How to play Pokemon Go in 2025 – The ultimate beginner’s guide
Pokemon Gocontinues to present challenges with new mechanics after nearly a decade of gameplay, so whether you’re a long-time fan, a returning player, or a new trainer checking it out for the first time in 2025, our ultimate guide will help you along the way for your journey.
Released in 2016, the mobile-based Pokemon game features numerous species pulled from all nine generations of the popular videogame franchise. While most of its concepts have also been brought over from console video games, the way they function has been changed to better suit gameplay from mobile devices.
This means that even die-hard fans may need a little help learning the ropes — and that’s where this guide comes in.
Getting started: Downloading the app
If you’re acompletebeginner and have never even tried the game before (it’s all good — we all have to start somewhere!), you’ll first need to download the app onto your desired device.
It’savailable forAppleandAndroiddevices, and while it can also be installed on tablets, some of the mechanics can be unwieldy on the bigger screens.
We’d recommend using a mobile phone to play, as they’re easier to hold and can be carried from place to place without an issue.
2025 is the time to play
Pokemon Go is a great game for those looking to add something extra to their daily exercise routine, get out and meet new people, or just spend more time outside.
While there arestill a few issues, like Remote Raid Pass limitationsand rural player accessibility, it has more features than ever for players to enjoy.
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Niantic’s vision for the mobile app is to bring players together, get them out and moving, and make exercise a community experience. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, teaming up with friends to catch new companions, battle difficult Raids, and enjoy new challenges can be a very rewarding adventure.
Key features
There are plenty of fun features on offer to dive into in-game which are accessible regardless of how well you know the franchise, including:
Do you need to play Pokemon video games to get into Pokemon Go?
Anyone can play Pokemon Go,regardless of how familiar they arewith the Pokemon franchise. The mobile app has taken the world built in the videogame series and condensed it down, utilizing simplified mechanics and accessible gameplay to ensure anyone can enjoy playing.
While some knowledge ofPokemon typesor battle mechanics can be helpful when first starting, these are skills that can be learned just through playing — it may just take a bit longer to get familiar with some of the features.
Mystic, Valor, or Instinct: What team should you pick?
When selecting a team in Pokemon Go, ultimately, it doesn’tmatter which one players select, because it has only a few impacts — and most of them are minimal. Players will see their team’s leader when Appraising Pokemon, and they’ll also work with their teammates to take over Gyms when out exploring.
Pokemon Go breaks players into three teams,Mystic, Valor,andInstinct. Each team is headed up by a different leader, who will act as a guide throughout the game. Below is the breakout for each team:
When Pokemon Go was brand new, I remember struggling with the team mechanics. In my town, most players were Valor, making it difficult to take over gyms and hold them down. However, the balance between teams has changed over time, and there’s now an in-game item that allows trainers to change who they are aligned with. Because of this, players can choose whatever team they’d like, or feel best suits their personality.
Picking your starter Pokemon
When setting up your account for Pokemon GO, you’ll be given the choice ofBulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmanderas your first companion — but truthfully,it doesn’t matter what starter you pickwhen first starting out.
This is because you’llquickly catch Pokemon that overpower your starter, and wild catches don’t require a battle, so you should pick the starter you like best. You can then keep it with you in the game as a partner, and even if it doesn’t win every Raid or PvP fight, it might be tossed in.
How many Pokemon are there?
As of August 2024,Pokemon Go has over 850 different species in the game. This number has been increasing gradually as new species debut in events.
There are a total of1025 Pokemon between all generations, so it won’t be long until the mobile app has completely caught up to the current National PokeDex.
How to catch Pokemon
To catch ‘mon out in the wild when exploring, you’ll need totap on the desired target on the GPS map, which will begin an encounter that takes place in catch mode. No battles are required when attempting to score a wild catch.
Catch difficulty ratings
It’s easy totell how difficult a Pokemon iswhen tossing the Poke Ball at it, as doing so will causea colored ring to appearon the target. The five different difficulty levels are as follows:
Difficulty level is calculated using thePokemon’s CP(Combat Power), the player’s level, and any items that have been used that affect catch rates. When a Pokemon’s CP is “???”, this indicates it’s a levelmuchhigher than anything that has currently been caught.
How to do Nice, Great & Excellent Throws
When throwing a Poke Ball, players can achievethree different throw typesby hitting the difficulty circle at specific sizes. These give XP bonuses and make catching a ‘mon more challenging:
Players can earn anadditional bonus by completing aCurveball. To do this, tap and hold the Poke Ball, spin your finger on the screen until it begins to glitter, then throw it at the target. Curveballs are a difficult maneuver even for long-time players, but it is extremely satisfying when it ends in a catch.
