Pokemon GO Plus: All Your Questions Answered | Tracking, Catching, Etc

The Pokemon GO Plus has landed, and now eager trainers can capture Pokemon or track steps without draining the battery on your smartphone.

This small wrist-strap wearable connects to your Pokemon GO profile, and with a simple press of the blinking red button, you can attempt to capture nearby Pokemon — or just let it alert you so you can hop into the main app yourself.

While there’s plenty we know about the Pokemon GO Plus, there’s even more fans are learning together. See if the Pokemon GO Plus is the right wearable for you — check out our FAQ below and get all your questions answered.

More Pokemon GO tips, tricks, and FAQs:

• Pokemon GO: 9 Essential Tips, Tricks & Answers To Your Questions
• Pokemon GO: Get All 3 Eeveelutions Every Time
• Pokemon GO: Perfect Pokeball Throws With AssistiveTouch
• Pokemon GO: How to Become A Gym Leader 
• Pokemon GO: How to Earn Coins (Fast) & What They’re Used For
• Pokemon GO: Where to Find (And Catch) Pokemon | Spawn Locations
• Pokemon GO: iOS & Android Compatibility – Which Versions Work
• Pokemon GO: Easy Ways to Earn XP & Level Up Fast
• Pokemon GO: How to Take In-Game Screenshots
• Pokemon GO: Is It Out In Your Country? | Availability List
• Pokemon GO: All the Moves, Ranked Best to Worst | Complete List
• Pokemon GO: 6 Essential Facts You Need to Know About the Buddy System

[Updated: 9/23 – Incense can now be used with Pokemon GO Plus after the 0.39.0/1.9.0 update.]

What Is The Pokemon GO Plus? What Does It Do?

The Pokemon GO Plus is a small device (with included wrist-strap) that enhances your Pokemon GO experience. It allows you to play and enjoy many of the features of Pokemon GO without using your smartphone. That means you’ll be able to walk, jog, or explore without checking your Pokemon GO app.

The Pokemon GO Plus features a single button with lots of functions. It will alert you with a blinking light and vibration when there are nearby Pokemon or Pokestops, and tracks your movement. Here is a short list of the basic functions of the Pokemon GO Plus:

• Will alert you to nearby Pokemon.
  • Tapping the button will throw a Pokeball!
• Tapping the button allows you to collect Pokestop rewards.
• Tracks your steps and walking distance.

How Much Does Pokemon GO Plus Cost? 

The Pokemon GO Plus price is set at $34.99 US retail (Prices may vary in other regions.) and comes included with a removable wrist-strap. The device itself features a plastic clip, so you can keep it secure in a front pocket.

Does The Pokemon GO Plus Work With My Phone Locked?

Yes! The Pokemon GO Plus is designed specifically to work with your phone locked and in your pocket. This device will help you save plenty of battery-life.

If you catch a Pokemon or search a Pokestop, any captured Pokemon or items will automatically be added to your profile — no need to open your app or unlock your smartphone.

When Will Pokemon GO Alert Me?

Pokemon GO alerts you with gentle vibration and a blinking light when it detects one of the following:

1. When you’re near a wild Pokemon
2. When you’re near a Pokestop

NOTE: Pokemon will always alert first. Pokestops will only alert after you’ve attempted to capture (or captured!) all nearby Pokemon.

When you’re alerted, press the blinking button on your Pokemon GO Plus device to attempt to capture a Pokemon, or to collect items from a Pokestop.

What Do The Blinking Lights Mean? [Blue, Green, Yellow]

Alerts come in all different flavors. Depending on what’s near, you’ll receive alerts certain color on your Pokemon GO Plus device. Here are all the alert colors we know so far:

• Blue: There’s a Pokestop nearby. Tap the button to collect.
• Green: There’s a Pokemon you’ve already caught nearby. Tap to throw a Pokeball.
• Yellow: There’s a new Pokemon you haven’t caught yet nearby. Tap to throw — or better yet, switch to the Pokemon GO app.

Does Pokemon GO Track My Steps?

It sure does! Even if your smartphone is locked, the Pokemon GO Plus will track distance traveled accurately.

This is especially helpful for hatching eggs or walking distance to earn candy for your Pokemon GO buddy. No need to open your smartphone. That makes the Pokemon GO Plus a perfect solution for jogging or walking — especially long distances.

Pokemon GO Plus will track steps for buddies or hatching eggs with…

• …your smartphone locked.
• …app in the background.
• …app in the foreground.

Basically, Pokemon GO Plus tracks your steps no matter the state of your phone, or whether the app is active or not.

How Does Pokemon GO Catch Pokemon?

Pokemon GO Plus will alert you to nearby Pokemon, and tapping the blinking light will attempt to capture one. So what exactly happens when you attempt to catch a Pokemon with the Pokemon GO Plus?

The Pokemon Go Plus will only use regular Pokeballs to capture Pokemon — never Great or Ultra Balls. That means that Pokemon will frequently escape.

• Attempting to catch a Pokemon with Pokemon GO Plus only gives you one throw attempt with one Pokeball. If you miss, the Pokemon will escape.
• Catching Pokemon gives you 100 XP, 100 stardust, and 3 candy.
• If a Pokemon escapes, you’ll still get 25 XP.

If you manage to capture a Pokemon, it will automatically be added to your Pokedex.

If you’re having trouble catching with the Pokemon GO Plus, you can always try to catch a Pokemon manually by opening up the Pokemon GO app. You can use all the Great or Ultra balls you want there.

Do Incense / Lures Work With Pokemon Go Plus?

Yes and yes! As of the 1.9.0 update on iOS devices, Pokemon GO Plus is compatible with both items. Here’s what you need to know:

• Incense Pokemon WILL appear and can be captured with the Pokemon GO Plus.
• Lure Pokemon WILL appear and can be captured with the Pokemon GO Plus.

What Smartphone Is It Compatible With?

Like the Pokemon GO app itself, Pokemon GO Plus is compatible with any iPhone 5 or later model with iOS 8-10 installed. Android is more complicated, and requires Ver. 4.4-6.0 (2GB+ RAM) — for Android, Bluetooth Ver. 4.0+ is required for connectivity with the Pokemon GO Plus device.

For more compatibility info, check out this list available from the official site:

• IOS:
  • Compatible with iPhone^® 5 / 5c / 5s / SE / 6 / 6s /6 Plus / 6s Plus devices with iOS Ver. 8–9 installed.
  • Not compatible with 5th generation iPod Touch devices or iPhone 4S or earlier iPhone devices.
  • Compatibility with tablet devices is not guaranteed.
  • Compatibility is not guaranteed for all devices.
• ANDROID:
  • Compatible with Android devices that have 2 GB RAM or more, have Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Ver. 4.0 or higher) capability, and have Android Ver. 4.4–6.0 installed.
  • Not compatible with Android devices that use Intel Atom processors.
  • Compatibility with tablet devices is not guaranteed.
  • Application may not run on certain devices even if they have compatible OS versions installed.

Have more questions? Let us know in the comments and we’ll be quick to provide all the answers you need.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]