Pokemon GO has taken the world by storm. Rarely does a mobile app generate as much attention as this game has, and we’ve even seen hundreds if not thousands of people meeting up in public spaces to search together.
If you’re still trying to find a comfort zone and understand the basics of Pokemon GO, this guide should help you set things up before you head out into the wild to battle.
Pokemon GO Guides
- Pokemon GO Discussion Forum
- Pokemon GO XP Chart
- Pokemon GO facts that will blow your mind
- Pokemon GO – How To Get Pikachu guide
- Pokemon GO – Battery Saver tips
- Pokemon GO XP Boosting and Grinding Guide
- Pokemon GO Data usage: How much you’ll use, and how to limit it
- Pokemon Go How To Battle guide
- Pokemon Go – How To Find And Catch Pokemon
- Pokemon GO common issues, and how to fix them
Pokemon GO Tips
Prepare your battery for a battering
First thing’s first: Pokemon GO can be a major drain on your smartphone battery. This is why it’s incredibly important that your phone is fully charged and/or you have a spare battery to replace if your current one dies. The last thing you want is to be out and about Pokemon hunting only for your battery to die and you to have no means of contacting anyone.
10-15 minutes of hunting shouldn’t cause too much damage, but anything beyond that will do hefty damage to your battery power.
Get out and visit more populated areas
Low-density areas tend to have less action on the Pokemon front. The closer you are to a city hub or populated area, the more activity. I’m personally within five miles of my nearest city’s downtown area and there’s always something nearby, but at my parents’ place about 60 miles out, there’s basically nothing even though it’s your standard suburban area. If you don’t see much happening, go for a walk down to your nearest shopping area (like a mall or shopping strip). There’s bound to be more happening in areas that are heavily populated and active.
Stop at PokeStops
This kind of goes without saying. PokeStops are the big, blue icons that you’ll see at landmarks. These landmarks can be anything from bridges to sculptures to buildings and more. Once you get close enough you’ll be able to interact with them and earn free PokeBalls, which can then be used to catch Pokemon. Eggs can also be earned to hatch a new Pokemon. Once you reach level 5, Potions and Revives to heal your Pokemon in Gym Battles will also be available.
When you arrive at a Pokestop, active it by click on the blue icon. When the landmark picture comes on the screen, spin it with your fingers on the touch-screen to reveal the reward.
Keep an eye out for Pokemon nearby
Pokemon GO tells you of nearby Pokemon by putting a small silhouette in the bottom right-hand corner of your phone. This will keep the nearby Pokemon a mystery, and lets you know that there is one nearby. The silhouette will also have some footprints underneath it, which dictates how close the Pokemon is, with the more footprints meaning the further away it is. By tapping on a Pokemon you’ll be able to track it, and the footprints will flash as you get closer to the Pokemon. Once the footprints disappear, it means that the Pokemon is close enough to be summoned.
