No doubt you’ve heard that Pokémon Go is available for Apple and Android users in Australia, Japan and the United States, unfortunately we’re still waiting for it here in the UK. However some clever geniuses have come up with a way around the apps geo-location restrictions so you can start playing it right away.
The app is UK-ready already as there are various locations in the UK that have the Pokéstops, Gyms and those all-important Pokémon to catch. If you’re itching to 'catch 'em all' now and you have an Android smartphone (sorry Apple army) you can get going right away.
Users will first need to download an Android app installer (APK) to your device without using the Google Play store or any other app store.
FYI: As this functions outside of the 'scanned and checked' Play Store, sideloading—as it’s known—can potentially put your smartphone device at risk to malware, so proceed with caution and at your own discretion:
Here are the steps you need to follow, according to The Guardian:
1) Download the app
First you need to download the app. Several sites acts as mirrors for the Play Store, hosting APKs for free apps that can be downloaded without going through the Play Store. They are popular with those who live outside of areas covered by the Play Store, who therefore do not have direct access to the biggest source of Android apps. There are several sites around, including ApkMirror.
Just to be clear this isn’t exactly kosher, if you do download the APK app there is a chance it will be infected with malware so your doing it totally at your own risk here. However if you can wait for the official UK release date the word on the streets is that Pokemon Go should be out in the few days.
