Pokémon Go has been available in the US for weeks, but today it’s finally been rolled out to the UK. That means Poke trainers in the UK can now experience the magic of Pokémon Go, and find out for themselves why it’s already taking the rest of the world by storm.
Before today, Pokémon Go was pretty annoying to download in the UK, and involved a lengthy process that was still probably worth the effort. The main issue? You had to set up a US iTunes account complete with a new email address to download the Pokémon Go app, and then switch to your old account afterward.
However, now that Pokémon Go is officially out in the UK it’s much easier to download – and you don’t even need to delve into your Settings. To get Pokémon Go on your iPhone, simply search for it on the App Store, or hit this link to be transported straight to it. After that, it’s just a matter of downloading and installing the app as you would any other. Although that marks the end of the installation process, it’s only the beginning of your long journey to becoming a Pokémon master. Luckily for you, we’ve put together a range of tips and tricks to help you get up to speed – and we’ll even show you how to snag a Pikachu.
NOTE: If like many of us, you’ve jumped the gun and already downloaded the app via the longer US iTunes account method below, swapping over is pretty simple. Just delete the Pokémon Go app and redownload it from the UK App Store instead. Once you log in with your existing account details, your inventory and Pokémon will be restored.
How to download Pokémon Go before it’s out where you live
- Apple makes it fairly difficult to download apps from different countries, but this tutorial makes it seem straightforward, so you’ll be training in no time. The main thing you need to do is create a US iTunes account, and you can do this all on your iPhone in less than twenty minutes.
- The first thing you need to do is sign out of your current Apple ID. You can do this in the App Store by scrolling to the bottom of the screen and then selecting Sign Out.
- After that’s done, head over to Settings on your iPhone, and then General | Language & Region and set your location to the US.
- After that, you’ll need to head to the App Store, and try installing any free app. Because you’re not signed in, you’ll be asked to create a new Apple ID, and this is where the fiddly bit begins.
- To set up an account, you’ll need a valid email address not associated with an existing account, and a valid US billing address. Don’t worry, even though Pokémon Go is a free app, every Apple ID account requires this info.
- If you use Gmail and want to be sneaky, there’s a way to avoid making a new email address completely: just place a full stop anywhere before the @ sign and first letter in your old address and it will count as a brand-new one – but you’ll still receive your verification email.
- Once that’s done, follow the steps to complete your account setup. If you’ve done this on your iPhone, all you need to do now is search for “Pokemon Go” on the App Store and download it.
- Once the app is downloaded, all you need to do is go back to the App Store, and sign in to your existing Apple ID. Also, return to General | Settings | Language & Region and make sure your phone is set back to the UK. Sorted.
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