Critical Catches explained
If a player lands an Excellent Throw on the smallest possible difficulty circle, it will result in a Critical Capture — this is aguaranteed catchon standard wild Pokemon. This does not apply to all encounters but is still rewarding when achieved.
All Poke Ball types in Pokemon Go
There aresix types of ballsin Pokemon Go:Poke Balls, Great Balls, Ultra Balls, Master Balls, Premier Balls, and Beast Balls.The majority of these balls are available inthe shop, as rewards from Poke Stops, and as prizes for completed research tasks.
However, Master Balls are very rare, and Premier and Beast Balls are only available in specific catch encounters.
Premier Balls are only available during the Bonus Challenge catch encounter following Raids and when encountering and rescuing Shadow Pokemon. Beast Balls are used when catching Ultra Beasts.
Below is everything you need to know about each type of Poke Balls used for Wild Encounters:
How to get Master Balls in Pokemon Go
Master Balls — the rarest Poke Balls in the game — can only beobtained via difficult Special Research and Timed Research events, of which there are four:
The Master Ball can catch any Pokemon it’s used on, so be sure to save them for extra special encounters. At this time, it’snot possible to buy the Master Ball fromthe shopor obtain it as an item drop from PokeStops, or Gifts.
How to get & use Stardust in Pokemon Go
Stardust is receivedafter successfully catching Pokemon, as a reward for completing Tasks, as a reward for playing PvP, by hatching Eggs, and opening Gifts. It’s a key component in increasing the CP and evolving your team.
Grinding Stardust fast
To grind Stardust quickly, you’ll want touse a Star Piece item and catch a lot of‘mon while out playing. Star Pieces double the stardust earned for thirty minutes, allowing you to rack up dust quickly with minimal effort.
How to get Star Pieces in Pokemon Go
Star Pieces can be obtained asrewards for completing Special Research Tasks, or more commonly bypurchasing them in the Pokemon Go app.
These items cost100 Poke Coinsfor one or can be bought in a bundle of eight for640 Poke Coins. They also appear in bundles and boxes at varying prices and quantities.
How to get Berries & use them
Currently, there arefive types of Berriesin Pokemon Go, including Razz, Pinap, Nanab, Golden Razz, and Silver Pinap Berries. These lucrative items are used for buffs when catching new companions and can beobtained from Gifts, PokeStop spins, Raid Battle wins, Free Daily Boxesfromthe in-game store,rewards for Research and Daily tasks, and rewards from theGO Battle League.
All Berries in Pokemon Go & what they do
Below is every type of Berry and what it does when used during an encounter:
How to get Golden Razz Berries & Silver Pinap Berries
Golden Razz Berries are harder to get than standard Razz Berries and are obtained byCompleting specific Research Tasks and spinning PokeStops or Gym Disks with a Great Buddy.They can also be earned as rewards forcompleting a Raid Battle.
Silver Pinap Berries are also harder to get and can be earned bycompletingspecific Research Tasks, claiming weekly Adventure Sync rewards, or finishing Field Research Tasks.
Gyms in Pokemon Go explained
Gyms are a critical location in Pokemon Go, where players canbattle to stake their team’s claim on a location or take on Raid challenges. Gyms appear in notable locations and have a platform with a gym marker on the top, as shown in the image below:
The color of the Gym indicates which team currently holds it. If a player from an opposing team defeats all the Pokemon holding the Gym, they can take it over for their own team.
Gyms can also be spun like PokeStops by tapping the disk inside the Gym location to get a handful of items.
How to create a gym
To create a Gym in Pokemon Go, players will need toreach level 37 and submit a suggestion for improvements to Niantic. This can be done by following the below steps:
It is important to note that you must be oflevel 37or higher to do this, and submitting a request does not guarantee the Gym will be created.
Gyms give you free Daily Raid Passes
To get your free Daily Raid Pass, click into a Gym within range and spin the disk. This will populate a free Raid Pass that can be used at any in-person Raid encounter.
Remote Raid passes explained
Remote Raid Passesallow players to join raids without being physically at a Raid spawn. While they used to be the perfect accessibility solution from 2020 through 2022, they are now fairly limited. Players can usefive Remote Raid passes daily, and these don’t work on every Raid. Our dedicatedRemote Raid Passes guidedetails exactly how to get them and use them in-game.
As of writing, Remote Raid passes cannot be used for Dynamax Raids, and they may also be unusable for certain event raids. This is usually included in the event information provided by Niantic.
