Android
Which Phones Work with Pokémon GO?
When you’re as popular as the Pokémon franchise is, a mobile experience is necessary. For years, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo avoided bringing the role-playing game to anything that wasn’t a Nintendo-made console. Then the two teamed up for Pokémon GO, a new entry that’s brought new life to the franchise.
Pokémon GO isn’t something that you can play on a Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo 2DS. That honor will go to this fall’s Pokémon Sun and Moon releases. Pokémon GO runs on iPhones and devices running Google’s Android operating system. You need a smartphone or tablet to play them, preferably a smartphone or tablet that lets you get the entire experience and not just the paired down one.
Will your phone work with Pokémon GO? It all depends on the sensors it has inside, how much RAM it offers and how recent the operating system that’s installed on it is.
Read: 7 Pokémon GO hacks & Secrets from an Expert
Pokémon GO Requirements & Why Some Devices Don’t Work
Every smartphone game that you’ve ever played has hardware requirements. These requirements allow developers to be sure that everyone who has downloaded the game has a quality experience. Pokémon GO has hardware requirements on both Android and iPhone, developer Niantic just doesn’t make them obvious.
Pokémon GO for Android’s hardware requirements includes 2GB of RAM. RAM is different from storage in that it’s what your phone uses to run apps not store them. There’s no way to upgrade RAM. As for software, any phone that isn’t running Android 4.4 or something more recent won’t be able to download Pokémon GO for Android from the Google Play Store. If you have a tablet that meets these requirements, but has an Intel processor, you won’t be able to play on it.
As for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, Apple makes these things pretty simple on its platform. Pokémon GO supports any device that runs iOS 8.0, though all features may not be supported.
Read: Pokémon Go Level Guide: What You’re Your Trainer Gets
Besides the specific hardware requirements, there are other things that you have to take into consideration. Pokémon GO is an online role-playing game. It checks Niantic’s servers for just about everything, syncing the two periodically. Your device needs to have an internet connection, and a decent one at that. Three sensors make the game’s augmented reality features – like seeing Pokémon around you in the real world – possible. They are a compass, a camera and a gyroscope. If your device is missing either of these, AR Mode might not work.
Popular Smartphones that Pokémon GO Will Work On
Everything from the iPhone 4s runs Apple’s iOS 8 operating, and therefore could run Pokémon GO. The iPad 2 and the iPod Touch 5th generation and up should run Pokémon GO just fine too, but only if you have Wi-Fi nearby or have them tethered to another phone.
Of course, Android is a bit harder to list. Recent Android flagships should run the game just fine. That includes the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 should work just fine too.
The best way to find out if your Android phone is compatible with Pokémon GO is to try to download it from the Google Play Store. They Play Store should already know when an app or game is or isn’t compatible with your phone. If your phone is listed as not compatible, it’s probably because it’s not running a compatible version of Android or iOS.
Even before launch, Niantic Labs made it perfectly clear that it wouldn’t be bringing Pokemon GO to devices running Microsoft’s Windows Phone or Windows 10 operating systems. The decision seems to have come down to the number of people using the operating system. With a small team, Niantic needed to put all its resources toward reaching the biggest audiences. Windows 10 has millions of installs, but the mobile version of the operating system isn’t growing in any meaningful way. All hope isn’t lost if you’re on Windows Mobile.
A new app called PokeGO briefly brought Pokémon GO access to Windows. The app isn’t working after the last update, but the developer has hinted at it returning in the near future.
Read: How to Turn Off Pokémon Go Augmented Reality Mode
Purchasing a new phone to play Pokémon GO is a bit extreme for most, but that’s an option. Remember to look for all the necessary hardware and sensors in that device before you purchase it.
Even if the app is installed, look out for problems. GPS errors usually mean that your phone has its GPS sensor turned off. Head into the settings to enable it, for example. The game does go down from time to time. Keep that in mind if you manage to get the game, but it won’t function.
Read: 17 Pokémon GO Problems, Server Issues & How to Fix Them
Good luck getting Pokémon GO to run on your iPhone or Android phone. You can download the Android version from the Google Play Store and the iOS version from the iTunes Store now.
