Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm, with Canada as the latest country to join the fray. People everywhere are seemingly running around at random, looking at their phones for one express purpose: to catch 'em all.
I've been playing non-stop since Pokémon Go's debut in the U.S., and I've collected a pretty good list of tips and tricks to help you excel in Pokémon Go.
One of the first things you do in the game is pick a “starter Pokemon.” The three choices are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. However, if you’re patient you can get everyone’s favorite cute, yellow Pokemon as your starter. Here’s how to find Pikachu at the beginning.
Now that we’ve got you out and moving around, WATCH OUT! The real world is full of real obstacles that can hurt real bad. The same rules apply to when you’re out walking or biking normally. Don’t walk off a cliff or fall into a river.
You’ve probably noticed there is a lot of walking involved in this game. Every step you take is tracked on the map, assuming the app is open and your screen is on. That’s one of the downsides of Pokemon Go. You can’t hatch eggs by simply walking your daily routine. The app has to be active and the screen on. We have a few tips to make this easier.
Going into your phone settings and disabling the screen timeout every time you play Pokemon Go is a pain. Thankfully, there is an app for that. You’ll find a plethora of widgets and toggles that allow you to quickly disable the screen timeout every time you play Pokemon Go. My favorite is an app called Wakey.
Wakey allows you to choose specific apps to keep the screen on. When you play Pokemon Go the screen timeout will automatically be disabled. Leaving Pokemon Go will turn it back on. You can also choose to “keep screen awake but allow it to dim” to save battery. AppWake is only available in the premium version of Wakey for $1.49, but it’s well worth it.
Speaking of battery life, Pokemon Go is an absolute killer. All the 3D graphics, augmented reality, location tracking, and screen-on time are brutal. We already told you about the best accessories to keep your phone alive. There’s also a feature in the settings that can save some juice.
Catching Pokemon is obviously a major part of this game. When you’re first starting out it’s very easy to catch a Pokemon. Simply swipe up on the Pokeball to throw it and hit the Pokemon. There are a couple things you can do to up the difficulty and earn more XP points, which are very important for leveling up your character.
Catching Pokemon is obviously a major part of this game. When you’re first starting out it’s very easy to catch a Pokemon. Simply swipe up on the Pokeball to throw it and hit the Pokemon. There are a couple things you can do to up the difficulty and earn more XP points, which are very important for leveling up your character.
Another way to get more points is by throwing curveballs. A curveball will hook into the Pokemon from the side, like a curveball in baseball. Throwing these takes some practice.
It makes me a little sad to say this, but you should probably turn off AR mode. Augmented reality (AR) is a big part of this game. It’s how the Pokemon appear to be in the real world. AR looks great in photos, but it just makes things more difficult when you’re actually playing the game. Turning it off makes it easier to catch Pokemon and it saves battery life.
We’ve already talked about how Pokemon Go is meant to get you out of the house and walking around. While it’s true you need to explore to do most things, it’s not impossible to play from your own home. Incense is an easy way to bring Pokemon to you. Incense last for 30 minutes and it will draw nearby Pokemon toward your location.
Gym Battles can be a chaotic mess of frantically tapping and swiping. There’s not a lot of strategy to the actually battle, but there is one thing you should keep your eye on. Underneath your Pokemon’s HP bar is a series of squares. When these squares all turn blue you can unleash your Pokemon’s “Special Power.”
The Special Power is your Pokemon’s big gun. You’ll probably only be able to use it once per battle, but it will deliver much more damage than your typical attacks. To use the Special Power, simply press and hold when the blue bar is full. The battle will switch to a cinematic mode and the attack will be unleashed.
Defending a gym is the most difficult thing to do in the game. Thankfully, you are rewarded handsomely for doing so. Every day you have a Pokemon defending a gym you can collect free rewards. The rewards include the elusive Pokecoins and important Stardust. You can collect the rewards every 20 hours, assuming you have a Pokemon defending a gym somewhere.
- Download Go Extender For Pokémon Go
- How to download, Install Pokemon Go For iOS / Android In Any Region
I've been playing non-stop since Pokémon Go's debut in the U.S., and I've collected a pretty good list of tips and tricks to help you excel in Pokémon Go.
Get Pikachu as your starter
One of the first things you do in the game is pick a “starter Pokemon.” The three choices are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. However, if you’re patient you can get everyone’s favorite cute, yellow Pokemon as your starter. Here’s how to find Pikachu at the beginning.
- Don’t tap on one of the three starters
- Walk away until the three starters appear at your new location
- Walk away again. Repeat this four times
- After the fourth time, the three starters will be joined by Pikachu
- Catch Pikachu
Be aware of your surroundings
Now that we’ve got you out and moving around, WATCH OUT! The real world is full of real obstacles that can hurt real bad. The same rules apply to when you’re out walking or biking normally. Don’t walk off a cliff or fall into a river.
