Pokemon GO Beginner Guide: Everything to Do in Your First Week

Pokemon GO throws you straight into a world where Pikachu might be hiding behind your local coffee shop, and the first seven days decide whether your account becomes a powerhouse or a cluttered mess. The fastest way to enjoy the game is to build smart habits early: catch everything, spin every Pokestop, and never let your daily bonus streak reset. This guide covers exactly what to do hour by hour in your first week so you reach Level 30 with a usable roster, a stack of items, and a clear sense of where the real fun starts.

Set Up Your Account and Pick a Team

When you hit Level 5 you are forced to choose a team — Team Mystic (blue), Team Valor (red), or Team Instinct (yellow). Your choice only matters for gyms, so pick the team your friends use or the color you like. It does not change catch rates or which Pokemon spawn. Right after team selection you can battle a gym for the first time, but in your first week gyms are secondary to gathering resources.

Before you walk out the door, open the in-game shop and check the free box, then redeem any working Pokemon GO promo codes for extra balls and berries. New accounts also get a referral bonus if you enter a friend's Pokemon GO referral code, which hands you rare candy and incubators over your first few levels.

Your First Hour: Catch, Spin, Repeat

Every Pokestop you walk past should be spun. Each spin gives you Poke Balls, potions, and sometimes eggs, with a bonus item drop on your seventh day streak. Catch every Pokemon you see, even common ones like Rattata and Pidgey, because every catch grants XP and candy.

Focus on the catching mechanic itself. Hold the ball, wait for the colored circle to shrink, then throw when it is smallest for an Excellent Throw. Practice curveballs by spinning the ball before release — it adds a meaningful catch bonus and helps with rare spawns later. If you want the full breakdown of throw types, circles, and berries, read our Pokemon GO catching guide.

Build a Daily Routine Around Bonuses

The single most valuable habit is the daily bonus. Catch at least one Pokemon and spin at least one Pokestop every single day. On day 7 you get a big bundle: 2,000 Stardust, 10 Poke Balls, 5 Pinap Berries, and usually a rare candy. On day 30 the streak reward jumps to 3,000 Stardust and a Lucky Egg. Missing a day resets you to day 1, so protect that streak above almost everything else in week one.

Pair the streak with field research. Spin a Pokestop with a research task icon, complete simple objectives like "make 3 nice throws," and bank a stamp each day. Seven stamps unlock a Research Breakthrough with a guaranteed encounter, often a strong or rare Pokemon.

Use Eggs and Incubators Wisely

You start with one orange Infinite Incubator that never breaks, plus any bonus incubators from codes or level-ups. Put your longest-distance egg (10 km) in the orange one, and save limited-use incubators for 2 km or 5 km eggs so you hatch more per incubator. Walking is the only way to hatch — there is no shortcut.

Eggs reward you with candy, Stardust, and sometimes Pokemon you cannot find in the wild. Our Pokemon GO egg hatching guide lists what distances produce what, but the beginner rule is simple: keep an egg in every free slot and walk whenever you can.

Start a Buddy and Learn Stardust

Set a buddy Pokemon early. Walking with a buddy earns candy for that species, and the Pokemon GO buddy system also unlocks hearts that lead to friendship-level perks. Pick a Pokemon you want to power up later, like a starter evolution, so the candy accumulates passively.

Stardust is the currency you can never buy enough of. You earn it from catches (100 per catch, doubled during some events), eggs, and research. In your first week, do not spend Stardust powering up common Pokemon. Save it. Our Pokemon GO Stardust guide explains the best targets, but the week-one rule is to bank it until you have a Pokemon worth investing in.

Try a Gym and a Raid by Week's End

Once you are Level 5, tap a gym and fight the defender with type-effective charged moves. Winning lets your team claim it and earns you 50 Pokemon GO coins per day at most when your Pokemon defends. Gyms are also where you learn battle timing. By the weekend, join at least one raid if one appears nearby — even a low-tier raid teaches you the raid lobby and gives you rare candy and TMs.

If walking to raids is hard, a Pokemon GO remote raid pass lets you join from home, though you need a friend invite or a visible remote-able raid. Check the current Pokemon GO raid bosses before you commit, because some bosses need more than one player.

Plan Your Leveling Path

Reaching Level 30 in the first month is realistic if you chain Lucky Eggs onto mass catches and evolutions. Every evolution gives 500 XP, and a Lucky Egg doubles it to 1,000 for 30 minutes. Evolving a stack of Pidgeys and Caterpies during one egg is a classic early XP burst. For the complete curve and the fastest routes to Level 50, see our Pokemon GO leveling guide.

FAQ

What should I do first in Pokemon GO as a beginner?

Spin every Pokestop you pass and catch every Pokemon you see, even commons, because each catch builds XP, candy, and your daily streak. Set a buddy, put an egg in your Infinite Incubator, and redeem any available promo codes for free balls and berries. Reach Level 5 to pick a team, then try one gym battle and one raid by the end of the week. Protect your daily bonus streak above everything else, since the day-7 and day-30 rewards are huge for a new account.

How many Poke Balls do I need per day?

In your first week you will burn through 30 to 80 Poke Balls a day depending on how much you walk and how many Pokemon spawn. Spin every Pokestop to refill, and use Great Balls only on tougher or higher-CP targets. If you run low, use Razz or Pinap Berries strategically, and rely on curveball Excellent Throws to cut wasted balls. Keeping your bag under the 350-item cap while prioritizing balls is the safest habit for a new player exploring a busy area.

Should I evolve Pokemon right away?

Evolving is great for XP during a Lucky Egg, but do not waste Stardust powering up early Pokemon with low IVs or weak stats. Evolve common families like Pidgey for the 500 XP each, then decide later which strong catches deserve power-ups. Wait for a Lucky Egg before mass-evolving so the XP doubles. Save rare candy and Stardust for Pokemon you plan to use in raids, gyms, or PVP rather than filling your storage with half-built commons you will eventually transfer.

Can I play Pokemon GO without walking much?

You can play lightly without walking, but hatching eggs, earning buddy candy, and finding most spawns all reward movement. Incense helps spawn Pokemon around you while stationary, and remote raids let you fight bosses from home if a friend invites you. However, the game is built around exploration, so players who walk daily progress far faster in levels, Stardust, and candy than those who stay in one spot.

When should a beginner join raids?

Join any raid you can reach once you hit Level 5 and have a team of at least a few dozen CP Pokemon. Low-tier raids are soloable early, while higher tiers need a lobby of players or a remote invite. Prioritize raids that feature Pokemon you lack, since they grant rare candy, TMs, and sometimes legendary encounters. Check the current raid boss schedule first so you do not waste passes on bosses too strong for a beginner squad to beat.