Pokémon Go arrives in Germany before release in UK and rest of Europe

Developers Niantic have been holding the game back from release across the world to try and keep their servers from breaking down

The logo of Japan Airlines (JAL) is seen on a hangar as All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Pokemon Jet moves past it at Haneda airport in Tokyo September 19, 2012 (REUTERS/Toru Hanai )

Pokémon Go is now available in Germany, ahead of a full release in Europe.

Developers Niantic have so far only released the game officially in the US, Australia and New Zealand. The company initially held back the release across the rest of the world to try and limit the strain on its servers, with demand already meaning that the game repeatedly broke even after its limited release.

But the game has now been released in Germany, likely ahead of a release across the rest of the Europe in the very near future. The company hasn’t yet said when it will come to the rest of the continent or to places like Asia, and is presumably rolling it out in specific countries to ensure that the demand on its servers stays limited.

Players in unsupported countries could already actually download and play the game, which isn’t geo-blocked in the traditional sense. But they had to use a roundabout way to do it, either tricking the App Store into thinking they were in the US or forcing the game to install on their phone.

For Android users that was especially dangerous, since downloading illicit versions of the game can also let hackers exploit the software and use it to spy on anyone who downloads it.

How to get Pokémon on Android and iPhone

iPhone

1. Log out of your current Apple ID on your iPhone. The fastest way is to open the App Store, click the Featured tab, scroll right to the bottom, tap your Apple ID and hit ‘Sign out’.

2. Go to Settings > General > Language & Region and change the region to the US, Australia or New Zealand.

3. Download any free app and you’ll be prompted to create a new Apple ID. Do so, and select ‘None’ in the billing menu. Add any US/Australia/NZ-based address.

4. Try searching for Pokémon GO again and it should now be there and ready to install. Time to start catching wild Rattatas in your local Sainsbury’s!

Android

How to get Pokémon GO on Android (slightly more tricky)

1. Download Pokémon Go from an APK download site such as APKPure.com, ideally directly on your phone but, failing that, on a PC (58.1MB file size).

2. If using a PC, attach your phone to the PC via USB and drag the downloaded file to your Downloads folder. On your phone go to Settings > Security and enable installation of apps from unknown sources. Now hit Pokémon Go in your Downloads folder to install the game.