Pokémon Go Tips & Guide: how to earn XP, level up, join gym teams and more

By Shabana Arif

Everything you need to know to catch ’em all.

Pokémon Go is out now around the world on iOS and Android, and it only took a matter of days from its initial release for it to become a global phenomenon. The mainstream news is going wild about it, public places are full of crowds of people staring at their phones… and the game isn’t always clear about what the best strategies are.

On that last point we’ve got you covered.

If you’re ready to embark on your journey as a Pokémon trainer, you may want a few pointers to get to grips with the basics. If you’re already an experienced Pokemon trainer looking to level up to become a Pokemon Master, we’ve got advance tips, tracks and how-tos to help you there too. Here we go:

What is Pokemon Go?

Pokemon Go is a new augmented reality mobile game from developer Niantic, featuring all your favourite Pokemon characters. It’s proven to be nothing short of a mobile phenomenon, earning over $200 million in its first month.

How do you play Pokemon Go?

Pokemon Go is fairly simple to start playing. You basically create you character and then go looking for Pokemon in the real world. You use the map (which represents your local surroundings) to track down Pokemon which you then catch using your phone’s camera and the in-game pokeballs. Once you’ve caught a range of Pokemon you can begin using them for battles.

How do you battle in the Pokemon Go gym?

Battling in a Pokemon Gym means you’ll be fighting a bunch of Pokemon defending that location. You can begin by checking out trainers in that gym without entering it, so you’re a little better prepared. You’ll then fight up to six Pokemon to try and seize control of the gym – we have an expert guide for that right here.

Why can’t I transfer Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

You should be able to transfer your duplicate Pokemon to the professor. Just tap on the Pokemon to want to transfer, scroll down and hit “transfer”. You can only do this once per Pokemon and you can’t transfer it back, so make sure you’re certain before transferring. You’ll earn one piece of candy for each Pokemon to transfer.

How do you find Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

Catching Pokemon is fairly easy. When you see one in the wild it will be surrounded by a coloured circle. Green means it’s easy to catch, then orange, then red. Tap and hold the pokeball so the coloured circle shrinks, making the Pokemon easier to catch. For more advanced techniques you can use berries, and you’ll find more tips on how to catch the harder Pokemon right here.

Pokemon Go Tips – key pointers to get you started

• Getting started and catching Pokémon

• How to get Pikachu as your starter pokemon

• Levelling up your trainer and Pokémon

• More tips for gaining XP and leveling up fast

• Rewards, XP, and unlockable items for every level

• Requesting Pokéstops, changing usernames, and the fine print

• Malware found in side-loaded app – be careful!

• Everything you need to know about Pokemon Go

• Pokemon Go Server Status: how to easily tell if there’s a problem

Pokemon Go Tips – filling in your Pokedex by catching and evolving Pokemon

• Pokemon Go Pokedex: A complete list of every Pokemon, plus their types and moves

• Where to find all Pokemon types

• Advanced tips and tricks for catching pokemon

• How to find rare and legendary pokémon – where are Mew, Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres and Ditto?

• Meet Pokemon Go’s region-exclusives: Tauros, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime and Farfetch’d

• Pokemon Go: Using Incense correctly to catch more Pokemon

• Pokemon Go: How to use the Buddy Pokemon System

• Pokemon Go: How much candy each Pokemon earns as a buddy

• Here’s how to choose one of three evolutions for Eevee – Vaporeon, Flareon or Jolteon

• How to choose your Eevee evolution – Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon or Umbreon

• How to evolve Sunkern into SunFlora, Gloom into Bellossom using the Sun Stone

• How to evolve Slowpoke into SlowKing, Poliwhirl into Politoed using King’s Rock

• How to evolve Scyther into Scizor, Onix into Steelix using Metal Coat

• Hatching eggs and finding out which Pokémon are inside

Pokemon Go Tips – Teams, Gyms and Battles

• Which team should you join?

• Gyms, Teams, and Pokémon battles

• Battle type strengths and weaknesses explained

• Battle tips for taking down gyms

• Revealed: the secret Pokemon Go battle stats that help to decide fights

• Pokemon Go: The most powerful Pokemon in battles ranked

• Pokemon Go: The most powerful moves to use in battle ranked

• Check out these cool Pokemon Go accessories from our friends at Jelly Deals.

Pokemon Go continues to grow at a rapid pace, and the developers at Niantic Labs and the publishers at The Pokemon Company have been clear that this is only the beginning: the game will slowly update with more features to match up to the main Pokemon games including the likes of trading and hopefully trainer-versus-trainer battles.

This page will be continually updated to keep up with the latest developments. That goes for everything from fans data-mining new strategies and information out of the game right down to information on how to tackle the latest updates and additions to the game – so be sure to bookmark us!