Summary

  • The Pokemon franchise has diverse apps ranging from games to lifestyle tools, catering to different interests and needs.
  • Not all Pokemon apps are equal; some are very forgettable while others have become cultural juggernauts.
  • Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket offers a delightful experience similar to opening physical card packs, with engaging features.

Pokemon games have been a staple for Nintendo consoles since Red and Blue launched on the Game Boy in 1996. In the decades that have passed, there have been an abundance of spin-offs that cover many genres. As times have changed, so too has the way we play games, and people can now use their mobile devices to get some game time in.

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Smartphones have given Pokemon a new way to deliver content to fans. There have been a number of games for serious and casual gamers alike and apps related to health, hygiene, and more. Not all Pokemon apps are created equal, so we've ranked them to help you know which one to download first.

Updated on November 11, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard: The Pokemon Company continues to find new ways for us to bring Pokemon into our daily routines, whether it's through exciting games like Pokemon Go or lifestyle apps that help us improve ourselves. The most recent app, Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, launched on November 7th, so we've decided to revisit this list to see where it lands.

All Apps are free to download, unless stated otherwise.

18 Pikachu Talk

Smart homes with fancy AI assistants are a popular media trope, but it's hard to think it's outside the realm of possibility with how common it is for someone to have a Google Home or Amazon Alexa in their dwelling these days. While we're a long way off from dealing with a 2001: A Space Odyssey situation, imagine for a moment if HAL was a Pikachu instead.

Pikachu Talk was released internationally in early 2018 for Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices, although the app was removed from the former in June 2023. Asking your smart speaker to "Open Pikachu Talk" allows you to have a conversation with the electric mouse, and while hearing Pikachu sing Happy Birthday is fantastic, it's a cute feature that gets old fast.

17 Pokemon Pass

Released only in the United States in 2019, Pokemon Pass required you to go into participating retail stores to scan a QR code in order to receive a special digital gift. While in-store promotions for Pokemon aren't new, using QR codes and requiring a Pokemon Trainer Club account made it so that everyone who put the legwork in was able to partake in the spoils, instead of getting there only to discover that the store had run out of codes to hand out.

The gifts in question weren't exactly anything too exciting. There were a couple of screensavers for your phone and some digital stickers you could use to spruce up your photos. On the higher end of the scale were a Mewtwo and a handful of shiny Pokemon you could add to your roster in Sun and Moon, Sword and Shield, and Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. The app was short-lived, with its last promotion in early 2021.

16 Pokemon TV

The Pokemon anime has been around since the late 90s, and with over 1,200 episodes and over 20 movies, it's likely that you've missed something along the way. If you like watching things on your phone to kill time, Pokemon TV is a fantastic app for watching classic episodes, new ones you might have missed, and even animated shorts that are hard to find elsewhere.

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Not only can you download Pokemon TV on your phone, but you can also download it on your Nintendo Switch, so you can watch your favorite episodes on the big screen and on the go. The downside of Pokemon TV is that not everything is available all the time. The app refreshes its library every couple of weeks, which means you'll have to make sure you watch what you want to see before it's gone.

Pokemon TV was discontinued in March 2024.

15 Pokemon Rumble Rush

Pokemon Rumble Rush

Action Released May 15, 2019 ESRB E for Everyone Developer(s) Ambrella Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company Franchise Pokemon Platform(s) Android, iOS Genre(s) Action How Long To Beat 39 Hours How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs) 412 Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

The original Pokemon Rumble launched as a WiiWare title and became popular enough to justify a handful of sequels for the 3DS, Wii U, and of course, mobile devices. Pokemon Rumble Rush launched as a free-to-play app on Android and iOS in 2019, but it never really took off and was eventually shut down in 2020.

Pokemon Rumble Rush required you to use touch controls to move toy-like Pokemon around a field as they battled other creatures and Super Bosses. It was interesting to see the different Pokemon redesigned as figures, but the game failed to move the Rumble series forward and barely caught the attention of the biggest Pokemon fans out there.

14 Pokemon TCG Card Dex

If you enjoy collecting Pokemon cards, it might be worth your time to look into the official Pokemon TCG Card Dex app. You can easily take photos of your cards to add them to your digital collection and sort them using a variety of filters, but at the end of the day, there are some fantastic third-party apps that do all of this but much better.

One of the biggest issues with Pokemon TCG Card Dex is that it only has cards from the Sun and Moon sets and onward. If you have any older cards, you won't find them on the app whatsoever. Other TCG collection apps like Collectr or Pokellector have databases for every single Pokemon card, and will even provide you information like value and a marketplace to buy and sell used cards.

