Finding wild Pokémon

Your device will vibrate to alert you when a wild Pokémon is nearby. If you don’t see any Pokémon nearby, take a walk! Pokémon love places like parks, so try visiting a local recreational area. You can attract more Pokémon to your location by using an item known as Incense.

Some wild Pokémon appear only in certain environments and climates. For example, some Pokémon may appear only near lakes, oceans, or other bodies of water.

Pokémon located in your area are displayed in the Nearby Pokémon section in the bottom right of the screen in Map View. Pokémon already in your Pokédex will show in color, and Pokémon you haven’t previously encountered appear as silhouettes.

Catching wild Pokémon:

When you encounter a wild Pokémon, you may have multiple attempts to capture it before it runs away.

You can use items from your Bag to increase your chance of successfully catching a wild Pokémon. Razz Berries make the wild Pokémon easier to capture. High performance Poké Balls like Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and Master Balls increase your ability to catch wild Pokémon. Touch the Bag icon during the encounter to access these items. You can also snap photos of your Pokémon encounters using the camera.

To catch a Pokémon:

1.When a wild Pokémon is nearby, your device will vibrate, and the Pokémon will appear on the map. Touch the Pokémon to begin your attempt to catch it.
2.The Pokémon will appear in front of you.
Note: You may need to orient your device or switch out of camera mode.
3.Touch and hold your Poké Ball.
4.A target ring will appear around the Pokémon. The ring’s color indicates the difficulty level of capturing the Pokémon. A green ring indicates the capture is low difficulty, orange indicates intermediate difficulty, and red indicates extreme difficulty.
5.You have the greatest chance of capturing the Pokémon while the colored ring is at its smallest diameter. At the opportune moment, fling the Poké Ball toward the Pokémon.
6.If you are successful, the Poké Ball will capture the Pokémon. Watch out, though—Pokémon can escape from the Poké Ball.

Tip: Drag and rapidly spin the Poké Ball in a circular motion before you release it for a chance to receive a curveball bonus.