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Pokemon Go is displayed on a cell phone in Los Angeles on Friday, July 8, 2016. Image Credit: AP

Pokémon GO is the latest viral game sensation, and if you spend any amount of time on social media you’re bound to get bombarded by posts from your friends bragging about how much fun they’re having hunting Pokémon out in the real world.

Jealous of all your friends being able to play Pokémon GO while you wait for the game to be released locally? Eager to go grab a flying Pokémon at the Burj Khalifa or other Dubai landmarks?

While the Play Store or App Store on your phone may tell you that the game isn’t ready to be installed yet, there’s a way to start playing right now.

TechRadar has published a handy guide to getting the game to work on your Android or Apple handset without having to wait for the game’s staggered launch to finally hit your country.

Please note that Gulf News does not endorse any of the methods to get the game working on your phone, and you make changes to phone settings at your own risk.

Android

1. Go to Settings, and enable “Allow installation of apps from sources other than the Play Store”. If you can’t find this setting, simply search for “sources” inside the settings menu.

2. Download the Pokémon GO APK from this website. After download, install the file, and you’re ready to join the hordes of Pokémon fans gushing about the latest offering from Nintendo.

iPhone

1. To get the game working on your iPhone, the phone needs to think you’re in a region where the game is already available. Go to Settings, then Apple ID, and sign out of your account. Go back to Settings > General > Language & Region. Select the US, New Zealand or Australia.

2. Go to the App Store and search for Pokémon GO.

3. If the game doesn’t show up in search, choose to download any free app and select ‘Create New Apple ID’.

 

Be careful

1. If you allow apps from places other than the Play Store to run on your phone, you need to be sure not to install apps that you aren’t 100 per cent sure are safe.

2. TechAdvisor reports that although some people have deleted the game for fear of being banned from playing it when it is officially released, there have been no statements or indication from Nintendo indicating they they’ll do this. It is, however, a possibility.