A practical guide to Pokemon GO's location-based AR play, including raid meet-ups, PokeStop congregation points, and in-app purchases.
Official age
13+
We recommend
10+
Developer
Niantic
Risks
5
Pokemon GO is the long-running location-based augmented reality game from Niantic, in which players walk in the real world to find, catch, and battle Pokemon. The game requires precise location access while in use and rewards players for visiting PokeStops, gyms, and raid locations that map directly onto real streets, parks, and landmarks. Niantic provides a separate Niantic Kids portal for under-13 accounts that gates social features. The big distinguishing risk against most other apps is that the gameplay actively encourages children to physically go somewhere and meet other players, sometimes adults they do not know.
Children and teenagers play Pokemon GO to walk around their neighbourhood catching Pokemon, hatch eggs by covering distance, and join scheduled raids and Community Day events. Many use Discord, Niantic Campfire, or local WhatsApp groups to coordinate raids. PokeStops and gyms at parks, churches, town squares, and outside schools become natural meet-up points. In-app spend uses PokeCoins, which can be bought with real money for incubators, raid passes, and event boxes.
Niantic Kids Account
Location: Sign-up flow -> Use a Niantic Kids account for under-13s
Set to: On for under-13s
Gates social features, friend codes, and trading until a parent unlocks them. Required by Niantic for under-13s.
Device Location Permission
Location: Phone Settings -> Privacy -> Location -> Pokemon GO
Set to: While using the app
Stops the game accessing location in the background. Never set to 'Always allow'.
Friend Codes and Trading
Location: In-app Settings -> Niantic Kids parent dashboard
Set to: Off until parent approves each contact
Stops your child trading with or adding strangers met via Discord or at raids.
In-App Purchases
Location: Phone Settings -> Screen Time / Family Link -> Purchases
Set to: Require approval
PokeCoin bundles can be expensive and Community Day boxes are easy to repeat-buy. Approval-required purchases are essential.
Niantic Campfire
Location: Separate Campfire app -> Settings
Set to: Off for under-16
Campfire is the social companion app where players chat about raids. We recommend keeping it off for younger children.
Set up a Niantic Kids account for under-13s and walk through the parent dashboard together
Time: 20 minutes
Agree a rule that your child never attends a raid alone - either you go with them or a known adult does
Time: 10 minutes
Lock in-app purchases behind a parent approval on the device before play starts
Time: 10 minutes
Walk a typical route together and identify which PokeStops are near schools, parks, and pubs so you both know which to avoid late in the day
Time: 30 minutes
Talk through what to do if an unknown adult tries to start a conversation at a raid - leave, tell a trusted adult, report to 101 if it felt unsafe, and CEOP if it was online afterwards
Time: 15 minutes
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22