Your First Day in Pokémon GO: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Reading about Pokémon GO's mechanics is one thing; actually opening the app for the first time is another. This walkthrough follows a realistic first session from install to your first handful of catches, so you know roughly what to expect and what to focus on.

Before you head out

After installing the app, creating your account, and picking an avatar, you'll land on the map screen with a starter Pokémon nearby. Take a minute to look around the interface: the Poké Ball button at the bottom center opens the main menu (your Pokémon, item bag, and Pokédex all live there), your avatar's portrait in the corner opens your trainer profile, and nearby Pokémon appear directly on the map as you move.

Your first catches

Tap the first Pokémon you see to open the catch screen. Don't worry about perfect throws yet — just get a feel for swiping toward the Pokémon to throw a Poké Ball. As you catch a few, you'll notice a colored ring shrinking and expanding around the target; throwing when it's smaller generally improves your accuracy and catch odds, and adding a spin to the ball (a curveball) gives a small bonus too. Our core mechanics guide covers exactly why this works if you want the details.

Spinning your first PokéStop

As you walk, you'll pass blue disc icons on the map — these are PokéStops, usually tied to real public landmarks. Walk close enough and tap the disc, then spin it to collect free items: more Poké Balls, potions, and occasionally an egg. Spinning stops regularly is one of the best habits to build early, since it keeps your item bag stocked without spending anything.

Checking your Pokédex

After a few catches, open your Pokédex to see the species you've found so far; each entry fills in once you've caught that species. Then open one of your Pokémon from the Pokémon list to see its own CP, moves, and stat bars, and try the Appraisal feature there on one you're fond of, which gives a general sense of how strong its hidden stats are.

Setting a buddy

From your trainer profile, or from a Pokémon's own detail screen, you can choose it as your walking buddy. Your buddy travels with your avatar on the map and earns species-specific candy as you cover distance together, which is useful for evolving that Pokémon later. Picking a buddy early is a simple way to make your normal walking progress toward a goal.

What to skip on day one

It's tempting to try everything at once, but Gyms, raids, and the GO Battle League are all better tackled once you're comfortable with the basics and have a small roster of Pokémon to work with. Spend your first day mostly catching, spinning stops, and getting a feel for the map — the competitive side of the game will still be there once you're ready.

Checking what's nearby

Most versions of the map interface include a way to see a list of nearby Pokémon rather than just what's visible on the map itself, often accessible from a small panel at the bottom of the screen. This is worth checking periodically, since it can point you toward something interesting just out of view, rather than relying only on what happens to render on screen as you walk.

A gentle first raid, if one is available

You won't be able to take on a difficult raid on day one, but if a low-difficulty raid appears at a nearby Gym and other trainers are already gathered, it's a reasonable first taste of group play even before you fully understand the battle system. Watching how others approach it, and joining in even if your own Pokémon are still low-level, is a low-pressure way to see raiding in action before reading deeper into the mechanics.

End of day checklist

• Check your item bag isn't close to full, so you don't miss out on the next PokéStop.
• Make sure an egg is loaded into an incubator if you collected one, so it starts progressing toward hatching.
• Confirm your buddy is set, so walking tomorrow counts toward its candy.
• Take a look at your Pokédex to see how many species you've already logged.

Where a first session usually ends

By the end of a first outing, a new trainer typically has caught a handful of Pokémon, spun a few stops, and picked a buddy. From here, our quick start guide is a good condensed reference, and the full beginner guide covers Gyms, raids, and progression in more depth when you're ready for them.

As you keep playing, questions will come up that this walkthrough doesn't answer. That's what the rest of Trainer Hub is for.