This page explains how to find and catch pokémon in Pokémon GO.
Places to Find Pokémon
Pokémon seem to appear more often in large grassy areas, as well as near ponds and bodies of water, and around PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. In addition, if someone has installed a Lure Module at a PokéStop, pokémon will appear near that PokéStop every few minutes if you are nearby.
You can also use Incense to make pokémon appear near you every few minutes, no matter where you are.
Nearby Pokémon
When playing Pokémon GO, a bar will appear in the corner that shows which pokémon are nearby. You can tap the bar to see a list of all nearby pokémon. If the pokémon is not yet in your Pokédex, this bar will only show the pokémon's shadow.
Finding the Nearby Pokémon
To find the pokémon that are nearby, find a safe place to stand still, then use two fingers to zoom out and look for rustling leaves. You are more likely to find wild pokémon where there are rustling leaves, so memorize where you see the leaves on the map, then put your device away (without closing Pokémon GO) and go there.
If there are no rustling leaves nearby, try looking for large grassy areas, ponds and bodies of water, and PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms. Pokémon are more likely to appear in those areas.
When a wild pokémon appears, your device will vibrate and play a sound (but only if Pokémon GO is still open on your device).
When this happens, find a safe place to stand still, then look at your Pokémon GO map. You should see some pokémon near you.
Catching the Pokémon
Tap on the pokémon that you want to catch, then move your device around to find it (if using the camera), and swipe upward to throw a pokéball at it. You can throw farther by swiping farther up the screen.
The pokémon might knock the pokéball away, so keep trying. If the pokéball hits the pokémon, the pokémon will go into the pokéball, and the pokéball will shake. There is a chance that the pokémon will escape from the pokéball. If this happens, keep trying. There is also a chance that the pokémon will run away.
You can tap the Bag icon to use a different type of pokéball, if you have any. You can also use a Razz Berry from the bag. Just tap the berry after you take it out, and the Pokémon will eat it. The Razz Berry increases the chance that the pokéball will catch the pokémon. If the pokémon breaks free, you can use another Razz Berry afterward.
Catch Probability
Before you catch a pokémon, a colorful circle will appear around it. The color of this circle tells you the probability that the pokéball will catch the pokémon. The colors are Green (most likely to catch), Yellow, Orange, and Red (least likely to catch).
If the pokéball is inside of the colorful circle when it touches the pokémon, you will get a bonus, which increases the chance of catching the pokémon and gives you more XP if you catch the pokémon.
Pokéball Throwing Techniques
When you swipe your finger to throw the Pokéball, you can throw the Pokéball farther by swiping farther up the screen.
You can also spin the pokéball by dragging your finger in a circle after you touch the pokéball. If you throw a spinning pokéball, it will move in a curved path. If the curveball lands inside of the colorful circle when it touches the pokémon, you will get a 10 XP bonus if you catch the pokémon with that throw.