The dreaded "Server down for maintenance" error...what you can do!

[Fusionstrike]

So you tried to login to PL only to get a message that the "server is down for maintenance". Even more annoyingly, you keep getting this message every time you try to connect. What can you do? This post is intended to give you some tips for figuring out where the problem lies.

The first thing to know is that "server down for maintenance" is a misleading message. It should really say "unable to connect to server", because that's what it really means. But there are lots of reasons you might not be able to connect, so what can you do? Here are some steps to help diagnose your connection issues.

Troubleshooting connection to PL server

1. Check whether the server really is down for maintenance. PL servers are almost never down, but it doesn't hurt to check. You can come here to the forums or go to the PL facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pocketlegends?fref=ts. If the server really is down, you'll see other people posting about it.
2. Check that your network connection is up. Try loading some other content, such as a webpage, to make sure your device has a working data connection. (Although if you did step 1 above you have already proved your connection is not completely down.)
3. Try connecting from a different device. Since PL can be played from lots of different devices, you can see if it's your device that's having a problem by trying a different one. If your phone isn't working, try connecting from a computer http://account.spacetimestudios.com/pocketlegends/, a tablet, etc. Maybe try a friend's device. If another device can connect, then it's not really a server problem. Go to the next steps on your failing device to learn more.
4. Try a different network connection type. It's actually fairly common that you travel to a different place and suddenly your device can't connect to PL. Many public networks, like hotels, libraries, etc. restrict the types of connections they allow. If wifi isn't working on your phone, try turning it off and using your phone's network (i.e. 3G/4G). Or try connecting to a different wifi network. You may have to force the PL app to close and relaunch after you change connection types to make it work again. (See below for details.)
5. Try a different location. Sometimes you're just not in very good coverage, which hampers PL's ability to connect. Try moving to better coverage as indicated by the signal strength on your device. Or connect to a wired network if that's a possibility. Once again, you may have to force the PL app to close first to really know if it's working again.

Forcing PL app to close
Sometimes the PL app needs to be forced to close so it can load over from scratch if it gets stuck on the "server down for maintenance" page. Here's how to do that.

Android device

1. Enter the "manage apps" screen. It's probably available from the system menu on the home screen, or else in the settings.
2. Select Pocket Legends app.
3. Choose the "force stop" option.

Apple device

1. Press the main square button twice to bring up the list of running apps along the bottom.
2. Scroll to Pocket Legends.
3. Press and hold Pocket Legends until all icons start shaking and red minus signs appear on them.
4. Press the minus sign on Pocket Legends. It will go away.
5. Press the main square button once to stop the shaking and again to exit the app list.

Hopefully this post will be helpful the next time you find yourself unable to connect to PL.