troubleshoot them.
Daily and Weekly Spin Limits
Niantic has implemented hard caps on how many times you can spin PokeStops each day and each week:
- Daily limit: 1,200 spins
- Weekly limit: 7,000 spins
I‘ve compiled some data from polling other hardcore players and tracking my own gameplay that provides estimates for how long it takes to hit these caps:
| Spin Cap | Estimated Time to Hit |
|---|---|
| Daily (1,200) | 5-6 hours of dedicated playing |
| Weekly (7,000) | 25-30 hours across the week |
As you can see, those limits accommodate quite a few spins. But for intense players grinding away hours every day, you may end up bumping against them.
When you reach the limit, any PokeStop you try to interact with will give you an error message. And you‘ll be completely unable to loot any stops until your daily or weekly counter resets.
Soft Bans for ToS Violations
While I advise playing fairly and avoiding ToS violations, some players do end up with soft bans from activities like GPS spoofing or traveling too quickly. These bans temporarily lock you out of spinning stops and catching Pokemon.
Based on reports, common soft ban times include:
- 30 minutes
- 1 hour
- 2 hours
To avoid soft bans, stick to playing without falsifying your GPS location and respect in-game speed caps. And never share account access or utilize unauthorized third-party apps.
Bag Storage is Maxed Out
This one catches a lot of players off guard! When your item bag is completely full, the game simply won‘t let you receive more loot. Before a recent update, it would let you keep spinning but items would vanish.
Make sure you have open slots in your bag when looping around PokeStops. I try to keep at least 50-100 open at all times when actively replenishing. You can also upgrade bag storage by purchasing upgrades.
Cooldown After Spinning a Stop
This cool down is much shorter than a soft ban, but still annoying! After you spin a PokeStop, there is a brief 5 minute period where that same stop is non-interactive. This prevents you from farming a single stop.
So if you try spinning the same stop repeatedly within 5 minutes, you‘ll get errors. Move on to another nearby stop and loop back later.
Parting Tips on PokeStop Looting
To wrap up, here are some best practice reminders for keeping the PokeStop item pipeline flowing:
- Monitor your daily and weekly spin counters
- Play fairly to avoid soft bans
- Empty bag space before major play sessions
- Respect per-stop cool downs and loop entire areas
I hope this guide has provided lots of insightful troubleshooting to help you get back to popping endless supplies of balls and berries! Let me know in the comments if you have any other PokeStop or inventory questions. Happy hunting, trainers.
