The “Pokemon Go” craze seems to have married video games and exercise.
The mobile app encourages players to explore the world around them and catch new Pokémon. Hatching eggs in the game, which hold rarer Pokémon, requires walking a certain distance.
Notice you have to "walk" a certain distance. The app doesn't count any movement over 25 mph, so you can't cheat by just driving your car.
But walking is a lot of work, and as I played the game I looked for other creative ways to hatch eggs.
I've scoured the internet for ideas and tried a few of them out myself.
Here are some hacks and cheatrs to try around Atlanta:
The Ceiling Fan Method
One of the most popular cheats on social media is the ceiling fan method. Supposedly, the spinning motion of the fan confuses your phone’s GPS and makes the app think you’re walking around.
So I tied my phone to my ceiling fan blade.
I turned the speed to medium — mostly because I was afraid of breaking my fan — and I let it spin for half an hour.
To my disappointment, none of my distances had changed. My eggs were no closer to hatching after the 30 minutes.
Maybe my phone’s GPS is too smart for my ceiling fan. Maybe your phone will work better. The great thing is that this is an easy method to try yourself and verify the results.
Either way, my ceiling fan didn’t seem to enjoy the experience, and I’m not willing to risk breaking a light fixture in my house for a mobile app.
The Roomba Method
If you’re lucky or affluent enough to own a Roomba or similar automated vacuum, this method isn’t too bad.
The mini vacuum’s flat surface makes it easy to sit your phone on top, and many allow you to adjust the operating times.
I let the little Roomba run around with my phone for half an hour and my eggs gained about 0.04 kilometers. It may not seem like much, but if you’re sitting at home making dinner, why not make a little progress in your egg-hatching endeavors?
Plus, you’re cleaning the house as well. It’s a win-win.
The Streetcar Method
No, this isn’t one you can do while you’re sitting at home. But, if you live or work in downtown Atlanta, the Atlanta Streetcar is by far the most effective way to hatch your eggs.
Getting on the streetcar costs $1 per person, and it makes a constant loop during operating hours.
You may be thinking, “Isn’t that like a car? Why would that work?”
The streetcar apparently moves slower than that 25 mph threshold mentioned earlier.
So, one full loop on the Atlanta Streetcar progresses your egg-hatching by nearly 5 kilometers in less than 30 minutes. It only costs $1 and you can ride as long as you want, potentially hatching even more eggs.
There are also plenty of Pokestops and a variety of Pokémon along the route.
Again, this is a little harder than tying your phone to your ceiling fan, but it is incredibly effective.
Other Methods
There are plenty of other theories out there that players are still testing.
Some have tied their phones to their dogs' harness and let it loose in the backyard. In the same line of thinking as the “ceiling fan method,” there are claims that turntables work, too.
Other tech-savvy players are using drones and emulators on their laptop to do all the Pokémon hunting remotely.
Try some of these methods yourself and see which one keeps you on the couch the most while you catch ‘em all.
