Pokémon GO is taking the US, Germany, Australia and New Zealand by storm. Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise, Pikachu, and many other Pokémon have been discovered on planet Earth!
However, if you are outside the United States, Germany, Australia or New Zealand you won’t find the incredibly popular Pokémon GO app in the Android Play Store. This step-by-step guide will show you how to install Pokémon GO on your Android device no matter where you live. It’s safer than downloading the APK (app file) from a random site (which could be infected) but it is a little bit complicated.
If you are in the United States, Germany, Australia or New Zealand, then lucky you. Just go to your Apple App Store or Google Play Store and install Pokémon GO.
Also, be sure to check our our tips and tricks guide to Pokémon GO gameplay, including how to find a secret world map of Poké stops and Poké gyms.
Step 1: Get a VPN to hide your location on the internet
First, you are going to need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to trick your device that you are located in the United States when you are really in another country. VPNs securely tunnel your internet through computer servers located overseas (in this case the United States) which is how the trick works.
I recommend buying a lifetime subscription to a VPN so you don’t have to pay ongoing monthly fees.
The cheapest VPN that I recommend is AnonVPN.io which is super cheap and has a very simple and easy to use Windows desktop app (select the Beat the Average or Pay Want You Want options on the right hand side). If you have a Mac, try VPN Unlimited which also has an app for Mac OS X.
Step 2: Install and start your VPN
Follow the VPN instructions to install on your Windows PC or Mac. Start the VPN and choose a server in the United States.
*Once you have your VPN service, you may try to skip to step 9. If that doesn’t work, come back to step 3.
Step 3: Download and install an Android emulator on your Windows PC or Mac
You can install an Android emulator on your Windows PC or Mac. The emulator lets your computer pretend it’s an Android phone or tablet so you can download the Pokémon GO app from the Google Play Store and join Pokémon GO.
For Windows PCs, download and install the Droid4X emulator at www.droid4x.com. Remember you should still have your VPN running through a server in the United States.
For Mac OS X (and Windows PCs) you can try the Andy Android emulator at www.andyroid.net.
Step 4: Run the Android emulator on your computer
Remember, make sure you have your VPN already running through a server and the United States.
Start your Android emulator. Droid4X has an option in the bottom of the screen to relocate your GPS location using a map. Pick somewhere in the United States. Close Droid4X and restart it. The Android emulator now thinks you are in the United States (you need both the VPN and GPS simulator pointing to the United States for this to work).
Step 5: Open the Google Play store in your Android emulator
The US version of the Google Play store should open.
Step 6: Search for and install the Pokémon GO Android app
If you can’t find it then the non-US version of the Google Play store is open. Follow step 4 again closely.
Step 7: Open the Pokémon GO app and sign-up
Follow the steps to sign-up for Pokémon GO. Don’t start playing now. Using GPS spoofing in Pokémon GO gameplay may get you banned for life! You have been warned.
Step 8: Go to the Google Play Store and install on your devices
Go to the Pokémon GO app page at the Google Play Store, make sure you are signed in to your Google Play Store account, and choose which devices you want to install the Pokémon GO app. Hopefull your Android Phone will show up. If it does, happy playing.
If the Pokémon GO app doesn’t show up for your Android Phone then uh oh. But all is not lost, keep going through the next steps.
Step 9: get the VPN running on your Android Phone
If you signed up for AnonVPN.io, the instructions for running the VPN are at:
https://www.anonvpn.io/android.php
If you chose another VPN, find the Android instructions on their website (or they may have an Android VPN app).
Make sure you select a server in the United States.
Step 10: Reboot your Android Phone and start the VPN server in the US
You need to reboot your phone, don’t skip this step. Once the phone has rebooted, immediately start the United States VPN server before doing anything else.
Step 11: Open Google Play store
Once you have rebooted the phone and started the United States VPN server, open the Google Play Store as soon as possible (don’t do anything else before hand) and it should be the US version of the app store. Find the Pokémon GO store and install it. Sign in and then reboot your phone.
Step 12: Enjoy Pokémon GO!!!