Legendary Pokemon explained
Legendary Pokemon are primarily caughtwhen they take over Gyms. During events, specific Legendary species will spawn in five-star Raids for players to challenge. Those who manage to take a Legendary in battle will have the opportunity to try and catch it following the Raid.
Legendary and Mythical Pokemon can also be caught as rewards at the end of specific Special Research Tasks. These are usually paid ticket opportunities that are part of large-scale events.
Why should catch Legendary Pokemon?
Legendary Pokemon are known for being particularly powerful. They are great options for trainers who enjoy engaging in Raid Battles or PvP. Many Legendaries end up on competitive teams, thanks to their boosted attack and defense stats.
They are also only available at specific points, usually as Raid encounters during specific events and seasons. This gives these special, extra-power catches an element of rarity for fans of the collection element of Pokemon Go.
List of all current Legendaries
As of October 2024,there are69 Legendary Pokemonavailable in the mobile app. These special creatures span all nine generations.
47 of these have appeared in Raid events throughout the game’s history. Below are all the Legendary Pokemon currently available, and when they debuted:
How to level up fast in Pokemon Go
In order to take on Gyms, Raids, and Rocket Takeovers, you need to level up fast. Thankfully,everything you do in Pokemon Gois going to put XP towards those incredibly important player levels, but therearesome ways to easily grind XP:
While grinding for XP, be sure to haveLucky Eggson hand, which can be obtained as a reward for complete Tasks, or purchased from the in-game store. You’ll want to use these whenever you have them, as itdoubles XP earnings for thirty minutes.
What’s the max player level?
As of September 2024, the highest level a player can reach islevel 50. It’s important to note that levels 1-40 only require XP to level up, but anything after that requires special criteria to be met.
For many, reaching anything about forty is a true accomplishment. While it doesn’t seriously impact gameplay, asPokemon CP poweris the more important element of gameplay, leveling is still a fun way to mark milestones while playing.
All Level-Up Research Requirements for levels 41-50 in Pokemon Go
How to raise your team in Pokemon Go
The mobile app wouldn’t be anything without your trusted team of favorite companions – and just like in the console games, your party is going to needa lotof TLC.
To take any caught critter into battle, players will need to raise their CP, select their movesets, and evolve them for optimal power. Below is everything you need to know to make apowerful Pokemon Go team.
Raising a Pokemon’s CP
To raise a Pokemon’s CP, go to your storage and select the desired catch. Every CP boost will costStardust and Candy. To complete the transaction,hit the “Power Up” button below the target’s stats.
All Pokemon have a Max CP. Once this threshold is reached, it will not be able to power up any further.
Earning Candy & XL Candy
Candy is earned bycatching Pokemon of a desired species or transferring unwanted Pokemon of a specific species. The best way to grind a lot of Candy for a certain Pokemon is to get involved in events, spotlight hours, and Community Days.
XL Candy is a bit harder to grind but occasionallygets a drop boost during certain events.
What is Mega Evolution in Pokemon Go?
In Pokemon Go,48 Mega Evolutions have been added. Mega Evolution is a mechanic that allows certain species to gain a temporary evolutionary stage. The ability originally debuted Pokemon X and Y, and the majority of Mega Evolutions have been added to Pokemon Go as of 2024.
Mega-capable Pokemon are caught inMega Raids. They are battled in their Mega forms, and then revert to a normal Pokemon during the catch phase of the battle when defeated. After this, players will need to grind Mega Energy to harness the power of this special evolution in battle.
How to get & use Mega Energy
ToMega Evolve a capable Pokemonin our storage box, players must spend Mega Energy. It costs200 Mega Energyto evolve a capable Pokemon for the first time. After that, it is free. Mega Evolution lastseight hours, and then the Pokemon reverts.
The best way to grind Mega Energy is to engage in Mega Raid Battles where it is awarded after defeating the featured Mega Pokemon, or by completing Special Research where Mega Energy is included as a reward.
It’s important to note that Mega Energy is like Candy, and can only be earned from and used on the Pokemon it came from. For example, defeating a Mega Charizard will award Mega Charizard Energy. This can’t be used to evolve a Blastoise into Mega Blastoise.
Because Mega Energy is harder to earn than Candy, it is important to pay attention to what Mega Raid Battles are currently active, and do as many as possible while the desired Megas are available.
What is Dynamax & Gigantamax in Pokemon Go?
Dynamax and Gigantamaxare the newest forms of advanced evolution in Pokemon Go. The ability super-sizes capable Pokemon, allowing them to access special, extra-powerful moves in battle.
