Evergreen
Pokémon GO Quick Start Guide
A condensed Pokémon GO quick start checklist covering setup, catching, PokéStops, and early priorities for brand-new trainers.
If you'd rather skim a checklist than read a full walkthrough, here are the essentials of getting going in Pokémon GO, in the order they tend to matter.
Setup checklist
- Install the app, create an account, and choose an avatar you can customize further later.
- Grant location permissions so the map can show your real-world surroundings.
- Catch your starter Pokémon, which appears near you on the opening map screen.
- Look over the map interface: your item bag, Pokédex, and profile are all one tap away from the main screen.
First-session priorities
- Catch Pokémon as you find them. Aim for the shrinking ring on each throw and add a spin (curveball) when you can for a small catch-rate and experience bonus.
- Spin every PokéStop you pass. These refill your Poké Balls and other items for free and are the backbone of sustainable play.
- Set a buddy Pokémon. It'll earn candy as you walk, which helps toward evolving it later.
- Check in on eggs. Any eggs you collect from PokéStops hatch after walking a set distance with them loaded into an incubator.
What to save for later
- Gyms and raids: worth exploring once you have a small roster of decent Pokémon.
- Trading and friends: more rewarding once you know other players or have duplicate Pokémon to trade.
- The GO Battle League: a competitive PvP mode that rewards planning a team, best approached once you're comfortable with the basics.
Good early habits
New trainers who stick with the game tend to build a few habits early: spinning stops on their normal walking routes, checking the app briefly a few times a day rather than in one long session, and not worrying about "wasting" Poké Balls on common Pokémon. Catching consistently matters more than catching perfectly.
Why each priority matters
The reasoning behind those priorities matters as much as the checklist itself. Catching consistently builds up both your Pokédex and your candy stockpile for future evolutions. Spinning PokéStops is effectively free progress: it costs nothing but a short walk and keeps your item bag stocked so you're never caught without Poké Balls. Setting a buddy turns your normal daily walking into passive progress toward evolving a specific Pokémon, which compounds nicely if you pick a species you're planning to invest in anyway.
A simple one-week starter plan
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Install, set up, catch your starter, and get comfortable with the throw mechanic |
| Days 2-3 | Build the habit of spinning every PokéStop you pass and setting a buddy |
| Days 4-5 | Start checking Gyms in your area and, if a low-difficulty raid appears, try joining a group |
| Days 6-7 | Review your Pokédex and item bag, transfer obvious duplicates, and start thinking about which Pokémon you'd like to invest candy and Stardust into |
This is only a loose framework — Pokémon GO doesn't punish playing at your own pace, and plenty of players spend far longer than a week just catching casually before touching Gyms or raids at all.
Common quick-start questions
Do I need to walk constantly for the app to do anything? No — you can catch Pokémon and interact with nearby PokéStops without walking much, though features like egg hatching and buddy candy do require covered distance over time.
Is it bad to only play a few minutes at a time? Not at all. Many of the game's systems, like PokéStop spins, are designed around short, frequent check-ins rather than long sessions.
Should I worry about picking the "wrong" starter? No — your starting Pokémon doesn't lock you into anything, and you'll catch a huge variety of species naturally as you keep playing.
What should I do if I run out of Poké Balls? Spin more PokéStops — they restock regularly, and casually passing a few on a normal walk is usually enough to keep your supply healthy without any extra effort.
Is it worth reading a full guide, or is this checklist enough? This checklist covers the essentials, but a full walkthrough fills in the reasoning behind each step, which tends to make later decisions (like what to power up or evolve) easier once you're past the very first days.
Where to go from here
For a fuller explanation of each of these steps, read our complete beginner guide, or follow your first day in Pokémon GO for a walkthrough of what a realistic first session looks like in practice.
When the checklist stops being enough, the Trainer Hub homepage groups the rest of our guides by what you want to do next: mechanics, collecting, or competitive play.