Niantic Labs has launched its Apple Watch companion app for Pokemon GO.

The app will notify players when Pokemon and Pokestops are nearby. It will also track the distance players have travelled and show how much further they need to travel to hatch eggs or earn candy.

It still requires players to catch Pokemon on their phone, but Items from Pokestops can be picked up from the companion app.

Needs a hero

The Apple Watch companion app was first announced at an Apple keynote event in September 2016. It was also revealed that Pokemon GO had surpassed 500 million downloads.

The game is also rumoured to be coming to Android Wear devices based on code found in the game's files.

The Apple Watch continues to underperform, with analysts predicting it to sell one million less units in 2016 compared to 2015. However, there are some who believe that Pokemon GO could save the ailing wearable.