Gigantamax is particularly special, as it completely changes the look of the Pokemon, similar to Mega Evolution.
At this time, Dynamax and Gigantamax abilities canonly be used in Max Raids, and not in PvP or any other type of Raid of Gym battle.
Additionally, you willneed at least one Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokemonto participate in Max Raids.
How to join a Dynamax or Gigantamax Max Battle
To participate in a Max Battle, you will need to find aPower Spotin your area. These can only be interacted with in person, so Remote Raid Passes won’t be of any use.
Before tapping the Power Spot, make sure your available Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon are fully healed and that you’ve done any leveling needed to make the battle less difficult.
How to get a Gigantamax Pokemon
Unfortunately, just like with Megas,Dynamax and GigantamaxMax Battles rotate featured options. This means that players will need to pay attention to Max Monday and event schedules to know when a desired Pokemon might be featured in the Raids.
What are Max Particles?
Like Mega Energy,Max Particlesare used to level Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon. They are also needed to compete in a Max Battle, instead of paying them up front to evolve the Pokemon from your storage.
How to get Max Particles
Max Particles can be earned byinteracting with Power Spots, Walking, and completing collection challenges. Unlike Mega Energy, there is a soft maximum cap for Max Particles, which is currently 1000 per trainer.
At this time, there has been no information on how to increase this cap, or if it will be changed as more Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon debut.
How to heal your Pokemon in Pokemon Go
To heal Pokemon that have been injured in Raid, Gym, or Go Battle League challenges, you are going to want a stockpile ofpotions and revives.
There aren’t any Pokemon Centers in Pokemon Go, so the health of your team is entirely dependent on the number of healing items you have crammed into your bag. Below are all the healing items that can be used in the mobile app.
Healing items, revives & how to get them
How to use healing items
To use a healing itemopen your menu, open the bag, and select the desired healing item. This will automatically take you to a screen with your fainted or injured party members listed. Tap on the desired Pokemon to heal them up.
Healing items can be used at any time while exploring the GPS map, and they can be used before Raid, Gym, and PvP battles.
How to grind healing items
To grind healing items,pick a day that doesn’t have big events currently happening. Next, head to a place in town that has a high number of PokeStops and Gyms close together.Walk around and spin the PokeStops and Gym disks in a loop, giving enough time between spins for the stops to reset — this will allow you to quickly amass a stockpile of healing items.
Remember, healing items take up space in your bag storage, so you may need to throw a few berries out or purchase a bag upgrade to ensure you have enough space.
What is the max amount of item storage in Pokemon Go?
Max item storage in Pokemon: 7,300
Currently, the maximum item storage players can get via upgrading their bag in Pokemon Go is7,300.
To achieve this maximum number, players will need topurchase bag upgrades for 200 PokeCoins from the in-game shop. This expands the maximum carry capacity by50 slots per upgrade.
Max Pokemon storage in Pokemon Go
Max Pokemon storage is 8,300
Pokemon Storage has a maximum limit of8,300slots. Like with item storage, players will need to buy Pokemon Storage upgradesfrom the in-game shop for 200PokeCoins — which can be earned for freeor purchased. This expands the current available storage by50 slots per upgrade.
These upgrades must be purchased, and cannot be earned by completing Special Research tasks or leveling up.
How to trade in Pokemon Go
A step by step guide to trading
Trading is an extremely exciting way to engage with other players and try for a few unique bonuses. To trade, you and your partnermust be near each other in person.
How many Special Trades can be made a day?
Special trades, which involvetrading an unregistered, Legendary, eligible Mythical, Shiny, Purified, or Ultra Beastcan only be performedonce a dayunless an ongoing event has increased that limit. This is a bummer, as trading is a great way to fill in Pokedex holes if you have the Stardust to spare.
Trading Stardust costs in Pokemon Go
Every trade in Pokemon Go costs Stardust, which increases if Pokemon are new to a receiver’s Pokedex or Shiny. Thankfully, increasing friendship levels can help mitigate these costs. Below are the stardust costs for standard trades based on friendship level.
Regular Pokemon
Legendary & Shiny (Special)
All Pokemon that cannot be traded
Not all catches are eligible for trade in Pokemon Go. Below are all the current impossible trades in the mobile app.
Do Pokemon evolve by trading?
Just like in the video game series,there are Pokemon that onlyevolve via tradein Pokemon Go. Currently, there area total of 10 trade evolutions in the game.
It’s important to note that these trade evolutions can’t be traded back to the original Trainer. Don’t make the mistake of trading a companion you particularly like to skip a Candy and Stardust evolution cost, only to permanently lose the Pokemon in the process.
