Various governments expressed concerns about security, and some countries regulate its use. However, it attracted controversy for contributing to accidents and creating public nuisances. It is credited with popularizing location-based and AR technology, promoting physical activity, and helping local businesses grow due to escalated foot traffic. It was one of the most used and profitable mobile apps in 2016, having been downloaded more than 500 million times worldwide by the end of the year. Pokémon Go was released to mixed reviews critics praised the concept but criticized technical problems. The game launched with around 150 species of Pokémon, which had increased to around 700 by 2021. The game is free-to-play it uses a freemium business model combined with local advertising and supports in-app purchases for additional in-game items. It uses mobile devices with GPS to locate, capture, train, and battle virtual creatures, called Pokémon, which appear as if they are in the player's real-world location. Pokémon Go (stylized as Pokémon GO) is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game, part of the Pokémon franchise, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android devices.

Pokemon go desktop app