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How To Allow Camera Access On 'Pokemon Go' So You Feel Like You're In The Pokemon World

by Jen McGuire

It's never enough, is it? Human beings, as a species, are always hardwired to want more. We want more of everything: more money, more space, more cheese on our pizzas, and the Pokemon experience is no different. Playing the video games wasn't enough, the trading cards and TV show weren't enough. Humans wanted real Pokemon, they wanted to find them and to catch them and to battle other worthy trainers in the outside. And now, with the new "Pokemon Go" craze, they finally can. But is that enough? Nope, it's not. If you're wondering how to allow access to your camera on the "Pokemon Go" app, you're ready to see Pokemon in the flora and fauna of the real world, rather than just on a cartoon background. Because that is just not enough.

"Pokemon Go" is a free app for Android and iOS that was launched to immediate, manic success on July 6. The augmented reality game enables the user's GPS and internet on his or her phone to allow them to track Pokemon in the outside world rather than just through a video game console. The app is based on the original Pokemon video game series invented by Japanese video game designer (and real life insect collector) Satoshi Tajiri, and developed by Nintendo. Pokemon, or "pocket monsters" are meant to be captured and collected by their human "trainers." Some resemble real life animals (as in the turtle-like "Squirtle" who, if my sons are to be believed, is rather difficult to catch), while others are sort of humanoid in nature.

So sure, that's all well and good, but do you know what's even better than catching Pokemon that appear on your phone? Catching them when they appear in virtual reality.

So you want to know how to open your camera in your "Pokemon Go" app? Well, when you initially go into the "Terms of Service" to download the app, you will be asked to allow access to your camera (which makes sense, since this is an augmented reality game). Once you have allowed access, you can use your camera to overlay Pokemon into the real world. Once you have found your Pokemon on the map provided on your phone, you click on said Pokemon and then turn the camera until you find it. The real world setting becomes your background, and that is where your battle will begin.

If you accidentally denied the app access initially, go to "Settings," the app name, and then switch on "Camera" under "Allow Pokemon Go To Access."

While some users are wary of allowing the "Pokemon Go" app free access to their information (could this be a trick? Big Brother keeping an eye on us? Espionage?) and should probably knuckle down to give the 30-page Terms of Service a good read through, allowing camera access just makes sense. And if users are finding the camera is wasting too much of their phone's battery, they can simply turn it off.

But let's all take a moment to realize how excited the Nineties kids would have been if they'd known they might grow up to actually go outside and catch "real" Pokemon? Isn't it worth the trouble?