Pokémon Go has been through the wringer since its troubled release in July, 2016. A major complaint: Players struggle to know which Pokémon are where, so they can hunt ‘em down and scoop ‘em up. That’s why players have flocked to third-party apps that track Pokémon, but also, cut out the wandering and exploring that Pokémon Go’s tracker encourages.
Niantic and the Pokémon Company have done big sweeps of third-party Pokémon trackers in the impending years. Very few mobile apps are still live. And in case you’re still unsatisfied with Pokémon Go’s in-game tracker, we’ve compiled them for you. There are only a few good ones left on iOS and Android, plus several web-based ones. None of these ask players to input their Pokémon Go account credentials, shielding players from the ban hammer. Here’s what’s left.
[This post, originally published 2/20/2017, has been updated with new information and tracking services.]
PokeTrack (Android, Web)
Poketrack is a user-friendly tracker that’s free, quick to download and easy to grok. It shows all the Pokémon in players’ immediate vicinity and refreshes at a good pace. It uses Google Maps too, so it’s easy to find Pokémon hideouts in relation to landmarks. Users can also set PokeTrack to notify them when special rare Pokémon pop and set lures.
PokeFind (iOS, Android, web)
PokeFind, which is free, lets players find specific Pokémon. It also shows chosen Pokémon locations on Google Maps. It’s not as accurate or reliable as other apps since its information is crowd-sourced. Although it’s free, its developers ask for donations to keep it running.
PokeHuntr (Web)
This is one of the best apps that scans locations for Pokémon, if not the best. Free, easy-to-use and full of information, PokeHuntr is a clear choice for people who just want to see what’s around them. Players can click on Pokémon names to get directions to their locations and exactly when they’ll despawn.
PokeWhere (iOS)
PokeWhere has helpful pictures of tracked Pokémon plus a count-down to de-spawns. Its pro version is $4.49 and it’s not as highly-rated as other apps.