Augmented reality mobile app Pokemon Go appears to have taken over the world in just a few days.

The game isn’t officially out in the UK yet but you’ve probably already seen people wandering around in a trance glued to their smartphones as they try to catch virtual creatures found in real-life locations.

What’s it all about?

Pokemon Go players are tasked with physically exploring neighbourhoods and towns to find all the collectible critters such as Bulbasaur, Charmeleon and Pikachu.

An on-screen map shows roughly where they are situated, but they can also show up randomly as people move around.

Northwich Guardian:

Players get an alert when a Pokemon is near and then use their phone camera to hunt and capture it. Augmented reality software is used to overlay the creatures on to the real-world surroundings.

There are also Pokéstops found at meeting places, tourist attractions or landmarks where items can be picked up for using in the game and there are gyms too where Pokémon can be trained up to fight.

What are all these headlines?

Pokémon Go was released in the USA on July 7 but has already garnered some adverse publicity.

There have been reports of armed robbers using the game to lure players into isolated locations, as well as a warning that paedophiles could potentially summon children to quiet places.

And there have been stories of people absent-mindedly wandering into traffic while fixated on their phone screens, while a teenager in America found a dead body as she played.

At the same time, Pokemon Go has won praise already for encouraging people to go outside and get exercise. Adults and children alike have all been joining in.

How do I play it?

So there are pros and cons so far, but one thing’s for certain – Pokémon Go is already incredibly popular.

Unfortunately there has been no official announcement on the UK release date for the game, and it is currently only out in the States, Australia and New Zealand.

The game’s UK launch has been put back until developers Nintendo, Niantic and the Pokémon Company can be sure the online servers won’t crash under demand.

However, there is a workaround in the meantime - so if you just can’t wait to get collecting, follow these steps to get Pokémon Go on your iPhone now:

  • Log out of your current Apple ID on your iPhone. The fastest way is to open the App Store, click the Featured tab, scroll right to the bottom, tap your Apple ID and hit ‘Sign out’.
  • Go to Settings > General > Language & Region and change the region to the US, Australia or New Zealand.
  • Download any free app and you’ll be prompted to create a new Apple ID. Do so, and select ‘None’ in the billing menu. Add any US/Australia/NZ-based address.
  • Try searching for Pokémon Go again and it should now be there and ready to install.

And follow these steps to get Pokémon Go on your Android device:

  • Download Pokémon Go from an APK download site, ideally directly on your phone but, failing that on a PC (58.1MB file size).
  • If using a PC, attach your phone to the PC via USB and drag the downloaded file to your Downloads folder.
  • On your phone go to Settings > Security and enable installation of apps from unknown sources. Now hit Pokémon Go in your Downloads folder to install the game.

Obviously, anyone who installs software found on the internet or alters their phone's settings does so at their own risk.

Have you started playing Pokémon Go yet? Which creatures have you caught where, and have you found any Pokéstops? Add your comments below, message us through our Facebook page or send us a tweet.