- Keep your head up. Pokemon Go will vibrate when there is a Pokemon close enough to catch. You don’t have to stare at your screen to find them. No Pokemon is worth walking into traffic.
- Don’t play while driving. In fact, don’t do anything on your phone while driving. This should be common sense, but many people are breaking the law. It also goes against the spirit of the game.
- Use your judgment. Pokemon Go doesn’t magically transform the real world into the Pokemon World. Bad areas in your city are still bad areas. If you wouldn’t go there without the game, don’t go there now.
The app is useless unless the screen is on
You’ve probably noticed there is a lot of walking involved in this game. Every step you take is tracked on the map, assuming the app is open and your screen is on. That’s one of the downsides of Pokemon Go. You can’t hatch eggs by simply walking your daily routine. The app has to be active and the screen on. We have a few tips to make this easier.
Use an app to keep the screen on
Going into your phone settings and disabling the screen timeout every time you play Pokemon Go is a pain. Thankfully, there is an app for that. You’ll find a plethora of widgets and toggles that allow you to quickly disable the screen timeout every time you play Pokemon Go. My favorite is an app called Wakey.
Wakey allows you to choose specific apps to keep the screen on. When you play Pokemon Go the screen timeout will automatically be disabled. Leaving Pokemon Go will turn it back on. You can also choose to “keep screen awake but allow it to dim” to save battery. AppWake is only available in the premium version of Wakey for $1.49, but it’s well worth it.
Speaking of battery life, Pokemon Go is an absolute killer. All the 3D graphics, augmented reality, location tracking, and screen-on time are brutal. We already told you about the best accessories to keep your phone alive. There’s also a feature in the settings that can save some juice.
- Open Pokemon Go
- Tap the Pokeball
- Tap SETTINGS
- Check Battery Saver
Hold Pokeballs for better aim
Catching Pokemon is obviously a major part of this game. When you’re first starting out it’s very easy to catch a Pokemon. Simply swipe up on the Pokeball to throw it and hit the Pokemon. There are a couple things you can do to up the difficulty and earn more XP points, which are very important for leveling up your character.
Catching Pokemon is obviously a major part of this game. When you’re first starting out it’s very easy to catch a Pokemon. Simply swipe up on the Pokeball to throw it and hit the Pokemon. There are a couple things you can do to up the difficulty and earn more XP points, which are very important for leveling up your character.
- Before throwing, hold your finger on the Pokeball
- You’ll see a colored circle (green, orange, or red) that shrinks
- If you throw the ball when the circle is the smallest, and hit the Pokemon inside that circle, you get a bonus
Throw curveballs for more points
Another way to get more points is by throwing curveballs. A curveball will hook into the Pokemon from the side, like a curveball in baseball. Throwing these takes some practice.
- Hold your finger on the Pokeball and move it around in a circular motion
- The ball will start spinning
- Throw the ball slightly to the left or right of the Pokemon so it curves in to hit the target
- If successful, you’ll receive a small bonus
Make things easier by turning off AR
It makes me a little sad to say this, but you should probably turn off AR mode. Augmented reality (AR) is a big part of this game. It’s how the Pokemon appear to be in the real world. AR looks great in photos, but it just makes things more difficult when you’re actually playing the game. Turning it off makes it easier to catch Pokemon and it saves battery life.
- Find a Pokemon in the wild
- Tap the Pokemon to catch it
- In the upper right corner, toggle off the AR switch
Use incense to draw Pokemon towards you
We’ve already talked about how Pokemon Go is meant to get you out of the house and walking around. While it’s true you need to explore to do most things, it’s not impossible to play from your own home. Incense is an easy way to bring Pokemon to you. Incense last for 30 minutes and it will draw nearby Pokemon toward your location.
- Open Pokemon Go
- Tap the Pokeball
- Tap items
- Tap the Incense
- It will float on your map. Tap it again to activate it
- A clock will appear and begin counting down from 30 minutes
Use special powers in battles
Gym Battles can be a chaotic mess of frantically tapping and swiping. There’s not a lot of strategy to the actually battle, but there is one thing you should keep your eye on. Underneath your Pokemon’s HP bar is a series of squares. When these squares all turn blue you can unleash your Pokemon’s “Special Power.”
The Special Power is your Pokemon’s big gun. You’ll probably only be able to use it once per battle, but it will deliver much more damage than your typical attacks. To use the Special Power, simply press and hold when the blue bar is full. The battle will switch to a cinematic mode and the attack will be unleashed.
Earn free items by defending a gym
Defending a gym is the most difficult thing to do in the game. Thankfully, you are rewarded handsomely for doing so. Every day you have a Pokemon defending a gym you can collect free rewards. The rewards include the elusive Pokecoins and important Stardust. You can collect the rewards every 20 hours, assuming you have a Pokemon defending a gym somewhere.
- Open Pokemon Go
- Tap the Pokeball
- Tap SHOP
- Tap the shield icon in the top right corner
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Pokemon Go
