‘Pokémon Go’ Free Download: Game Launches In UK, Steps To Install Game On Apple iOS And Android Phones For Other Regions

Japanese gaming firm Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's "Pokémon Go" has finally launched in the U.K. after rocketing to the top of free app rankings in Apple’s U.S. iTunes store. Britain became the fifth country to receive the game after Germany, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

The release of the game in the U.K. was delayed after an immense number of downloads in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia led to the servers to crash. Germany became the first European country on Wednesday to get the game. Those living in these five countries can download the game from App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android).

Smartphone users in other regions can still install Pokémon Go on Apple iPhones and Android handsets via APK file. The game has users chasing virtual Pokémon characters through real-life city streets on their smartphone screens.

[Note: Using APK file to download the game could lead to the loss of private data stored on your devices as a malware has been found in some Pokémon GO APK files available online. To avoid hackers getting access to your phone, wait until the app is officially released.]

Steps to download Pokémon Go on iOS devices:​

• In the App Store app, scroll down to the bottom and select your Apple ID. Then choose "Sign out."
• Change your region to U.S., Australia or New Zealand by going to Settings > General > Language and Region.
• Create a new Apple ID for the region that you've selected, by going to appleid.apple.com/account. It's best to make these changes using a computer so you don't have to enter any credit card details.
• After entering your details, hit "Continue" and follow the steps to verify the account.
• After the account verification, go to the App Store on your device, scroll down and select "Sign in." The device will ask you to review the new account and suggest you add card details, but you can select "None."
• Once the previous step is completed you can search for Pokémon Go in the App Store and download it.

Steps to download Pokémon Go on Android devices:​

Before proceeding to the download process in Android devices, the phone setting needs to be changed to allow installation of APK file. For this, Go to Settings > Security> and allow permission to download "Unknown sources." You will receive a pop-up message that reads: "Your Phone and personal data are more vulnerable to attack by apps from unknown sources. You agree that you are solely responsible for any damage to your phone or loss of data that may result from using these apps." Press "OK" to complete the process.

• Download the Pokémon Go APK file from websites such as APK Mirror or APK Pure. After the download is completed you will receive a warning message. If you wish to continue, press "OK."
• Scroll down and select "Install" on the Pokémon Go file in the notification centre.
• In case you have downloaded the file on your PC, you need to transfer the file to your phone via USB. Tap on Pokémon GO in your Downloads folder to install Pokémon GO.

For those who have already installed the game using APK file in the U.K., you need to delete the file. Here are the steps:

• Delete the Pokémon Go app you downloaded through APK file.
• Make sure you're logged in to the right app store account (App Store or Google Play Store) and your region is set to the UK. Do this by going to Settings -> General -> Language and Region
• Redownload the game and log in using the Google or Pokémon Trainer Club account that you registered with before to ensure that all your data and progress in the game is stored.