Niantic has started rolling out a new update for Pokémon Go that among some new features and bug fixes also disables the game from working on rooted Android devices. The company says that it has taken this step to eliminate “bots and scrapers” from the game.

On the positive side, the update introduces Buddy Pokémon feature to the game that lets a trainer select one of their Pokémon as their Buddy Pokémon. One can then earn candies for their Buddy Pokémon by walking a certain distance. The update also adds support for the upcoming Pokémon GO Plus accessory, which is due to launch on September 16th.

• Implemented Buddy Pokémon: Trainers will now be able to choose one of their Pokémon to be their buddy. A Trainer can earn Candy for their Buddy Pokémon by walking a certain distance.
• Made it easier to select smaller Pokémon on the screen.
• Fixed an issue where Eggs would sometimes hatch without displaying the animation.
• Improved performance reliability when a device switches networks to no longer cause the application to hang or stop updating.
• Pokémon GO Plus support
• Minor text fixes.

If you play Pokémon Go on a rooted Android device, the good news is that a workaround to bypass the check of the game has already been found. The bad news is that the process is extremely complicated and requires one to return their device to an unrooted state. If your love for Pokémon Go is strong enough to go through the tedious process, you can find the details here.

➤ Download: Pokémon Go