Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold's hidden feature is fueling my Pokémon Go addiction

Let me make one thing clear. This is not a mod or an APK hack that lets you increase your chances of catching shiny in Pokémon Go.

The trick is simple, and you can do it on any Google Pixel device. It doesn't have to be foldable.

There's an Android feature that lets you run two identical apps in parallel, and you can find it in the deepest trenches of the settings page.

Related

I added Google's new Pixel VIP widget to my home screen; it replaced 3 messaging apps

One tap replaced three separate apps

Posts 2
By  Ali Salman Zia

Two is better than one

App cloning is the answer

Pokémon Go gets excessively grindy after level 45, but running two Pokémon Go apps in parallel won't make you level up faster.

My reason for playing Pokémon Go in 2026 is to increase my odds of catching a shiny Pokémon, which I can transfer to my Nintendo Switch 2.

Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch have horrible odds of catching a shiny Pokémon, so I moved to Pokémon Go to catch my shiny army and then transfer them to the actual game.

Google Pixel isn't really a gaming phone, but I am glad Pokémon Go runs smoothly. It can even run two of them at the same time thanks to Private space.

I can open Pokémon Go with my main account on one side of the inner display and run another Pokémon Go app on the opposite side with an alt ID.

To do this, go to Settings > Security and privacy > Private space. After you set up a Private space with an alternative Google ID, the phone creates a sandbox that lets you use this alternative ID to download the same app again.

Private space is a secure sandbox for your sensitive data. It acts as a separate Android user profile that doesn't show up in notifications, recent apps, or system settings.

How to make it run quicker?

Small changes to make Private space bearable

Private space shows up at the bottom of the app drawer. So every time you want to open an app, you have to scroll all the way down.

It won't be much of a "private space" if anyone can open it. So Google Pixel's default settings automatically lock your Private space after you lock your phone. This ensures that the files and apps inside the sandbox stay locked even if someone has your phone.

However, a Pokémon master has no time for such dillydallying, and thankfully, there is a way to make all of this a little bearable.

After setting up the apps you want inside Private space, go back into Settings > Security and privacy > Private space. From here, you want to go inside Lock private space automatically and select the option Only after device restarts.

You can also toggle Off under Hide private space, so Pokemon Go is quickly accessible.

How well does it run?

Some things are tense, sir

As much as I love running two Pokémon Go accounts at the same time, the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold doesn't have the processing firepower to keep going for more than two hours.

The Google Tensor G6's poor gaming performance forces you to play in short bursts.

However, the Pixel 11 series has Pixelsnap, which lets me attach smartphone coolers magnetically. It lowers my Pixel's internal temperature and prevents thermal throttling.

If you're serious about this, I recommend picking up a smartphone cooler.

Private space isn't limited to Pixel smartphones. If your Android smartphone runs Android 15 or later, you can find it in Settings.

Samsung smartphones have a similar feature. Go to Settings > Security and privacy > More security settings > Secure Folder. Here you can set up dual apps similar to how you do with the Google Pixel.

What's the catch?

Don't let Scopely find you

Pokémon Go's Terms of Service consider running an alternative account cheating.

I've been playing like this for roughly two months without any issue. I believe it should be safe.

I think Private space is working its magic and treating my Pixel 11 Pro Fold as two separate smartphones.

However, I am unsure if Scopely can find out and punish me for doing it. If that happens, I will update this feature, and you will hear another 800-word rant on Pokémon Go.

You cannot pin any app from the Private space to your home screen, and you cannot save the app pair either.

Apps in Private space don't show notifications in the notification bar, so you should log in with your main Pokémon Go ID on the non-Private space app.

This is the only way to get all the notifications from the main ID to show up in the notification bar.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold may not have a direct way to clone apps, but these workarounds make it more manageable.