How to use incense in Pokémon Go

There are loads of techniques for capturing Pokémon in Pokémon Go; one method is to use incense to lure nearby critters. Here's everything you need to know about using the smelly stuff.

Incense

When you first start playing Pokémon Go, the game gives you two incense pots to get you going; you can find them in the items menu (tap the PokéBall at the bottom of the screen).

Incense will draw in nearby Pokémon by emitting a mysterious fragrance.

Each incense pot lasts 30 minutes. Timing is everything — once you activate the incense, a timer starts counting down and keeps counting down even if you leave the app.

How to activate an incense pot

1. Tap the Poké Ball at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Items.
3. Tap Incense.
4. The incense pot will appear on your main screen. Tapping it again will activate the luring effect for a period of 30 minutes.

NOTE: You'll know you've successfully activated your incense when a purple-pink cloud encircles your character.

How to buy more incense

If you run out of incense, you can buy some from the shop. Here's how:

1. Tap the Poké Ball at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Shop
3. Tap to choose the number of incense pots you'd like to purchase.

NOTE: Incense costs money, so you're going to need some Pokécoins if you want to re-up. You can win Pokécoins in game, or buy them via in-app purchase.

Lure 'em in!

Whether you're avoiding getting active or hunting down rare Pokémon, incense can be of service. Any questions, tips, or tricks? Let us know in the comments!