What's the difference between Incense and Lures in Pokémon Go?

If you're playing Pokémon Go, you may have noticed two items in your bag that are designed to attract Pokémon to you. Incense and Lures are the best way to help you catch 'em all.

How does Incense work in Pokémon Go?

Incense is a "mysterious fragrance" that attracts Pokémon to you. When you activate an Incense, it will go with you wherever you walk. Incense lasts 30 minutes. It only works on you. So, if you leave the location you first activated an incense, it follow you.

How do Lures work in Pokémon Go?

Lures are modules that are placed on a PokéStop. They attract Pokémon to a specific location. Lures last 30 minutes. When you place a Lure module at a Pokéstop, it remains at that location, even if you leave.

So, what's the difference between Incense and Lures in Pokémon Go?

Basically, Incense is meant to be just for you. It works great if you want to wander around a city and make sure Pokémon come to you.

Lures are for making fast friends with any Pokémon Go trainers in the area. Your Nickname will appear next to the Lure Module, so others know who was nice enough to share the wealth.

What's your Incense vs. Lure strategy? Let me know in the comments!

Lory Gil

Lory is a renaissance woman, writing news, reviews, and how-to guides for iMore. She also fancies herself a bit of a rock star in her town and spends too much time reading comic books.  If she's not typing away at her keyboard, you can probably find her at Disneyland or watching Star Wars (or both).