Pokémon Go's 'Nearby' Feature Is Now Actually Useful

Having begun testing in August, Pokémon Go’s new nearby system—which actually works—is finally rolling out to select users around the world.

It only kicks in if you’re near a Pokéstop. Instead of just saying a Pokémon is nearby...somewhere, the new system shows a little image of which Pokéstop it’s closest to, which lets you zero in on a location and actually find it, instead or aimlessly wandering for blocks before it disappears.

The new system is live for users in the following locations:

• United States of America: All states west of the Mississippi River (except Hawaii and Alaska)
• Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the western half of Ontario.
• Australia: All states and territories

Given that’s a pretty big group of people, you’d hope/expect it will roll out everywhere else in the very near future.

Of course, how useful this is will depend on how many Pokéstops are close to your house/school/work. Good luck with it!

Thanks for the image, W Gray!