PokeStops & Gym Locations | |||||||||||||
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A recent question and answer session on the Silph Road confirms that Pokémon Go currently uses 30% to 50% of portals that were present in Niantic’s last game, Ingress. Pokémon Go maps these over real-world landmarks that players have to walk to. PokeStops and Gyms are real-world locations that players go to pick up items and battle the creatures left behind by other trainers. Police departments are already warning players of the game to stay away from their stations, according to VG247. | |||||||||||||
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Davin Peterson
07/15/2016 at 5:51 am
Google Play says Pokemon Go is ocmpatible with my 203 Nexus7, but not the Droid turbo phone which has Android 5.1
mark jones
07/17/2016 at 2:39 am
i used the apk download and i managed to not only install but also play pokemon go on my nexus 7 tablet fine. i dont know why they claim it wont work,
Alex Moore
07/15/2016 at 9:50 pm
Google Play is not a good way to see if your phone is compatible. I have a Note 2 and Google says my phone is not compatible, but downloading the .apk and manually installing it works and I can play the game.
Jochem R
07/16/2016 at 10:34 am
Agreed. I also own a Note 2. We have Android Kitkat 4.4.2 and have 2GB of RAM. I have played the game with the apk for a week now and it works.. What could be the reason?
Michael Cochran
07/17/2016 at 7:46 am
Where can I find the API for Pokemon go?I have a note 2 also and it don’t show up in the play store
Robyn Ann
07/20/2016 at 9:09 pm
I searched for “pokemon go .apk” and found it on apk.mirror.com
Jayden Phelps
08/01/2016 at 11:35 am
I just wanted to thank you!!! I was finally able to get the app on my sons phone!!! Thank you!!!!
Gabi
07/21/2016 at 3:35 pm
How do you do that?
amalina niz
08/06/2016 at 8:41 am
Can you tell me how to download the apps using apk.I really want to play it on my note 2
Bradley
07/16/2016 at 1:56 am
I have a linq L15 will it work on mine?? Please tell soon
Alex Moore
07/16/2016 at 2:49 am
Sorry Bradley, but Pokemon Go required 2 GBs of memory. Your phone only has 1 GB so no it will not.
Craig
07/17/2016 at 6:54 pm
I have a htc 626 virgin mobile 1 gig of ram, game not only runs fine but I was able to download from playstore. Ex wife has galaxy s3 1.5gb of ram, play store tells her not supported, downloaded the.apk file for her and game runs good. Both phones do get warm playing it though.
Camellia2011
08/29/2016 at 5:41 pm
Hi Craig,
I have a 1gb Lg Volt that just barely sorta runs Pokemon Go (it does okay when it doesn’t crash all the time.) i was able to download through the Play store too. Do you notice that the .apk version runs any different than the Play store version? Thanks. :)
Mubarack Shamsudeen
07/16/2016 at 4:51 am
I have note 4 with 3 GB RAM… Donno why it is not working for me…
The Game Gimp
07/18/2016 at 4:52 pm
works for me with my note 4
Cristina
07/20/2016 at 9:14 pm
Does ur camera work, cause mine doesn’t
Dizastor
07/16/2016 at 8:22 am
I got a S5 mini, cant install through playstore. through apk it does work, but i have some visual bugs since today.
Bruno
07/16/2016 at 12:31 pm
My son has an iPod Touch with the right OS but no rear camera … will he be able to play it?
Jackson
07/19/2016 at 8:04 pm
ipod touch don’t technically work because they don’t come with GPS chips which is required to walk around the place to capture the things (instead on itouch it will show your trainer just walking back and forth on the spot even thought you’re walking around the place.) Another thing to note, and they spoke about this in the article, you need to be connected to a constant wifi source (most itouch are not on plans like phones so mobile wifi isn’t activate) you will need to have it connected to your carrier plan in order to walk around and have constant wifi connection too but the biggest hurdle is the GPS. So people have gotten it to work with installing map apps but again it doesn’t run as smooth as the actual game (constant drop outs and errors.)
Eldard
07/17/2016 at 2:35 am
The apk works on my Motorola Moto E buy Google Play says it’s not compatible.
Kelly
07/19/2016 at 3:03 am
I have a Motorola Moto E, but Google Play saying not compatible. How did you download?
Elise
07/17/2016 at 2:58 am
i have a samsung galaxy young 2
will pokemon go work for me??
Frank
07/17/2016 at 3:51 pm
No you cannot, you need a minimum 2 GB RAM, your phone only has 512 MB, however I managed to play Pokémon Go with a Galaxy Grand Prime which only contains 1 GB RAM.
Elise
07/18/2016 at 4:11 pm
that’s what i thought, and dude, lucky that u can play it with less than the required amount
Arjun
07/24/2016 at 11:38 pm
Is this game supported by Asus Zenfone 2 Laser ZE500KL (Black, 16GB)?? ?????
Ruben
07/29/2016 at 10:34 am
Yes but i can’t promise you it will be on the play store.
