This Halloween, monsters are popping up on your phone too

A guest who fits on your screen

Picture the photo: your Halloween decorations in the background and a digital creature in the foreground. It could be a reason to go for a walk, learn something about technology and compete for the most playful composition. Pokémon GO combines exploration and collecting creatures on your phone. This special feature suggests a first experience for Saturday 31 October, including for people who have never played. [4]

You do not need to know every character. Start with a simple question: what happens when the place you walk through also becomes part of a video game?

The map locates you; augmented reality composes the photo

The game uses your phone’s location to place you on its map. You interact with elements there through the screen. In October 2026, its team announced changes to reduce overlapping encounters and other map points, making them easier to select. [3]

Augmented reality adds digital characters to a view of your surroundings. The setting might be a table or a decoration; you see the character on the screen. The camera is not detecting real creatures. This distinction explains the two activities in our plan: exploring the map and composing a photograph. [2]

What is happening this Halloween

Part I runs from 27 October to 1 November 2026, from 10 am to 10 am, local time. It includes costumes for Pikachu, Zubat and Sinistea. Saturday 31 falls within that window. Check the announcement for how each encounter is available. [1]

Finding one particular character need not be a condition for enjoying the outing. A beginner’s plan works better when it leaves room for discoveries, mistakes and questions.

How to start without getting lost in the buttons

Find Pokémon GO through your phone’s official app shop and check whether your device is compatible. Open the game and follow its setup instructions and tutorial. You will need a connection and location access for the map experience. You do not have to learn every battle, item or progression system at once. [4]

Begin somewhere familiar. Use your first try to understand what you are seeing and what happens when you tap an element on the map. If you go with an existing player, ask them to show you one action at a time. The aim of this outing is to understand the experience, not master it in an afternoon.

The photo: a small creative challenge

GO Snapshot is the feature for composing photos with Pokémon in your surroundings. The update announced in 2024 introduced scenes with up to three characters. To combine a character with your surroundings, check that your device supports augmented reality mode and review camera permission. You can open its tutorial using the question mark within the feature. [2]

Our suggestion: choose a view of your decorations and compare two compositions. In one, make the character the main subject; in the other, make it look like a guest who has wandered into the scene. Try it with Pokémon available to you: the challenge need not depend on finding one particular character. These are REDES creative suggestions, not official tasks or the results of a personal test.

Before sharing a photo, check that it does not reveal details of your home or people who do not want to appear. Keep the context that it is a digital composition.

Keep the fright in the game

You can try the basic game for free, with optional purchases available. For a first outing, start without buying extras and check prices before accepting offers. If children join in, agree purchases and account use with an adult. [4]

Choose places you are allowed to visit, watch your surroundings while walking and stop to play or take photos. The game’s own team reminds players to remain aware of their surroundings. [3]

For Saturday, we suggest a 20-minute outing with company and a photo at the end. That duration is an editorial idea, not a game requirement or a promise of catches. Who would you invite to go monster hunting?

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