Pokémon Go Server Status: Pokémon Go down or unable to authenticate? Here’s how to check

Update: Months after launching, Pokémon Go is still experiencing server and ‘unable to authenticate’ issues, especially when new Pokemon Go updates roll out. Is Pokémon Go down right now? Want to know why you’re getting error messages? Here’s how to check the Pokémon Go server status.
Since it launched, the game’s stability has been disappointing to say the least. While things were looking up for a while, the recurring trend is that the game’s servers still regularly buckle when a new patch is released, leaving hordes of Pokétrainers all over the world immensely frustrated.
When such problems occur, it’s often difficult to determine whether the servers have completely crashed, or whether the ‘unable to authenticate’ error message is an issue with your own connection, but there are now more ways to check than ever.
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Down Detector is a bit of a workhorse when it comes to reporting server outages and should be your first port of call. Just head over to the site to get an overview of the server status, including a log of when issues started and whether things are stable or not at this very moment.
Another useful tool is the aptly named IsPokémonGoDownOrNot.com, which does exactly what it says on the Poké-tin. You can head there by following this link for a second opinion, or try the PokémonGoStatus.org website for an even simpler interface.
The game’s combination of real-world maps and augmented-reality gameplay has proved incredibly popular among mobile gamers, and there are now even Twitter accounts and stand-alone apps dedicated to reporting on the game’s server status.
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Have you been having server problems? Found any fixes for the ‘Unable to Authenticate’ error message? Let us know in the comments.