![Man celebrating victory while woman checking time on smart watch](https://uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/gammasquadsmartwatch.jpg?quality=90)
Smartwatches are a neat idea in theory, but in their current form they aren’t terribly useful. Why do you need an extra little smart device on your wrist when you already have your phone nearby? Well, leave it to Pokemon Go to find a purpose for the underused gadget du jour.
PokeDetector is a new Android Wear app that will alert you to any Pokemon in the area, allowing you to keep your phone in your pocket and avoid falling off any cliffs. You can customize the app to only alert you to certain items or Pokemon, and once you get an alert, you can bring up the Pokemon Go map on your watch. Handy!
This app is particularly useful because this is the way Pokemon Go was always meant to be played. Back when the game was first announced, Nintendo also showed off Pokemon Go Plus, a little device that alerts you when Pokemon or gyms are nearby and then lets you catch critters with the push of a button.
Unfortunately, the device didn’t launch alongside Pokemon Go, so people have been forced to play the game in a sub-optimal way. This smartwatch app bridges the gap, and, as a bonus, it is free (Pokemon Go Plus costs $35).
You can download PokeDetector for your Android Wear device right here. Sadly, there isn’t a version for Apple Watch yet, but you can bet something’s coming. Also, PokeDetector is an unlicensed app, so it’s recommended you sign up for it using a secondary account, lest your main account get banned.
For those who want to keep things entirely above board, Pokemon Go Plus releases July 31.
via Kotaku