Welcome to Pokemon GO! This comprehensive beginner's guide for 2025 covers everything you need to know to start your Pokemon journey, from downloading the game to mastering advanced features.
Quick Start: Download Pokemon GO from your app store, create an account, catch your starter Pokemon, and start exploring! The game is completely free-to-play with optional premium features.
Getting Started Guide
1. Download and Install
- iOS: Download from Apple App Store
- Android: Download from Google Play Store
- Requirements: iOS 12.0+ or Android 6.0+, GPS capability, stable internet connection
- Size: Approximately 150-300MB (varies by device)
2. Create Your Account
Choose one of these account options:
- Google Account: Quick sign-in with existing Google credentials
- Facebook Account: Connect with Facebook for easy login
- Pokemon Trainer Club: Official Pokemon account (requires separate registration)
- Apple ID: Sign in with Apple (iOS users)
3. Customize Your Trainer
- Choose your Trainer name (permanent - choose carefully!)
- Customize your avatar appearance (body type, clothing, accessories)
- Select your starter Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle
Hidden Pikachu Trick: Don't tap any starter Pokemon. Walk away from them 4-5 times and Pikachu will appear as a fourth starter option!
Basic Gameplay Mechanics
Understanding the Map
Your screen shows a stylized map of your real-world surroundings:
- Your Avatar: Shows your current GPS location
- PokeStops: Blue markers at landmarks where you collect items
- Gyms: Tall towers where Pokemon battles occur
- Wild Pokemon: Appear as you move around
- Weather Effects: Real-world weather affects in-game spawns
Catching Pokemon
Step-by-Step Catching Guide
- Encounter: Tap on a wild Pokemon to enter catch mode
- Choose Your Ball: Start with regular Pokeballs
- Pokeball (white) - Basic
- Great Ball (blue) - Improved catch rate
- Ultra Ball (black/yellow) - Best catch rate
- Watch the Colored Ring:
- Green: Easy to catch
- Yellow/Orange: Moderate difficulty
- Red: Hard to catch (use berries and better balls)
- Throw the Ball: Swipe upward on your screen to throw
- Nice: Hit within large circle (+10 XP, slight bonus)
- Great: Hit within medium circle (+50 XP, better bonus)
- Excellent: Hit within small circle (+100 XP, best bonus)
- Curveball Bonus: Spin the ball in a circle before throwing (+10 XP, +1.7x catch multiplier)
Items to Help Catching
- Razz Berry: Makes Pokemon easier to catch
- Nanab Berry: Calms Pokemon, stops erratic movement
- Pinap Berry: Doubles candy if catch succeeds
- Golden Razz Berry: Greatly increases catch rate (rare)
PokeStops Explained
PokeStops are essential for collecting items:
How to Use PokeStops
- Location: Real-world landmarks (parks, murals, monuments, etc.)
- Range: Must be within 40-80 meters to spin
- How to Spin: Tap the PokeStop, swipe the disc left or right
- Cooldown: 5 minutes before you can spin again
- Daily Limit: 1,200 spins per day
Items from PokeStops:
- Pokeballs, Great Balls, Ultra Balls
- Potions and Revives
- Berries (Razz, Nanab, Pinap)
- Eggs (placed in incubators)
- Gifts (to send to friends)
Understanding Nearby Pokemon
The "Nearby" list shows Pokemon close to your location:
- Sightings: Shows Pokemon near you without exact locations
- Nearby PokeStops: Shows which PokeStop a Pokemon is near
- Footprints (removed): Originally showed distance, now uses map
- Tracking: Tap a Pokemon to track it on your map
Pokemon Spawn Mechanics
- Habitat Types: Water Pokemon near water, Grass in parks, Electric in urban areas
- Weather Boosted: Certain types spawn more in matching weather
- Time of Day: Some Pokemon only appear at night
- Incense: Attracts Pokemon to your location (1 spawn every 5 minutes for 1 hour)
Inventory Management
Storage Limits (November 2025)
- Pokemon Storage: Starts at 300, upgradable to 11,150
- Item Bag: Starts at 350, upgradable to 10,500
- Upgrades Cost: 200 PokeCoins per 50 slots
- Free Bonus (Nov 2025): Free 200-item storage (expires Nov 30)
Item Prioritization
- Keep: Pokeballs, Potions, Revives, Rare Candy, TMs
- Use Quickly: Berries (they expire), Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces
- Delete When Full: Common potions, regular Pokeballs (if you have better balls)
Buddy System
Set a Pokemon as your Buddy to earn candy and other benefits:
Buddy Mechanics
- Set Buddy: Tap your Trainer profile → select buddy
- Walking Distances:
- 1 km: Magikarp, Pikachu, Caterpie (common Pokemon)
- 3 km: Most starter Pokemon
- 5 km: Rare and evolved Pokemon
- 20 km: Legendary and Mythical Pokemon
- Earn Candy: 1 candy per distance milestone
- Earn Hearts: Interact with buddy to earn hearts (10 per day, 20 if excited)
- Best Buddy: Earn 300 hearts for Best Buddy status (CP boost in battles)
Advanced Buddy Features
- Adventure Together: Walk, feed, play, battle
- Poffin: Premium item that makes buddy excited for 6 hours (doubles hearts)
