We’re pretty sure you’ve heard of Pokémon Go by now—if not from us here at TechJunkie, then from somewhere else. It’s the top mobile game right now and it’s been in the news quite frequently. We’ve already talked about how to get coins and how to get candy in Pokémon Go. Let’s discuss something a bit more general—getting out there and finding nearby Pokémon.
One of the main intents of Pokémon Go is to motivate people to get up and be active—which is really awesome. Please, though . . . use your head when it comes to some of the locations for catching, battling, and getting Pokémon rewards. Enjoy Pokémon Go, but be safe, people!
Let’s talk about finding nearby Pokémon, which can be easy, yet hard at the same time.
Signs that Pokémon are Near
Some tell-tale signs that a Pokémon or multiple Pokémon are in your vicinity are the stirring of green leaves on your mobile device’s screen. If you’ve noticed those green leaves popping up into the air while playing Pokémon Go, it means Pokémon are nearby; you should head in that direction. 
The Nearby Pokémon Selector
Look down in the lower right-hand portion of your mobile display, and you’ll see a rectangular box with either Pokémon that are registered in your Pokedex (those are ones you’ve caught before), or you’ll see a grayed-out outline of a Pokémon that’s also nearby.
- Click on the Nearby Pokémon selector.
- Next, you’ll see a menu of Pokémon that are in your local area.
- If you’re interested in a particular Pokémon, like one that’s not currently in your Pokedex, you can tap on it to choose that Pokémon and hunt it down.
When you see:
- Zero footprints under a Pokémon in the Nearby selector, it means it’s seriously close to you—it may even just pop up on your Pokémon Go screen.
- One footprint means you’re quite close to the Pokémon.
- Two footprints mean a Pokémon is somewhat close to you.
- Three footprints mean several different things, which aren’t yet exactly clear-cut to us.
We’ve heard sources say that if all the Pokémon shown have three footprints, the one in the upper left of your Nearby Pokémon selector is the one closest to you. Otherwise, if the Pokémon with three footprints is in the lower right of your Nearby Pokémon selector, it’s the farthest from your location. 
Tracking Nearby Pokémon Tips
Once you open the Nearby Pokémon selector, you should leave it open on your screen. This helps you track up to 9 Pokémon. As new ones become available in your location, the Nearby selector adds them and it also pulses to alert you of new Pokémon. Keep an eye on the position of the Pokémon in the Nearby selector because the one in the first spot is the Pokémon closest to you.
If the Pokémon in the first slot moves to another slot, it means you’re heading away from it. You’ll want to change direction and go back towards where it is until it moves back to the first slot. You’re also going to have a chance to get more Pokémon as they get added to the Nearby selector while you navigate around.
We hope our Pokémon Go Nearby and tracking tips have helped you. We’ll be posting more on Pokémon Go, so please check back in with us again soon! Until then, have fun playing Pokémon Go (but remember to use your noodle and stay safe).
