Master the art of speed with Pokémon GO’s Quick Catch-a clever technique that lets you skip the usual capture animation and reel in Pokémon faster than ever. Whether you’re racing through Community Day or grinding for that elusive catch, learning this method will turbocharge your gameplay and have you filling your Pokédex in record time.
Quick catching will help you do so, allowing you to skip the catch animation and rewards screen, so you can just get back to catching more stuff right after you throw that ball.
Below, we explain how quick catching works and how to master the quick catch in Pokémon Go.
How does quick catching work in Pokémon Go?
Quick catching in Pokémon Go is a technique that allows players to skip the lengthy catch animation and rewards screen after throwing a Poké Ball, significantly speeding up the capture process. To perform a quick catch, you use two hands: with one hand, press and hold the berry or Poké Ball menu icon and slide it slightly to the side without releasing, while with the other hand, you throw the Poké Ball at the Pokémon. Once the ball hits, you release the held icon and immediately tap the “Run” button that appears, which exits the encounter and returns you to the map. If the catch is successful, the Pokémon will be added to your collection without the usual wait. This method exploits a minor glitch, saving time especially during events with many spawns, though it’s recommended to avoid quick catching rare or shiny Pokémon to ensure they are caught safely.
The TL;DR is that you utilize the item menus on the screen to bypass the catch animation and reward screen, allowing you to “flee” from the encounter while the ball still tries to catch the Pokémon.
Quick catching adds a layer of speed to your catching progress, but it does not guarantee catches or increase catch rate. It’s entirely possible that the ball you throw at the Pokémon will not catch it, and you’ll have to repeat the process. Even so, it’s still much faster than waiting around for that animation.
You should not quick catch things that may need more attention, like a Galarian bird or a shiny.
How to quick catch in Pokémon Go
Quick catching in Pokémon Go is a technique that allows you to skip the usual Poké Ball shaking animation, significantly speeding up the catching process. To perform a quick catch, use two hands: with your non-dominant hand, press and hold the Poké Ball or berry menu icon and slide it across the screen without lifting your finger, while your dominant hand throws the Poké Ball at the Pokémon. Once the ball hits, quickly release the finger holding the menu and tap the “Run” icon that appears to exit the encounter before the animation finishes. This method saves valuable time, especially during events with limited durations or when using items like Lucky Eggs, allowing you to catch more Pokémon efficiently.
Here’s how to quick catch in Pokémon Go:
1. Use your non-dominant hand to touch and hold the berry or ball item menu in the corner.
2. Drag the menu button out to the opposite side by swiping your finger to the other side of the screen (so you’re dragging your finger to the right if you are using the berry menu and to the left if you’re using the ball menu). The menu icon (and your finger) should be about here, if you’re using the Poké Ball menu:
3. Keep your finger on the screen and use your dominant (or other) hand to throw the Poké Ball at the encounter. (You can add a spin or wait for the circle to close in more, if you want.) Remember to not lift your non-dominant finger off the screen until after you throw the ball.
4. Once you throw the ball, release your non-dominant finger, which should open the ball or berry menu, depending on which side you picked. The “run away” button should appear in the top left corner, along with shop button on the top right corner.
5. Tap the “run away” button.
That’s all there is to it! You can check your Pokémon inventory (sorted by recent) to see if you caught the critter. The Pokémon may still appear on the map, but if you caught it, it will disappear either upon tapping or on its own shortly after. Otherwise, tapping it again will give you another opportunity to catch it.
Here’s a gif of it all happening in action, to give you an idea of what you should see (though we ended the gif before we “ran away” for privacy reasons):
It also may take a few tries to get the cadence down just right. This method does require using both hands, so it’s definitely a more “locked in” strategy that you probably won’t want to do on your daily stroll with iced coffee in hand.
Note that there are some finicky interactions when it comes to using the quick catch method. We noticed that if you try to quick catch Pokémon lured in by an item (Incense, Lure Modules, and even things like the Meltan Box and Coin Bag), it won’t display correctly after quick catching. Even if you catch the Pokémon, the encounter will stay there on the map, instead of disappearing after a tap or a few seconds. You may want to catch these types of encounters manually to avoid confusion.
Want to learn the secret to catching Pokémon in seconds
Want to learn the secret to catching Pokémon in seconds? Master the Quick Catch technique in Pokémon GO-a clever trick that skips the usual catch animation and lets you snag Pokémon up to three times faster. By holding and sliding your finger over the Poké Ball and berry menus while throwing the ball with your other hand, you can instantly exit the encounter as the catch happens, saving precious time during events or mass-catching sessions. With a bit of practice, this method will revolutionize how quickly you fill your Pokédex.
What is the most effective quick catch technique in Pokémon GO
The most effective Quick Catch technique in Pokémon GO involves using both hands to skip the catch animation and speed up the capture process. Here’s how it works step-by-step:
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Enter the Pokémon encounter screen and optionally feed a berry.
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With your non-throwing hand, tap and hold the Poké Ball icon and slide your finger toward the berry icon without lifting it. This prevents the menu from opening.
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While still holding the Poké Ball icon, use your other hand to throw the Poké Ball at the Pokémon.
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As soon as the ball hits the Pokémon and the catch animation begins, lift your finger from the Poké Ball icon to open the menu.
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Quickly tap the “Run” (escape) icon in the top left to exit the encounter before the catch animation finishes.
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If successful, the Pokémon will be caught and you return to the map much faster than usual.
This method requires some practice to master the timing but dramatically increases catch speed, especially useful during events or mass-catching sessions. It also does not risk bans, as Niantic has confirmed it is a legitimate technique.