13 Pokemon Smile

Pokemon Smile

Adventure Released June 17, 2020 ESRB e Developer(s) The Pokemon Company Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company Franchise Pokemon Platform(s) Android, iOS Genre(s) Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse

Pokemon Smile is an app that came out of left field in 2020 that helps kids learn to brush their teeth efficiently and regularly. Using your device's camera, the app will highlight which teeth to brush as your chosen Pokemon helps defeat the bacteria plaguing your digital dentals. Eventually, a bacteria-stricken Pokemon will appear needing help, and once you have successfully brushed your teeth you can catch the rescued pocket monster.

Needless to say, this app is geared toward kids, although there's no reason adults can't use it to aid them in their own oral health. It slaps a silly hat on you and gives you something to look at while you brush your teeth, which is arguably an incredibly long and boring two minutes if you're doing it the recommended way. Just get ready to see some potentially unflattering photos of yourself brushing your teeth by the end of it.

12 Pokemon Trading Card Game Live

Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Digital Card Game Released October 9, 2024 ESRB E for Everyone Developer(s) The Pokemon Company Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Franchise Pokemon PC Release Date October 9, 2024 Platform(s) Android, iOS, PC Genre(s) Digital Card Game How Long To Beat 3½ Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

It can be hard to find someone in real life who wants to sit down for a Pokemon Card Battle. To remedy this issue, The Pokemon Company published a digital version of the game known as Pokemon Trading Card Game Online in 2011 to match aspiring trainers against each other to test their skills and expand their digital collection. It wasn't perfect, but it kept fans happy for over a decade.

Then, in 2021, it was announced that Pokemon Trading Card Game Online was going to be replaced by a new game titled Pokemon Trading Card Game Live. Since rebooting the service, the reception has been lukewarm, with many fans not appreciating the new design and free-to-play aspects that require winning multiple matches to earn new cards. There is still time for improvement, but for now, it might be more fun to hop into the Pokemon Trading Card Game for Game Boy on Nintendo Switch.

11 Pokemon Quest

Pokemon Quest

Action-Adventure Released May 30, 2018 Developer(s) Game Freak Publisher(s) Nintendo Franchise Pokemon Platform(s) Android, Nintendo Switch Genre(s) Action-Adventure How Long To Beat 31½ Hours Powered by Expand Collapse

Many Pokemon spin-offs and apps experiment with different art styles and designs, and Pokemon Quest's cube-shaped creatures are certainly one of its best elements. As great as the game looks, its passive gameplay makes it a bit of a slog to play through, and some pay-to-win features prevent Pokemon Quest from ever reaching its full potential.

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Like many Pokemon games, you begin by choosing a starter Pokemon to help you on your adventure. You will explore islands, battle wild Pokemon, and expand your party, but there is very little in-game motivation to do any of it. Pokemon Quest is available on Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch as a free download, but pervasive microtransactions weigh the experience down.

10 Pokemon Playhouse

Pokemon Playhouse

Educational Released September 21, 2017 ESRB E for Everyone Developer(s) The Pokemon Company Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company Franchise Pokemon Platform(s) iOS, Android Genre(s) Educational Powered by Expand Collapse

Pokemon Playhouse is a great game for young children who love Pokemon but don't quite have the skills needed to play the majority of the series' titles. The game is fully voice-acted, so you don't have to worry about their reading comprehension, and there are different activities available to keep kids entertained.

There are simple puzzles, look-and-finds, and musical games among others to play as you hatch eggs to add to your Pokemon friends. Older kids will likely get bored very quickly with this app, but it's a great place to start your little one's journey into the world of Pokemon.

9 Pokemon Sleep

Pokemon Sleep

Simulation Released July 17, 2023 ESRB e Developer(s) Niantic, Select Button Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company Franchise Pokemon Platform(s) Android, iOS Genre(s) Simulation Powered by Expand Collapse

Pokemon apps usually come in two different forms - either a fun game to play while killing time or something to add to your routine to improve your physical and mental health. Pokemon Sleep falls under the latter category, as its main purpose is to record your sleep data and provide useful tips on what you can do better to ensure you're fully rested.

At most, you'll only open the app a few times a day to feed Snorlax meals to increase its drowsy power, which affects how many Pokemon you'll see in the morning, so you don't need to worry about getting sucked into the game and losing half your day to it. There are some valid concerns about needing to keep your phone screen on the app all night for it to run, as well as questions about the legitimacy of how it tracks your sleep. That being said, it has been incredibly helpful to many and is certainly worth checking out.