Pokémon GO’s Explorer Gadget is still being tested as of August 12, 2026, and access is not guaranteed. Scopely has been distributing the feature at random while expanding it to more players and regions.
Once an account receives the gadget, it can handle two everyday tasks automatically: catching Pokémon and spinning PokéStops. It is designed to keep working after the game is closed, giving Trainers a way to collect activity in the background instead of keeping Pokémon GO open.
How to get the Explorer Gadget
There is currently no guaranteed way to obtain the Explorer Gadget. Scopely is adding it to accounts through a gradual test, so some Trainers have access while others are still waiting.
The item should be granted automatically when the feature becomes fully available. Until then, an account may simply be outside the current part of the rollout. An August 11 U.S. account sighting added to the signs of an uneven release, but it did not confirm access for Trainers across the country; the U.S. sighting involved a single player.
How the Explorer Gadget works
After the gadget appears on an account, activate it to begin its daily session. It will then work in the background and perform the following tasks:
- Catch Pokémon automatically while you are away from the game, using regular Poké Balls rather than Great Balls or Ultra Balls.
- Spin PokéStops automatically to collect rewards from those locations.
- Continue working while Pokémon GO is closed after activation.
Background mode does not appear to keep tracking a moving Trainer. Android testing suggests the gadget works with Pokémon that have already spawned and PokéStops that are already in range when the game is minimized. Walking with Pokémon GO minimized does not appear to update the GPS or create new encounters, so the gadget is more of a snapshot helper than a walking sidekick.
Opening Pokémon GO again refreshes the map. New Pokémon can spawn, the GPS updates, and minimizing the game once more lets the gadget work with the newly loaded activity. Similar behavior has been reported on iOS, although more testing across devices and account levels is still needed.
The feature is similar in purpose to autocatching accessories such as GO Plus and GO Plus+, but the Explorer Gadget is being tested as an in-game option. Its main restriction is that it can be used only once per day.
There is also a limit on both Pokémon catches and PokéStop spins during that use. Player testing suggests each limit may match the Trainer’s level: a level 60 Trainer would get up to 60 catches and 60 spins. The full rules have not been confirmed, so the gadget’s daily output may vary between Trainers.
For now, the process is simple: wait for the feature to reach your account, activate it when it becomes available, and let it handle Pokémon catches and PokéStop spins in the background. Reopen the game when you want fresh map activity loaded for the gadget.
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Pokémon Go
Developed by Niantic Labs, The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Simulator
- Platforms Android, iOS
- Perspective Third person, Bird view / Isometric, Side view
- Modes Single player, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release July 6, 2016
- Publisher Niantic Labs
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Age Rating
