Pokémon GO has expanded the Explorer Gadget so it can automatically attempt to catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops while trainers are actively playing, adding a new way to use the feature without leaving the game running in the background.
The update is available to trainers at level 20 and above. Players can turn on the Explorer Gadget by tapping its icon in the top-right corner of the Map View or by opening the Key Items section of the Item Bag. When the feature targets a Pokémon or PokéStop, a pink Poké Ball icon appears above the interaction.
How the Explorer Gadget works
Once enabled, the gadget attempts to throw Poké Balls at Pokémon and collect items by spinning nearby PokéStops as trainers move through the real world. Players can still take control of an interaction manually by tapping the Pokémon or PokéStop being targeted. That override is available only for a short period after the pink icon appears.
Trainers can review the gadget’s activity from the Map View or the Key Items section of the Item Bag. The activity screen shows which Pokémon the feature caught and how many PokéStops it spun.
- The Explorer Gadget does not attempt to catch every Pokémon, including Pokémon that are not registered in a trainer’s Pokédex and mighty Pokémon.
- The feature cannot run at the same time as a paired Pokémon GO Plus + or another compatible accessory.
- Players have a limited window to replace an automated interaction with a manual catch or spin.
The changes also include a redesigned catch summary. After a Pokémon is caught, the screen uses updated visuals to make rewards and catch bonuses easier to identify. Pokémon GO has also added a dedicated Appraise button above the additional options, giving players a direct way to access appraisal information.
Other interface and encounter changes
The update refreshes the presentation of PokéStops, including clearer visuals for nearby interactions. Power Spot encounters have also been adjusted, with special wild spawns connected to certain actions removed from the feature.
The Explorer Gadget’s expanded functionality is part of a wider group of changes to how Pokémon GO presents catches, appraisals and nearby points of interest. The feature remains limited by its level requirement, its interaction rules and its incompatibility with a simultaneously active external accessory.