Intel CPU doesn’t work but zenfone 2 laser has a snapdragon,also it has gyroscope …
Oren
07/20/2016 at 11:17 pm
I have that and on the play store it says it works although it keeps on crashing when I try to set up an account
E.G.P. Odijk
07/17/2016 at 7:25 am
Have an Ace3LTE with Cyanogenmod 11 (= Android 4.4) on it. It works except AR. And sometimes gps is Lost.
Silver fox
07/17/2016 at 7:56 am
I was so excited for the game to come out since last year and now it doesnt work on my phone (Samsung galaxy s3) hes android version is 4.3 and I am wondering is it going to be available to install on my phone
Frank
07/17/2016 at 3:53 pm
I have heard people say you can just download the .apk file which bypasses the Google play store (which requires you to have Android 4.44 installed to run) and it works fine on their phones. However, becareful of .apk sites as some sites are scams and uploads a virus on your phone.
paula
08/01/2016 at 4:57 pm
I have exact same phone and Igot it few weeks ago just watch this vvideo and click link in description the guy leaves hope it works for you https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=arlE-WNHI4s
Trevor
07/17/2016 at 10:57 am
I am using a lenovo yoga tablet 2-830L and looked through play store isn’t compatible with the device but using a downloaed apk file works
Only problem is servers and GPS not found but settings were on and running… how would I fix this?
chrisallen
08/11/2016 at 9:19 am
Mine doesn’t work well too
Mishy
07/17/2016 at 10:19 pm
Would a Samsung galaxy s5 work for Pokemon go, I mean I looked it up it has 2gb of ram and software of 4.4 so it seems to meet the requirement but its not listed up there as one of the phones that would work for it
Eli
07/20/2016 at 11:17 pm
Yes it does.
Davo
07/22/2016 at 2:35 am
yeh it works great on galaxy s5 and up
Sharon Hobbs
09/07/2016 at 4:40 am
I use Samsung galaxy S5 for PoGO. I have it on S4 and S3 too, but wouldnt bother trying to play it on them any more. Anything below S5 including jumiors, neos and minis which do not have the same capacity, probably will not play it. Oppo F1 is great and cheapest in Australia. HTC 510 probably will not run it.
Feri
07/18/2016 at 3:12 pm
Does anybody have an LG K8 ? Now I have an old Samsung Galaxy J1 and it doesn’t work because of the amount of RAM (512). I want to buy an LG K8, but it would be an important fact to know it manages pokemon go. Thanks for the help!
Soprusi
07/19/2016 at 10:29 am
I have a k8 and it works, but not with ar
Kyle
07/19/2016 at 3:13 am
I’m about to get the Samsung Galaxy A5 will it run pokemon GO?
Bill
07/19/2016 at 8:04 am
I think you can play it, but the AR-Mode (Catching the Pokemon through the Camera) won’t work, because the phone doesn’t have a gyroscope.
Erick
07/19/2016 at 8:17 am
I have asus zenfone selfie 3gb ram lollipop 32 gb rom. But I cant find the game in play store. ..why?
Sam
07/19/2016 at 10:49 pm
I don’t think so. My Asus as Intel which doesn’t support Go. Sorry. I you find a way let me know.
keathon
07/19/2016 at 8:38 am
i have a samsung j1 will pokemon go work on it
anthony
07/19/2016 at 1:10 pm
Will the Samsung galaxy S5 neo play pokemon go fine with no problems advice please
Lisa Boyce
07/19/2016 at 3:07 pm
Will this work on an iPhone 4 32gb?
unique
09/13/2016 at 3:35 am
yes, im using 4s 8gig
chris
07/19/2016 at 5:15 pm
i have j5 2015 he will work?
Austin
07/19/2016 at 7:18 pm
Get an iPhone, problem solved.
Tate
07/19/2016 at 11:43 pm
Will it work on android 4.4.2 I tried and it kept crashing over and over pls help! (also leave link to a real akl file pls!)
theodore
07/20/2016 at 5:05 am
A friend of mine has samsung galaxy grand neo and pokemon go just cant be installed , he has ram rom and all that required stuff can you help me out?
vicky
07/20/2016 at 7:24 am
i have app i can send it o you guys
usifer
07/22/2016 at 1:52 am
Why Pokemon go was not running in KitKat 4.4.2 version.reply plss
usifer
07/22/2016 at 1:55 am
Why apk was not running in 4.4.2 version. Reply please.
harshil
07/22/2016 at 3:37 am
Where can I find the Pokemon go? I have a samsung note 4 ( 6.0.1 version ) also and it don’t show up in the play store. plzzz reply ..
