Pokémon GO: what to do on your first day

Make catching the first habit

Tap a wild Pokémon on the map to begin an encounter. Watch its movement, aim a controlled throw and inspect the catch afterward. You do not need to spend every Berry or stronger ball on ordinary early catches.

Catching gives you resources as well as a collection entry. Candy belongs to an evolution family, while Stardust is shared across your collection. That difference becomes important when deciding what to power up.

Learn the summary screen

Open a Pokémon and inspect its CP, moves, evolution requirements and appraisal. CP is not a complete ranking of long-term usefulness. A Pokémon can be useful now without being the one you eventually invest heavily in.

Mark favorites before cleaning up duplicates. Transferring a Pokémon to the professor is not the same as storing it in HOME, and it is not a reversible way to organize a collection.

Give the session a simple goal

Try catching a few species, replenishing supplies and learning one evolution requirement. Check the Today or event information for current activities, but read whether a task asks for a catch, an evolution or another specific method.

Wait before a large investment

Raid teams, Trainer Battle teams and collecting goals can call for different Pokémon. Keep Stardust until you know the job you want a Pokémon to do. A newly caught higher-level option can sometimes handle an early challenge without a large upgrade bill.

GO has its own combat, evolution and effectiveness systems. A console Pokémon guide can provide familiar vocabulary, but its exact turn order or type multiplier is not a GO rule. Use the GO-specific help links below when the two disagree.