Ditto hides as other Pokémon, so you catch it without knowing

Ditto does not appear on your map as itself. Instead, it disguises as common Pokémon in your area — usually ones you see every day like Pidgeot, Rattata, or Wailmer. You catch it the same way you catch any other Pokémon, and only after you catch it does the game tell you it was a Ditto. This means you cannot plan exactly when you will find one; you have to catch a lot of the Pokémon it is currently disguised as and hope one of them turns out to be Ditto.

Which Pokémon Ditto is hiding as changes roughly every few months when Niantic updates the game. Right now, the list of disguises is different from what it was six months ago. Checking the current list before you start hunting saves you time — you do not want to spend an hour catching Pokémon that Ditto is not disguised as this month.

Key Takeaways

  • Ditto disguises as common Pokémon and only reveals itself after you catch it, so you have to catch many of the same species hoping one is Ditto.
  • The Pokémon Ditto hides as changes every few months, so check a current list before you start hunting to avoid wasting time on the wrong species.
  • Pokémon GO's official blog and community sites like Serebii and The Silph Road post the current Ditto disguises as soon as they change.
  • Catching many of the same Pokémon in a short time — especially in areas with high spawn rates — gives you the best chance of finding Ditto.

Check the current list of Ditto disguises

Before you go out hunting, visit Pokémon GO's official blog or a community tracker to see which Pokémon Ditto is currently hiding as. The official Pokémon GO website posts updates when the disguises change. Community sites like Serebii, The Silph Road, and Bulbapedia also keep running lists that players update as soon as they catch a Ditto in a new disguise.

The list usually contains five to fifteen Pokémon. Ditto only disguises as species that are common enough that you will encounter them regularly — it does not hide as rare legendaries or Pokémon that spawn once a month. This is why the disguises change: when a Pokémon becomes less common in the wild, Ditto stops using it as a mask.

Hunt in areas with high spawn rates

Ditto appears at the same spawn rate as the Pokémon it is disguised as. If Ditto is hiding as Pidgeot and Pidgeot spawns once every ten minutes in your area, then Ditto will also spawn roughly once every ten minutes — but only one of those ten Pidgeots will actually be Ditto. The other nine will be regular Pidgeots.

Go to places where the Pokémon on the current Ditto list spawn frequently. Parks, shopping centers, and areas near water tend to have more spawns than quiet neighborhoods. If you live near a park or downtown area, those are your best hunting grounds. Spend thirty minutes to an hour catching as many of the disguised Pokémon as you can in one location, then move to another spot with high spawn rates if you have not found Ditto yet.

Catch multiples of the same species

Since Ditto is disguised, you have to catch many of the same Pokémon to increase your odds. If the current list says Ditto is hiding as Rattata, catch ten or twenty Rattatas in a row. One of them might be Ditto. If you catch only one or two and move on, you will miss it.

The more you catch, the better your chances. There is no may provide number — some players find Ditto on their fifth catch, others on their fiftieth. But catching twenty of the same species gives you a much better shot than catching three.

Use Incense and Lures to increase spawns

Incense attracts Pokémon to your location for thirty minutes. Lures do the same thing at a PokéStop for thirty minutes and attract Pokémon for all players at that stop, not just you. Both increase the number of Pokémon that spawn, which means more chances to find Ditto. If you are willing to spend Poké Coins (the in-game currency), using Incense or Lures while hunting for Ditto cuts down the time you need to spend catching.

Lures are often more efficient because they work for everyone at the stop, so you might find other players hunting Ditto there too. They can tell you if they have already found one, which tells you whether Ditto is actually spawning in that location today.

Check your Pokédex after catching

After you catch a Pokémon that might be Ditto, open your Pokédex and look at the Pokémon's details. If it is Ditto, the Pokédex entry will say "Ditto" and show Ditto's stats and moves. If it is the regular Pokémon, it will show that species instead. The game also shows a notification when you catch Ditto, so you will not miss it — the screen will say "Oh?" and reveal that the Pokémon you just caught was Ditto all along.

You do not need to do anything special to confirm the catch. The notification appears automatically, and Ditto goes into your Pokémon storage like any other catch. From there you can view it, power it up, or use it in battles whenever you want.

What to do once you have caught Ditto

Once you catch Ditto, you can use it in raids, gym battles, and the Go Battle League. Ditto copies the moves and stats of the Pokémon it is fighting, which makes it useful in some situations but not others. For most players, catching Ditto is mainly about completing the Pokédex and finishing research tasks that require you to catch one.

If you need multiple Dittos for research or other reasons, go back to hunting the same way. Ditto respawns like any other Pokémon, so you can catch as many as you want over time. The process is the same each time — check the current disguise list, go to a high-spawn area, and catch many of the same species until one turns out to be Ditto.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a Pokémon is Ditto before I catch it?

You cannot tell before you catch it. Ditto looks exactly like the Pokémon it is disguised as on the map and in the encounter screen. You only find out it was Ditto after you catch it and the game shows the "Oh?" notification.

Does Ditto appear in raids or only in the wild?

Ditto only appears in the wild as a disguised Pokémon. It does not appear as a raid boss or in field research encounters. You have to catch it the normal way by finding it on the map.

Can I use a radar or tracker to find Ditto?

Third-party trackers and radar apps cannot show you Ditto because the game does not reveal what Pokémon is disguised as Ditto until after you catch it. Even the tracker does not know. You have to catch the disguised Pokémon and check afterward.

What if I catch a Pokémon and it is not Ditto — did I waste a Poké Ball?

No. You caught a regular Pokémon, which you can use for experience, candy, or trading. It was not a wasted catch — it just was not the one you were looking for. Keep catching more of the same species until you find Ditto.

Does Ditto have a higher spawn rate at certain times of day?

Ditto spawns at the same rate as the Pokémon it is disguised as, and that rate does not change based on time of day. Hunt whenever you have time available. Morning, afternoon, and evening all have the same odds.