How to fix private matches not working in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Pokemon TCG Pocket is taking mobiles globally by storm, allowing Pokeman fans and newcomers to open two booster packs a day of trading cards. A big part of the fun in TCG Pocket revolves around building your own decks with these cards and battling other players, including your friends.

That said, some players have run into instances of their private matches not working. This can be a little problematic when you’re rearing to go into battle with one another or find things freezing mid-way through your fight. Without further ado, here’s how to fix ‘private matches not working’ in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Pokemon TCG Pocket private match not working

Fortunately, if your private matches are not working in Pokemon TCG Pocket, they’re easily fixed. How you fix them might differ slightly depending on the issue you run into, though.

Private match won’t connect in Pokemon TCG Pocket

First things first, to play with another friend in Pokemon TCG Pocket, you must enter a private match and enter a password only you two know. This will then connect you to one another, but in some instances, these private battles aren’t connecting.

According to users on Reddit who have run into the issue, this is due to players being on different versions of the app. If both of you exit and close the game, then go to the App Store or Google Play to ensure Pokemon TCG Pocket is fully updated, you should be able to connect to one another and finally go into battle.

Private match freezes in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Another issue I’ve personally run into while battling with friends is the battle appearing to freeze mid-match. Myself and my opponent will essentially be ‘Waiting for opponent…’ for an infinite amount of time while the timer counts down and restarts again.

I’m not sure why this happens, but me and my friends did find that if we both fully closed and reopened the app quickly, we could resume our battle from the last turn.

For more on Pokemon TCG Pocket, take a look at our tips and tricks for the game, as well as our best decks, and how to craft cards you don’t yet have.