Pokemon Go "Nearby" Feature Expands to New Areas, Changed Due to Feedback

Originally tested only in San Francisco, California, Pokemon Go's "Nearby" feature has now expanded to more markets and has been changed somewhat due to feedback.

As outlined in a blog post from developer Niantic, the Nearby feature is now available in the United States in all states west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of Hawaii and Alaska. In Canada, Nearby is now available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the western half of Ontario. And in Australia, it's available in all states and territories.

Additionally, some changes have been made to how the Nearby system works based on feedback from fans. "We have changed the feature to only show the Nearby feature if a PokeStop is close to your location. In addition, we have also made changes to the way Sightings now works," Niantic explained.

The developer went on to say that the feedback players have sent in across social media channels and elsewhere has been important to the studio. You can expect Niantic to continue to examine feedback and make more changes in the future if necessary, the studio said.

"Our first six months has been nothing short of exciting and your continued support has been inspiring," Niantic said. "We have a lot of content, features, and functionality that we will be implementing over the coming months and years. Our goal is to to always improve on existing features where we can while also releasing exciting new content and functionality."

In other Pokemon Go news, you can get double XP and Stardust right now as part of a "thank you" promotion from Niantic that runs until November 30. Additionally, Niantic updated the game this week to buff some creatures and nerf others.