"Snapshot Not Working" Bug in 'Pokémon GO' Has Been Around Since Launch — How to Fix It

The Gist:

• The "Snapshot Not Working" error will prevent players from completing research tasks, acquiring Buddy Hearts, and the ability to take pictures of creatures.
• In most cases, simply restarting Pokémon GO could fix the bug.
• If that doesn't work, consider disabling the "Storage/Files & Media" permission for the game through your phone's Settings.

Regardless of how small they are, bugs can be super frustrating to work around while playing a game. Some can erase valuable equipment in your inventory out of nowhere or be a nuisance when using an in-game feature.

Since its inception, Pokémon GO has had its fair share of these technical blemishes, interrupting a player’s experience and inevitably sending them annoyed to the internet for answers.

One such bug is known infamously as the “Snapshot Not Working” error. At times, taking pictures of specific creatures in the wild via a Snapshot is necessary to complete leveling requirements and research tasks in the mobile AR game.

As the error describes, it will unexpectedly make it to where the Snapshot feature won’t work, causing players to miss out on rewards. If this happened to you recently, here’s what we learned about how to fix it.

Despite updating Pokémon GO or your phone with the latest software before playing, the “Snapshot Not Working” error can still occur. When this happens, restarting the game entirely should be your first move.

Weird bugs or glitches with features can appear occasionally, so a hard restart could help clear up errors quickly.

However, if that solution doesn’t work, you’ll have to dive into your phone’s Settings to make some adjustments outside the game app. According to a Redditor who discovered this solution, you'll want to "go to 'Apps > Pokémon GO > Permissions > Files and Media' and turn that off."

The user added, "Then be sure to 'Deny' when the game asks after you take a Snapshot."

This fix is mostly related to Android owners, but iPhone players can follow identical steps on their own device, too. "Worked on Pixel 4a," stated one Reddit user. "This is the dumbest issue I can recall in [Pokémon GO], and that's saying something."

Once you've fixed the bug, you can again click on the PokéBall icon on the bottom corner of your screen and tap the Pokémon symbol to the left corner to take a Snapshot.

As usual, you'll be able to select the creature you want to Snapshot, either from the wild or your Pokédex, plus you can adjust the position of the critter before snapping a photo.

While a nuisance, fixing the "Snapshot Not Working" bug isn't too challenging, so long as you follow these steps.