Komadurai
07/22/2016 at 3:40 am
I have asus zenfone 4 which has 1gb ram.
The game was pretty cool but after sometime it has started to hang and atlast the game was not able to open.
I reinstalled it but it doesn’t open now!!!😥😨
lade
07/22/2016 at 7:11 am
Does pokemon go work on honor 7 ?
Kelli
07/22/2016 at 7:17 pm
Will it work and lg k7?
JenM
07/22/2016 at 10:37 pm
Id like to know which Verizon prepaid phone i can get to have pokemon go be compatible. or any other prepaid service. or if anyone knows how i can get an LG Optimus Zone to be compatible. Thanks in advance for your response!
Ade
07/23/2016 at 12:31 am
Good morning peeps I have samsung s5 neo and all I keep getting is “Cannot detect location” my location is on and visible pls advise if my phone is compatible
Scott
07/23/2016 at 3:16 am
Not work Samsung 6 edge no camara
Navi
07/23/2016 at 7:46 am
Why pokemon go is not compatible with leeco le 1s eco ?
Tannie
07/23/2016 at 8:28 am
Good day. I have an iPod touch 6th gen. And i really want to play Pokemon Go but when i look it up at the App store, it isn’t there. Is the game not available in our country? – Philippines
Boss
07/23/2016 at 12:37 pm
Anybody tried it on the Note 3?
Rebekka Stobberup Drejer
07/25/2016 at 10:59 pm
I have a note 3 and it works fine no props
Lynnely Libot Bautista
08/20/2016 at 7:49 pm
Mine is note 3 too. How did you do it?
Delles Lesnar Solomon
07/23/2016 at 11:48 pm
does anyone have pokemon go on there samsung galaxy s5 and does it work on there
redivy
07/24/2016 at 11:27 am
https://youtu.be/TyXFHA3rnR4
This video helped me play Pokemon go on my note 3
Jeff Hawkins
07/24/2016 at 3:51 pm
Talk about a completely useless article. Author clearly an iPhone user/lover who didn’t want to put any amount of time into actually figuring out which Android phones may or may not work. It says something about Intel chips not working. So if I were the author, I’d test it on a phone using an Intel chip… Like the Asus Zenphone or something. Geezer… Can’t believe they paid you for a bunch of meaningless words.
cedrick
07/25/2016 at 7:48 am
I
Pankaj bora
07/26/2016 at 4:57 am
I have Micromax canvas Q392 and it fulfill all the requirements but still Pokemon go isn’t working
What could be the reason ?
dhruv Kadam
07/26/2016 at 8:18 am
I have a Huawei P8 Lite running Android 5.0 with 2GB RAM
Previously I was able to download the game from the Play Store , but after having to factory reset my device for other reasons , I cannot download the game again Can anyone help ?
Geoffrey Stokes
07/26/2016 at 11:22 am
I have an LG Stylo does Pokemon Go work fot this phone?
Marcello
07/27/2016 at 12:15 am
Hey all,
Does Someone have a LG K8 white? And are you able to play pokemon go?
Or do you have different types of LG K8 white?
Sorry, I’m not that good in phone technologie.
Manish
07/27/2016 at 9:59 am
storagePokemon go could be run in my micromax canvas doodle 4????
Sheryl
07/28/2016 at 4:40 pm
I have brought a Sony Xperia m4 Aqua that has android 5 version and 2 G Ram and still won’t let me down load for my son. Please help YouTube has same phone playing Pokemon go in uk?
pruthviraj
07/29/2016 at 6:57 am
Does it works on 4.4.2
Emma Huntings
07/29/2016 at 12:15 pm
I have a Samsung Galaxy S 3 will it work??
Jake
07/29/2016 at 5:28 pm
Does the game work on samgsung grand prime? Have the issue where is says gps signal not found constantly but the map is accurate to my city but with no pokemon nearby? Any thoughts
Anthony
07/29/2016 at 7:17 pm
I Have a moto e with less than desirable specs and I downloaded the .apk file for Pokemon Go. It isn’t the most pleasurable of experiences as I’ve played it on a Galaxy S4 but it is playable. The GPS not found happened to me a lot when I would lock/unlock the phone. I’m pretty sure it’s normal as I have heard of a lot of other people experiencing the same thing.
