Smeargle, one of the most artistic of all Pokémon, has finally gone live in Pokémon GO — and you’ll have to do something special to make him appear.
Instead of encountering Smeargle in the wild like any other normal Pokémon, Smeargle is attracted to photos. That’s right, Smeargle will only appear if you’re taking pictures of your Pokémon. When you do, he’ll randomly appear and photobomb your pic. It’s pretty rude, but luring out a Smeargle will also make him appear in the overworld, where you’ll get a chance to snatch him.
Below, you’ll find our full guide for capturing Smeargle, including all the info we’ve dug up. This is one of the most unique Pokémon to appear, and it’s pretty easy to miss Smeargle if you haven’t been taking many pictures of your Pokémon. It’s hilarious, adorable, and a complete surprise if you didn’t already know about this fun feature.
How To Catch A Smeargle | Photobombing Pokemon Guide
Smeargle appears when you use the new AR photo feature in Pokémon GO. You can access the snapshot camera from the Pokémon’s info page, or through the items menu. Open the camera and take pictures — randomly, Smeargle will interrupt and photobomb your snapshot.
After Smeargle photobombs, it will appear on the map. This is your chance to capture Smeargle! Only one appears every 12 hours, and they can escape. Use your best Pokeballs to get him before he gets away.
Smeargle will inherit the moves from whatever Pokémon it just photobombed. So, depending on which Pokémon you’re taking pictures of, you can get a very different Smeargle. Fans (currently) believe that it’s easier to get Smeargle to spawn when you take many pictures of different Pokémon — you can’t just take lots of pictures of just one Pokémon.
AR+ is not required to get Smeargle to spawn. If Smeargle appears, you’ll need to wait 12 (or 24) hours before another Smeargle will spawn. You can capture multiple Smeargles.
More Pokemon GO tips, tricks, and FAQs:
- Pokemon GO: 9 Essential Tips, Tricks & Answers To Your Questions
- Pokemon GO: How To Add Friends & Trade Pokémon
- Pokemon GO: Get All 3 Eeveelutions Every Time
- Pokemon GO: Perfect Pokeball Throws With AssistiveTouch
- Pokemon GO: How to Become A Gym Leader
- Pokemon GO: How to Earn Coins (Fast) & What They’re Used For
- Pokemon GO: Where to Find (And Catch) Pokemon | Spawn Locations
- Pokemon GO: iOS & Android Compatibility – Which Versions Work
- Pokemon GO: Easy Ways to Earn XP & Level Up Fast
- Pokemon GO: How to Take In-Game Screenshots
- Pokemon GO: Is It Out In Your Country? | Availability List
- Pokemon GO: All the Moves, Ranked Best to Worst | Complete List
- Pokemon GO: 6 Essential Facts You Need to Know About the Buddy System
