10 Pokémon Go Hacks Everyone Needs to Know!

Do you wanna be the very best? Like no one ever was? Well, then you’ve come to the right place! It seems like everyone in the entire world is obsessed with Pokémania and for good reason: Pokémon Go is incredibly addictive and actually has us leaving our couches and braving the summer heat just to go outside and play. (Just don’t, uh, find any dead bodies as you play it.) While you’re out chasing down the Dratini of your dreams, you might as well play smart. If you’re ready to take your adventure to the next level, here are the best 10 tips and tricks to help you actually catch ‘em all:

GET PIKACHU AS YOUR STARTER POKÉMON
If when you first start the game you see Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur and think “Eh! These aren’t for me,” then we’ve got a hot tip for you. Just. Walk. Away! They’ll pop up a few more times but if you keep avoiding them eventually a Pikachu will show up and you can choose him to start your adventure with. Pika pika!

PICK UP LOST POKÉ BALLS
If you throw a Poké Ball and miss your target, then act fast! When the ball is on the ground, you can tap the ball again before it vanishes to pick it back up and give it another toss. Never go without Poké Balls again.

GIVE YOU POKÉ BALLS A SPIN BEFORE THROWING THEM
Before you toss out a Pokéball, spin it around the screen in a little circle to charge it up. It’ll put a curve on it (making it harder to throw) but you’ll get an XP boost for your trouble.

LOSE AR, PERFECT YOUR CAPTURE
While the AR effect is extremely cool, it does make catching Pokémon a little bit harder. If you toggle the “AR” switch when facing off with a Pokémon, you can leave the AR mode off – you’ll save battery life and have an easier time hitting your target.

FOLLOW THE RUSTLING LEAVES
Those green leaves rustling around you on the map aren’t just for decoration. They’ll show you where Pokémon are active so you can chase them down and catch ‘em all!

TRADE IN YOUR EXTRA POKÉMON
If, like us, you’re swimming in Zubats, then go ahead and catch ‘em all anyway. You’ll collect more Stardust and you can always trade in the weaker ones to Professor Willow for an extra Zubat (or whichever Pokémon you have duplicates of!) candy. Just tape the Poké Ball on the bottom of the screen, open the Pokémon menu, pick a duplicate Pokémon, scroll down, and select Transfer to send it out.

HATCH EGGS BY LEAVING THE GAME RUNNING
If you put your eggs into an Incubator and leave the screen open while your out and about, the app will record your walking distance and eventually hatch the egg for you! Just open the Pokémon menu, swipe over to the “Eggs” section, select an egg, and tap “Start Incubation.” What’s inside? You’ll have to wait and see…

SAVE YOUR BATTERY LIFE!
This app chews power and all of this playing is going to drain your battery life quickly. To stay juiced, head to your phone setting and turn on Power Saving mode. This special mode will turn the screen off while the game is in your pocket so you can save on resources. Just be sure to keep your headphones in so you know when a Pokémon pops up Throwing an external battery into your bag while you’re out playing can’t hurt either.

SEE EXACTLY HOW CLOSE POKÉMON ARE TO YOU
When you’re looking at the map, tap the rectangle icon in the bottom right corner and to see what Pokémon are nearby. Those little footprints tell you how close or far a specific monster is (one foot = 100 meters, 2 feet = 200 meters, 3 feet = 300 meters), so let them guide you in the right direction!

GET FREE STUFF!
If you’ve assigned a Pokémon to a gym, you’re eligible for free loot. Head into the shop screen and look for the shield icon in the top right corner for some extra goodies once a day.

--Couresty Of Teen Vogue