- Candy XL: Rare candy for powering up Level 40+ Pokemon
- Mega Energy: Some buddies earn Mega Energy from walking
Gyms, Raids & Battles
Team System
At Level 5, choose one of three teams:
- Team Mystic (Blue): Led by Blanche, values wisdom
- Team Valor (Red): Led by Candela, values strength
- Team Instinct (Yellow): Led by Spark, values instinct
Gym Battles
- Friendly Gyms: Place your Pokemon to defend (earn coins)
- Rival Gyms: Battle to take over for your team
- Motivation System: Defenders lose CP over time, need berries to restore
- Coin Earning: 50 coins per day maximum when your defender returns
- Badge Progress: Spin gym discs and defend to upgrade gym badges
Raids
Cooperative battles against powerful Pokemon:
- Raid Tiers:
- 1-Star: Solo-able, easy Pokemon
- 3-Star: 2-3 trainers recommended
- 5-Star (Legendary): 5-8 trainers recommended
- Mega Raids: Special raids for Mega Energy
- 6-Star Max Raids: Gigantamax Pokemon with G-Max moves
- Raid Passes:
- Free Daily Raid Pass: 1 per day from gym spins
- Premium Raid Pass: 100 PokeCoins each
- Remote Raid Pass: Join raids remotely (195 PokeCoins)
- Rewards: Rare candy, TMs, Golden Razz Berries, chance to catch raid boss
Friends System & Trading
Adding Friends
- Trainer Code: 12-digit number unique to your account
- How to Add: Tap your profile → Friends → Add Friend → enter code
- Share Your Code: Via QR code or manually
Friendship Levels
- Good Friend (1 day): Trade unlocked
- Great Friend (7 days): Reduced Stardust trade costs
- Ultra Friend (30 days): Further reduced costs, attack bonus in raids
- Best Friend (90 days): Lowest trade costs, best bonuses
Trading System
- Requirements: Trainer Level 10+, within 100 meters
- Regular Trades: 100+ Stardust, unlimited per day (up to 100)
- Special Trades: 1 per day, for legendaries/shinies/new Pokemon (20,000-1,000,000 Stardust)
- Lucky Pokemon: Random chance from trades (guaranteed from old Pokemon)
- Cannot Trade: Mythical Pokemon (except Meltan/Melmetal), already-traded Pokemon
Community Days & Events
Community Days
Monthly events featuring a single Pokemon with special bonuses:
- When: Usually first Saturday or Sunday of each month
- Duration: 3-6 hours
- Bonuses:
- Increased spawn rates for featured Pokemon
- Exclusive moves for evolved Pokemon
- 2x or 3x catch candy
- Extended lure duration
- Higher shiny rates (approximately 1/25)
- Paid Research: Optional $1-2 special research with extra rewards
Other Events
- Spotlight Hour: Tuesdays 6-7pm, features single Pokemon
- Raid Hour: Wednesdays 6-7pm, increased legendary raids
- GO Fest: Annual summer event with rare Pokemon
- Seasonal Events: Halloween, Holiday, Anniversary events
- Timed Research: Limited-time quests during events
15 Essential Tips for New Players
- Level Up First: Focus on reaching Level 20-30 before investing Stardust
- Use Lucky Eggs: Double XP for 30 minutes - save for mass evolutions
- Transfer Extra Pokemon: Earn 1 candy per transfer to Professor Willow
- Master Your Throws: Practice curveballs and "excellent" throws
- Join Your Community: Find local Discord/Facebook groups for raid coordination
- Choose Good Buddies: Walk Pokemon you need candy for (legendaries, rare spawns)
- Save Your Stardust: Don't power up early - wait for high IV Pokemon
- Learn Type Advantages: Fire beats Grass, Water beats Fire, etc.
- Play Free-to-Play: You don't need to spend money to enjoy the game
- Attend Community Days: Best way to get shinies and exclusive moves
- Complete Field Research: 7-day streaks give great rewards
- Use Pinap Berries: Double candy on common Pokemon for faster evolution
- Appraise Your Pokemon: Use in-game appraisal to check IVs
- Don't Ignore Team GO Rocket: Shadow Pokemon can be powerful when purified
- Enable Adventure Sync: Track walking distance even when app is closed
Safety Guidelines
Important Safety Reminders:
- Never play while driving
- Stay aware of your surroundings
- Don't trespass on private property
- Play in well-lit, public areas
- Protect your personal information
- Use strong passwords and enable 2FA
- Parents: Use parental controls for young players
- Take breaks and don't overdo walking/screen time
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pokemon GO free?
Yes! Pokemon GO is completely free-to-play. Optional in-app purchases exist but aren't required.
Can I play Pokemon GO from home?
Limited. You can catch Pokemon that spawn nearby, but full gameplay requires walking to PokeStops and Gyms. Remote Raid Passes allow some remote play.
What's the best starter Pokemon?
All three starters are fine. Choose based on your favorite! You'll find them in the wild later anyway.
How do I get PokeCoins without paying?
Defend gyms! You earn up to 50 PokeCoins per day when your defending Pokemon return.
What should I spend PokeCoins on?
Pokemon and item storage upgrades are the best long-term investments.