How to Use the New Pokémon Go Nearby Tracker

After months of demand from millions of fans around the world, the developers at Niantic added a nearby tracker in Pokémon Go.  It’s a wonderful addition to the smash hit mobile game, but there’s a catch. The nearby feature is now available across the United States and Europe. We love this game and play it all the time, so in this feature, we’ll tell you how to use the cool new tracker in Pokémon Go.

When Niantic released Pokémon Go this past July, the original tracker displayed tiny feet beneath nearby Pokémon. The more feet, the closer the Pokémon was to your location. Ultimately, though, you still had to wander around in the hopes of crossing paths with that pesky Growlithe or Sandshrew.  Useful, but also a bit of a pain. 

The new Pokémon Go tracker takes advantage of different PokéStops scattered around a map. Here’s how it works. 

Open the Pokémon Go map and press the icon on the bottom right corner of the screen to view the list of nearby Pokémon. 

Choose one that you want to go after and the game will show an image of the PokéStop.  In addition, the game will now focus its attention on this one specific location; if for some reason you no longer want to track a Pokémon, bring up the same screen and de-select the PokéStop. 

OK, let’s say you want this Growlithe. Walk over to that particular PokéStop and walk within the radius. Hopefully the Pokémon will suddenly appear and you’ll be able to catch it. 

Keep in mind there’s no guarantee that you’ll find the Pokémon you’re looking for (other Pokémon will also appear within the same area), and if you take too long, the Pokémon might run away. Of course, since you’re by a PokéStop, you can increase the odds with a lure. 

Personally, we’re big fans of the new Pokémon Go tracker and hope that Niantic rolls out the feature worldwide with the next free update. For now, you can take advantage of the Poké finder in major metropolitan areas. 

Visit Prima Games’ Pokémon Go Guide! We list the best Pokémon in the game, complete with battle type charts. We’ll also tell you how to begin the game with Pikachu, and get lots of XP in the quickest time possible.

In other news, find out which Pokémon will appear less often in the game. We also have info on the new daily bonus rewards that will help you level up faster.