(Update: live for all) Pokemon Go update: "Buddy" feature, Plus support, no more rooted devices and more

Update, September 14: Following a slow release in the first few days, the update for Pokemon Go is now widely available in the Play Store.

Original post, September 11: A new update for Pokemon Go is hitting the Google Play Store. Niantic Labs continues to improve the experience in multiple ways, adding new features while resolving previous issues. There is one “improvement” some of you may not like, though.

The main change here is that Pokemon Go is now getting the “Buddy” feature, which was recently announced. This system allows you to pick a Pokemon to show up next to your avatar in the profile. In essence, this pocket monster would be walking beside you at all times. Aside from looking cool, the main benefit here would be that you can earn candies for that specific Pokemon as you walk. It will be pretty convenient for evolving and powering up those Pokemon that are rare to find.

Improvements:

• 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.

There is one part of the update many of you probably won’t be happy about, though. Niantic Labs has also removed support for devices that are rooted (or jailbroken). The app will no longer work if you fall under that category of users. Instead, you will get a message saying: “This device, OS, or software is not compatible with Pokemon Go”.

Also read:

• How to play Pokemon Go (and everything else you need to know)
• Android Authority Plays Pokemon Go
• Pokemon Go Plus finally arriving next week

This is real bad news for the rooting community, but Niantic Labs claims its an effective way to eliminate bots and scrapers. Makes sense, but it must be annoying to the honest rooters who just want more control over their smartphones.

How many of you will be affected by this update? Are you willing to get rid of root just to play Pokemon Go?