Lucario
07/30/2016 at 6:25 am
Can samsung galaxy nexus run it?
clifford watson
08/01/2016 at 4:33 am
can samsung galaxy s5 mini play the game. i’ve been trying to get it……
Duvessa
08/01/2016 at 6:51 pm
My son just got his very first phone it’s lg, we were able to download pokemon go, but it keeps telling us that gps is not being found… How do we fix this
hari
08/02/2016 at 5:40 am
Not supported for this game on my Micromax canvas spark and bang for my country so plzz clear this problem on my phone
Blake “Avengerzero” Ellis
08/02/2016 at 4:50 pm
I was looking into the zte z max 2 as an upgraded phone will pkmn go work on it?
narendra
08/04/2016 at 11:18 pm
Make this game for all mobile phones, bcoze every people want to play game.
narendra
08/04/2016 at 11:22 pm
Please remove upgrade symbol from the old vesion game.
Pauline
08/06/2016 at 7:41 pm
Hi i have samsung galaxy s4 will it play pokamon go please
Jakub
08/08/2016 at 2:00 am
My friend has Samsung Galaxy S4 and it works perfectly for him
chinky
08/07/2016 at 11:35 am
hi I have firefly hq910 I don’t know if pokemongo could be capable on this android phone.. could you check?? getting me in from the AIRBALOON phase, im waiting for half an hour and go back to my home page.
zoombie3000
08/08/2016 at 12:27 pm
My gf has a Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini… she has Android 4.4.2 (supported)… the app is not listed on the Play Store, but she was able to download an apk and get it working… however for the latest update, the APK just wont install and the game does not work without the latest update… what to do?
levine
08/11/2016 at 7:00 pm
hello, i would like to know how i can download the pokemon go through my samsung galaxy grand prime. there’s stated my phone cant support the version.
Jak
08/13/2016 at 5:01 pm
Can I play Pokemon on the Oppo f1
BENCH
08/14/2016 at 9:29 am
My phone is 4.4.2 supported.pokemon go does work but start catch the pokemon has stopped .plz help me what the problem
rockin' head!
08/18/2016 at 2:57 am
i’m using samsung grand prime and its android version is 4.4.4 kitkat. would it work here?
Dan
08/25/2016 at 8:07 pm
so because of comments, now you can see that the game working is non related to requirements or google play availability, it’s good to learn, right? would be nice you apply that to fix/improve this article
modapk45
08/25/2016 at 8:40 pm
you have to download modded pokémon go apk if you want
to play on a lower version android device .
Download POKEMON GO MOD APK DOWNLOAD
REQUIREMENTS ANDROID 4.0+ from https://www.apkmoder.com/pokemon-go-apk/
Jas
08/31/2016 at 10:49 am
My new phone is Alcatel One Touch Pixi 4 and has 1GB RAM only. But I was able to install Pokemon Go and started to play it. Is this ok or will it affect the performance of the phone? Pls give me feedback.. Thanks.
Camellia2011
08/31/2016 at 11:18 am
Hi Jas,
I don’t think there’s a good way to predict the performance on your phone except playing it (and to a certain extent, googling to see what kind of luck others with your phone have had). Generally, according to the Niantic game requirements and experiences I’ve had and read about online, a 1GB phone is underpowered to play this game. However, it seems like the actual game play experience varies greatly by phone and player. Being able to download, install, and play it thus far are good signs. You may be just fine, or experience a slightly slower game, or other issues. Generally speaking, the better wifi connection, LTE signal, and GPS locating you have, the better your experience will be.
So, my advice is to keep playing it and try out the features and hope for the best! I hope it works out well for you!
George
09/14/2016 at 11:14 am
Hello I have a problem with the app.
In simple words the game crashes when I turn on the GPS. If the location is off the app works fine I can watch my pokemon, pokedex, store and everything. But as soon as the GPS is on, it crashes and shows weird color lines.
This happened after the 0.31 update, and I can’t play since then.
I have looked for the answer but it seems I’m the only one with the problem.
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Core 2.
Android 4.4
Aaron Mcgregor-Bates
10/08/2016 at 9:42 pm
Pokemon go will work with most phones, i have a samsung s3 1gb of ram.. it works for catching pokemon, but as soon as i enter a gym to battle it lags so bad that its a minute or 2 wait before clicking on the next gym, not recommended for a s3. something tells me if you want to play this game your phone should have minimum of 3gbs RAM, 2gbs RAM is recommended but most of your android hogs most of the RAM anyway
Emm
10/13/2016 at 12:08 am
Pokemon Go works perfectly on my Note 3 and also on friends Galaxy A tablet and Note 10.1 tablet.
James Squires
11/12/2016 at 6:37 am
The only thing that matters is ur android verson my fone had 1.5 gb ram an my wife has 1 gb ram an thy bothe work fine on our fones
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