This new app is the lazy Pokemon Go player's dream
If you're a Pokémon Go player, you're probably one of the millions who use (and love) PokéVision, the website that lets you see which Pokémon are spawning nearby. But what if you're only searching for a certain type of Pokémon?
That's where a new (free!) app called PokeNotify comes in.
The app is the handiwork of Redditor jodoglevy, who shared a download link on Reddit earlier today, asking Pokémon Go players to test it out and offer feedback.
What makes PokeNotify special? It searches your surroundings for only the Pokémon that you want to find. Plus, it delivers push notifications when one of those Pokémon pops up nearby. That means you don't have to actively navigate to a website like PokéVision (or run around like a maniac outside) to find your favorites - you can just sit back and wait. Unfortunately, it's only available on Android right now, but an iOS version is reportedly coming soon.
Want to try it out? Here's how to use it:
First, you open the app to find a list of all 151 Pokémon available in the game. You check off which ones you want to search for, then press "Enable Pokémon Notifications."
Every minute, the app searches up to 1 kilometer away from your location, looking for the Pokémon you selected. If one is found, you get a push notification that says how far away the Pokémon is, in meters, and when it will disappear (they only stay around about 15 minutes).
When you press the notification, Google Maps launches, and you'll find a pin dropped at the Pokémon's exact location. (I've had my eye on a Tangela recently, and I found one just a short walk away from the office.)
Sure enough, when you arrive at the location, the Pokémon is waiting.
The app's biggest pro is that you can limit the search to only the Pokémon you're interested in catching. Plus, unlike Pokémon Go, PokeNotify uses minimal battery power.
But there are a few catches.
First, I often got notifications for Pokémon that were 700 or 800 meters away, but scheduled to disappear in mere minutes. There wasn't enough time to reach them unless I took off at a full sprint, so the notification felt useless. And, right now, there's no way to alter the range in which the app searches.
It seems there are a few bugs, too: Sometimes, when I pressed a notification, Google Maps failed to launch and I was directed to the app's home screen instead. I got a few duplicate notifications, too.
Finally: Some Reddit commenters worried that the app may violate Pokémon Go's terms of service and could get users banned from the game. For what it's worth, the developer says that won't happen. According to the app's FAQ page: "PokeNotify does not use your personal Pokémon Go account in any way, so its not possible for Niantic [the makers of Pokémon Go] to tie use of PokeNotify to your Pokémon Go account." (We reached out to the developer for comment on this issue and will update if we hear back.)
Download at your own risk - you can get the free app from Google Play right here.