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How to get Pokémon GO on iOS or Android without rooting or using dodgy APKs

By James Lu - 12 Jul 2016

Getting Pokémon GO on Android

Dying to play Pokémon GO ahead of its Asia release date but don't want to root your phone or risk downloading the malware APK that's been floating around? Avoid it by downloading the official app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store from any country. Here's how to do it on Android (this page) and on Apple's iOS (next page).

N.B. Do note that right now there's not much to do in Pokémon GO as Niantic hasn't launched the local servers that will populate the map with Pokemon. You can however fake your GPS location (there are a number of good apps out there for this) if you want to play on the US or Australian maps, or you can just log in, pick your username and get your starter pokemon ahead of the official launch later this week.

 

Android

Google recently made a change to the way you connect to the Play Store that makes it a little trickier to fake your location. Essentially, if you've ever signed into the Play Store previously, your account is locked to that location, even if you're using a VPN. 

To get around it, you'll have to create a new temporary account.

1. First, you’ll need to fake your location. Do this by downloading the following two apps: OpenVPN Connect and EasyOvpn. The OpenVPN Connect app will be used to establish the connection while the plugin makes it easy to search for and import VPN servers.


 

2. Once the apps are installed, launch the EasyOvpn app, and search for a US server. If you don’t see a US server on the list, you can try another country like Australia, or you can just refresh the list until you see the server you want.


 

3. The selected VPN profile uses Autologin, so just tap on the Accept button to import the profile. After the profile is imported, press Connect to establish the connection.


 

4. Next, clear both the cache and data of the Google Play Services app and Google Play Store app. Do this by going to Settings > Apps > Google Play Store > Clear Data. Don’t worry, clearing this data won’t affect any of your existing downloaded apps.

5. Now you need to make a completely new Google account. You’ll only be using this account to download Pokémon GO (or any other apps you want that are not available locally). Using your phone, go to Gmail and sign up for one, then open the Play Store app and login using your new account.


 

6. You’ll now be browsing the US Play Store. Search for Pokemon Go and download it. When it's installed, disconnect the VPN connection and sign back into your old account. Don't worry, the app will update without requiring a VPN or switching accounts.

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