How to build your own PokeVision map in 5 minutes or less
Like millions of other would-be Pokemasters, for the past week I’ve been using the PokeVision app to find rare Pokemon around me. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a web app that lets you see where Pokemon are spawning around you and for how long. But, good things never last – Nintendo/Niantic shut that app down since yesterday.
Luckily, it is super easy to spin up your own instance of PokeVision using some code from GitHub and your own Google developer API keys! Allow me to walk you through the easy, five-minute or less setup process – it requires ZERO TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE so anyone can do it!
5 Steps to Creating Your Own PokeVision Map:
1) Click here to go to the Pokemon Map GitHub repo. From this page, download the file that corresponds to your operating system. For example, I would download the “OSX” file because I am using a Mac.
2) Install the app and open it. You should see a screen like this:
3) Follow this quick-and-easy guide to get your Google Maps key. Paste it in the login screen where it says “Google Maps Key.” Duh.
4) Login with a Pokemon Trainer Club (PTC) account or login via a Google account NOT ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR MAIN POKEMON LOGIN. In case a ban hammer comes down someday, this should protect your main account :)
5) CATCH ALL THE POKES!
How to use this on your phone
This app will live locally on your computer, so as long as you’re logged in on your computer, you should be able to use the Pokemon Go map on your phone, too. You can set it to “Mobile” in the upper-righthand corner. It will generate a QR code and a link which you can use on your phone to access a live instance of the Pokemon Go map on the go.
How to filter out shitty Pokemon and set notifications for awesome Pokemon
You’ll see some settings in the Options menu of the app. Type in the list of Pokemon you don’t want to see, and the ones you want to get desktop notifications for. This way, you’ll always knows when a Pikachu pops up near you! You can also click on any Pokemon on the map to see how much time is left on its spawn.
Super easy, right? Hope you found this useful – happy hunting!