The Pokémon GO app is available for Apple Watch, a line of smartwatches developed by Apple Inc. (Photo : YouTube/IGN)
As promised, game developer Niantic has released the "Pokémon GO" app for the Apple Watch before the end of the year. Now, the app logs the required "walking" as a workout, aside from showing nearby Pokémon.
Gamers with Apple-made smartwatches will now be able receive notifications about nearby Pokémon and PokéStops so they can collect pocket monsters and items. They will also receive warnings for hatched Eggs and awarded medals, according to the official announcement.
However, unlike the Pokémon GO Plus wearable device, players will not be able to capture the pocket monsters through their watches. They will still need to bring out their iPhones to do that.
Players who want to use their Apple Watch for the game must first update their iPhones before anything else. Once updated, a Watch app will appear on the phone's home screen and, for the initial run, users will be given the option whether or not to show the app on the their smartwatch.
Using it as a fitness tracker is not enabled by default. One must allow it to run in the background so it can count the activity and track the user's progress. It must be enabled in the Privacy options of the wearable's Settings, which can be found on the home screen.
Look for Health, select "Pokémon GO" and turn on all the options after reading and understanding them carefully. The app will then access all the various HealthKit data on the watch.
The Pokémon GO app's main screen will show the player's name, training level and the egg with shortest distance required to hatch. It will also show several Workout information such as the total workout sessions and the number of calories burned.
Not too long ago, rumors were flying around about the cancellation of the Apple Watch app. The studio quickly issued a statement obtained by Tech Crunch to debunk it and simply said that it will be coming out soon.
"Pokémon GO" is available for free for iOS and Android devices. A short video below demonstrates some of the function of the new game app for the Apple Watch:
