Pokémon Go UK release: App finally arrives, allowing British people to download the game properly

Until now, UK users had to rely on roundabout tricks or potentially dangerous downloads to get hold of the game

The game is getting people out the house in search of Pokemon (Getty)

Pokémon Go has finally been released in the UK.

Bringing an end to the various tricks that British players had to use to get the game on iOS and Android, the game is now available through the official app stores.

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It can be easily downloaded on iOS and Android, through either iTunes or Google Play.

“UK trainers, the wait is over,” the game’s official Twitter account announced. It came a day after the company announced that it was making the game available in Germany, apparently indicating that the company is slowly rolling it out across Europe.

It still isn’t clear when the game will come to other countries or to Asia, but developers have committed to rolling it out as quickly as they can.

Pokémon Go is seeing a very gradual rollout as developers Niantic look to ease the load on their servers. Even when the game was only released in the US, Australia and New Zealand the game often entirely broke for many players, as servers were unable to handle the huge strains being put upon them.

UK players who downloaded the game using a trick to get to another App Store won’t need to re-download the app. The game isn’t strictly geo-fenced, with developers simply making it available only in specific country’s app stores but allowing anyone who has it to play it anywhere.

Android users who downloaded a separate version of the app outside the official Google Play Store may want to re-download it, however, since other downloads can include malware of viruses.

How to get Pokémon on Android and iPhone if it's not available in your country

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.