Pokémon GO has regular Poké Balls for ordinary wild encounters, stronger Great and Ultra Balls, and several balls limited to specific situations. The Master Ball is exceptionally rare and guarantees a catch; Premier Balls are for Raid Bosses; Beast Balls and GO Safari Balls are restricted to special encounters or events. Here’s what each one does and how to choose.
Poké Ball types at a glance
| Ball | Where you can use it | Stated effectiveness | Availability or expiration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poké Ball | Ordinary wild encounters | Standard catch item | Available from PokéStops and the in-game Shop, according to Niantic’s item glossary. |
| Great Ball | Wild Pokémon | Niantic says it improves your ability to catch wild Pokémon; no numeric multiplier is stated in the reviewed help pages. | Higher-performance option in the ball selector. |
| Ultra Ball | Wild Pokémon | Niantic says it improves your ability to catch wild Pokémon; no numeric multiplier is stated in the reviewed help pages. | Higher-performance option in the ball selector. |
| Master Ball | Catch encounters where it can be selected | Niantic describes it as having a 100% catch rate. | Very rare; the cited help description does not specify a routine way to obtain one. |
| Premier Ball | Capturing a Raid Boss after defeating it | Used for the post-raid capture encounter. | Awarded after the raid; the number varies with factors such as damage, Gym team control, and defeat speed. |
| Beast Ball | Particular special circumstances, including Ultra Beast encounters | Special-use ball; Niantic does not provide a general wild-catch multiplier in the cited description. | Restricted to applicable encounters. |
| GO Safari Ball | Eligible GO Safari Ball event encounters | Niantic describes it as highly effective. | Event-specific. Unused balls disappear after a time; check the event details for the applicable expiration rule. |
These descriptions follow Niantic’s Types of Items and their Effects, Catching Pokémon, and Raid Battles help pages. They do not establish numeric Great Ball or Ultra Ball catch-rate multipliers, so avoid treating either as a fixed percentage improvement.
Which ball should you use for a wild Pokémon?
Start with the regular Poké Ball
Use regular Poké Balls for routine wild encounters, especially when you want to conserve stronger balls. Niantic says they can be found at PokéStops and purchased in the in-game Shop.
Switch to a Great Ball or Ultra Ball when needed
For a harder-to-catch wild Pokémon, choose a Great Ball or Ultra Ball from the encounter’s ball selector. Niantic describes both as improving your ability to catch wild Pokémon, but its reviewed help descriptions do not quantify the difference between them. Choosing a higher-performance ball is one way to improve your chances; it is not a guarantee of a successful catch.
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Save the Master Ball for a high-stakes catch
The Master Ball’s published 100% catch rate makes it distinct from the other balls. Because Niantic describes it as very rare, consider carefully when to spend it. The help description cited here does not specify how players obtain one, so availability may depend on what the game offers at a given time.
Which balls are limited to special encounters?
Premier Balls: Raid Bosses
After you defeat a Raid Boss, the game gives you Premier Balls for the capture encounter. They are not a general-purpose option for catching wild Pokémon. Niantic says the number awarded can depend on your contribution, including damage dealt, whether your team controls the Gym, and how quickly the boss is defeated. It is not a fixed number for every raid.
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Beast Balls: specific circumstances
Beast Balls are reserved for particular situations. Niantic’s item description includes Ultra Beast encounters as an example; it does not present them as an alternative for everyday wild catches.
GO Safari Balls: event use and expiration
GO Safari Balls are powerful, event-specific items. Unused balls are removed from your Item Bag after a time, but the reviewed help description does not establish one expiration interval that applies to every event. Check the event’s own details and use any remaining balls before the stated cutoff.
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How to improve a catch beyond choosing a ball
- Aim for the target ring. Niantic describes green, orange, and red rings as indicating low, intermediate, and extreme capture difficulty. Waiting until the ring is small can help you land a better throw.
- Throw a curveball. Niantic says curveballs reduce the chance that a Pokémon breaks free and can award extra XP.
- Use berries. Razz Berries assist catches, and Golden Razz Berries are more effective.
- For Raid Bosses, prioritize throw quality. Niantic’s raid guidance says Great and Excellent throws improve your chance of catching the boss.
Ball choice and throw quality are separate parts of the encounter: a stronger ball can help, while a careful throw and a berry provide additional assistance.
Choose a different ball during an encounter
- Open a wild Pokémon encounter.
- Tap the ball selector to view available balls, then choose a Great Ball or Ultra Ball if you want a higher-performance option.
- Check which ball is selected before throwing. Pokémon GO can remember the last-used ball, so a previous choice may remain selected in a later encounter. If you have run out of that ball type, the game defaults to regular Poké Balls.
Optional accessory: Bluetooth catch attempts
Pokémon GO Plus + is an optional Bluetooth accessory, not a type of Poké Ball. Niantic says connected devices use regular Poké Balls for catch attempts regardless of the remembered-ball setting. Bluetooth devices cannot use specialty balls such as Premier Balls or GO Safari Balls, so they do not replace selecting those balls for the encounters that require them. See Niantic’s Pokémon GO Plus + help information for device details.
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