Setup a server for a Pokemon GO map with Heroku

Posted on 1. August 2016 in English with 0 comments

🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇨🇭 Diesen Artikel gibt es auch auf deutsch.

I will show you how to setup a server that scans your location for Pokémon that can be found with the Pokemon GO App.

The open source software can be installed on your own Mac or on a Heroku cloud server. I recommend you to use the Heroku server because the setup is easier and it can be used out-of-the-box with the iOS App.
You can install the iOS App after you have set up this server.

Google Maps API key

You need a Google Maps API key to display the map. Sign up at the developer console to create one.

Click on „Credentials“ on the sidebar.

Choose „Create a project“ and select any name you want. Click create.

Click on „Create Credentials“ and select „API key“. We need a „Browser Key“.

Type any name you want and click create.

Copy this key. We will need it later.

Heroku installation

You should use this link to start the guided install which is very easy to use.

After your registration you can configure the app with the link above.
Choose any name you want for your server and select a location for „Runtime Selection“.
You can access your server later via the name you choose here: https://YOUR-CHOOSEN-NAME.herokuapp.com/.

In „AUTH_SERVICE“ type the authentication service to use. (use „ptc“ for Pokémon Trainer Club or „google“ if you are logged in with a Google Account). Enter your username (or email address if you logged in with Google) and password to login to the specified authentication service.
To protect you main account from being banned you should create a second account inside the Pokémon GO App.

In „LOCATION“ enter the location on which the map should be centered. This can be an address, co-ordinates or anything that Google Maps accepts. You can change the location anytime later via the map or the iOS App.
In „GMAPS_KEY“ enter the Google Maps API key we created earlier.
The field „STEP_COUNT“ specifies the area that is scanned by the map. I recommend to choose nothing higher that 7 to protect your account from being soft-banned.

The field „EXTRA_ARGS“ can be left empty.
After you clicked on „Deploy for free“ you can access your map by entering the URL in Safari or any other webbrowser: https://YOUR-CHOOSEN-NAME.herokuapp.com/.