How do footprints work in Pokemon Go?

[iMore Question]

What do footprints accomplish in Pokemon GO? I am not understanding how they work?

 

[metllicamilitia]

Foot prints accomplish nothing. What they tell you is how far away that Pok?mon is from you. 3 foot prints is the furthest away, and no foot prints is in your immediate vicinity and will pop up for you to catch.

 

[eyecrispy]

Lol. I agree that they don't really help bc it doesn't tell you which direction. You just know they are near(ish) and it's frustrating. But I'm not that serious about the game, so I don't care a ton. I just bring up the game when I'm walking around and if it buzzes, I look to see if I can catch one.

 

[robertk328]

I just bring up the game when I'm walking around and if it buzzes, I look to see if I can catch one.

Pretty much walking around staring at the screen doesn't do you any good. It'll vibrate when it's time to look!

 

[jonny247]

Hello I'm having problems on Pokemon go am level 6 & no matter what Pokemon are 3 foot prints away from me and no matter what they don't go down to 2 are 1 just says as 3 like the other day vulpix was 3 foot prints away and then it just disappeared off raydar altogether and just a little bit down the road i got attacked by him. Is any one elce having this problem on Pokemon go

Thanks

 

[robertk328]

Hello I'm having problems on Pokemon go am level 6 & no matter what Pokemon are 3 foot prints away from me and no matter what they don't go down to 2 are 1 just says as 3 like the other day vulpix was 3 foot prints away and then it just disappeared off raydar altogether and just a little bit down the road i got attacked by him. Is any one elce having this problem on Pokemon go

Thanks

I'm wondering if it's the latest updates. I can't remember seeing anything less than 3 since we got 1.0.1 and 1.0.2.