How many friends can you have in Pokemon Go?
Players can have a total of450 friends at any given time. With so many Pokemon to trade, and an incentive to trade with multiple partners daily, adding active players via your local community or safe, online groups can be a great way to fill out this list.
This will allow you to build friendship levels between meet-ups to help lower those pesky Stardust costs.
Leveling up friendship
The best way to grind friendship levels is bysending and opening gifts daily, sending postcards daily, Raiding together, and trading together. However, it’s important to note that only one of these actions will earn friendship points per day.
This can make grinding to Best Friend level a bit of a challenge. The easiest way to bump the numbers is through daily gifts. Be sure to make time each play session to open what’s been sent to you, and hand out cute packages of your own when you have enough in your inventory.
What is a Buddy Pokemon?
A Buddy in Pokemon Go is acompanion players select and assign to their avatar to interact with.
For many, the Buddy minigame is one of the most rewarding daily tasks of the day. Players can feed, pet, and take pictures of their favorite Pokemon. This earns points that go toward leveling up its Buddy level.
How to assign a Buddy in Pokemon Go
To assign aBuddy in Pokemon Go,open your Pokemon Storage and tap on the companion you would like to start building Buddy Levels with.
Scroll to the bottom of the stats breakdown and select“Assign Buddy”or“Swap Buddy”. This will make the Pokemon your new traveling companion.
Whileset as a Buddy, it can’t be traded or transferred. To do this, you will need to remove them as your partner.
How to interact with your Buddy
To interact with your Buddy,tap on their image beside your avatar profile picture in the bottom left of the screen.This will activate the Buddy stats breakdown.
Here, you can check on your Buddy’s Candy gathering progression, see what daily activities are left for earning hearts, and tap on the Buddy to play with them.
When in play mode, players can pet, feed, and take pictures of their Buddy. The Pokemon may also bring presents which can be opened by tapping on them while interacting.
What does feeding your Buddy do?
It’s worth throwing your berries at your Buddy Pokemon, as feeding them increases their Buddy Levels, and also allows the Buddy to join your Avatar on the GPS map. Walking with your Buddy raises their affection and also adds a fun, interactive touch to an otherwise not-so-interactive trainer experience.
All Pokemon Go Buddy levels & what they do
Buddy Levels, which are earned byinteracting with your Buddy to earn affection hearts, offer a variety of boons to players who raise their Pokemon. Below is a breakdown of each Buddy Level and what it offers in rewards:
The Catch Assist is likely one of the best boosts players can get when leveling up their Buddy. This takes effect when out catching new Pokemon. If the Ball gets knocked away, there is a chance the active Buddy will knock it back, increasing the chances of a successful capture.
How to use Friendship Evolution in Pokemon Go
In Pokemon Go,thebuddy system is used to achieve the concept ofFriendship Evolution. In the video game series, this was calculated with Friendship points earned with Pokemon as they traveled with a trainer.
These Pokemon evolve after they have traveled a specific distance or completed specific tasks with the trainer as an assigned Buddy. Below are all the Pokemon who evolve via the Buddy system, and what the requirements for them are:
Battling in Pokemon Go
To battle other players in Pokemon Go, there are two options:Local PvPandThe Go Battle League. Local PvP allows trainers to play with friends, while the Go Battle League lets players compete in challenging battles with specific requirements for rewards.
How to play a local PvP match
Just like with trading, players can start a local PvP battle byselecting their avatar profile picture at the bottom left of the screen. From here,tap friends, andselect the friend that you are physically with. After you have both completed these steps,tap “Battle”to have a local PvP match.
Getting started with the Go Battle League
To begin your journey in theGo Battle League,open your game menu and tap “Battle”— this will take you to the League menu.
The Go Battle League challengespit players from around the world against each otherin limited-time formats. These formats dictate what Pokemon, CP levels, and types can be used when entering matches.
By competing in and winning matches, players can earn rewards like Pokemon Encounters, Stardust, Items, Elite Move TMs, and Rare Candy.
League Levels & Requirements
Below is a breakdown of every League Level and the CP levels required to compete.
Outside of the standard League types, there are dozens of variants and themes that can happen throughout the year, from Legendary Cups to regional challenges. These require players to have specific Pokemon on their teams to compete.
With that, you’ll be up to speed on everything you need to know about playing Pokemon Go. For more tips, make sure to check out how to beat Team Rocket, fromGruntstoArlo,Cliff,Sierra, andGiovanni,or the latest availablepromo codesto redeem.
