Catch Ditto in Pokemon GO: Proven Tips & Tricks That Work

If you’ve been playing Pokemon GO for a while, you’ve probably heard about Ditto—the elusive purple blob that loves to hide in plain sight. This tricky Pokemon doesn’t show up as itself in the wild. Instead, it disguises itself as other common Pokemon, only revealing its true identity after you’ve caught it. So, how to catch a Ditto in Pokemon GO? That’s the million-dollar question for many trainers.

Whether you’re trying to complete a Special Research task, fill out your Pokedex, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, finding Ditto can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But don’t worry—with the right strategies and a little persistence, you can add this transforming Pokemon to your collection.

What Exactly is Ditto in Pokemon GO?

Ditto is a Normal-type Pokemon first introduced in the original Pokemon games. Its main claim to fame is its ability to transform into any other Pokemon it encounters. In Pokemon GO, this ability works a bit differently—Ditto appears disguised as specific Pokemon species right from the start.

When you encounter what looks like a common Pokemon in the wild, there’s a small chance it might actually be Ditto in disguise. You won’t know until after you’ve successfully caught it. The screen will show a special animation with the text “Oh?” and then reveal that your catch was actually Ditto all along.

The odds of finding Ditto are pretty low—estimates suggest about a 3% chance that any eligible disguise Pokemon will turn out to be Ditto. For shiny hunters, the odds are even slimmer, with shiny Ditto having approximately a 1 in 64 chance of appearing once you’ve found a regular Ditto.

Why Everyone Wants to Catch Ditto

You might be wondering why so many trainers are obsessed with finding this particular Pokemon. There are several good reasons:

First and foremost, Ditto is often required for Special Research tasks. If you’re working on the “A Mythical Discovery” research to catch Mew, or the “Let’s GO, Meltan” research, you’ll hit a step that requires catching a Ditto. Without it, you can’t progress to encounter these mythical Pokemon.

Ditto also has some use in player versus player (PvP) battles, though it’s not considered top-tier. When Ditto transforms in battle, it copies the opponent’s Pokemon exactly—same moves, same stats—but it keeps its own HP. This can create some interesting strategic situations, though most competitive players prefer using Pokemon with better base stats.

Some trainers just want Ditto for completion’s sake. As one of the more challenging Pokemon to find, adding it to your Pokedex feels like a real accomplishment. Plus, there’s that satisfying surprise when a common Pokemon you just caught suddenly transforms into the purple blob you’ve been hunting for weeks.

How to Find Ditto in Pokemon GO

Finding Ditto requires a combination of knowledge, strategy, and sometimes a little help from technology. Since Ditto doesn’t appear on your map as itself, you need to know what you’re looking for.

Using Ditto Finder Apps

One of the most effective ways to track down Ditto is by using apps designed to help Pokemon GO players. These apps work by aggregating reports from other players about where they’ve recently found Ditto. When someone catches a Ditto, they can report it through the app, creating a real-time map of Ditto sightings in your area.

The key advantage of these apps is that they save you from blindly catching every single Pokemon that might be a Ditto disguise. Instead, you can focus your efforts on areas where Ditto has been confirmed to appear recently. This dramatically increases your efficiency and reduces the frustration of the hunt.

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Some of these apps even include features like built-in Pokemon maps and live tracking of spawn locations. For example, iMyFone AnyTo includes a Game Mode with Pokedex functionality that lets you search for specific Pokemon, including possible Ditto spawns. Once you’ve identified a location, you can use the app’s GPS features to navigate there quickly.

If you prefer playing on a computer, many of these tools offer desktop versions with similar functionality. The process is essentially the same—search for Ditto locations, then use the GPS spoofing features to reach them.

Checking the Current Ditto Disguise List

Since Ditto only appears disguised as specific Pokemon, your hunting strategy should focus on catching those particular species. Niantic regularly updates the list of Pokemon that Ditto can disguise as, usually on a monthly basis. Staying current with this list is absolutely essential for successful Ditto hunting.

The Ditto disguise list typically includes common Pokemon that appear frequently in the wild. This might seem counterintuitive—why would they make the rare Pokemon appear as common ones?—but it actually makes sense from a gameplay perspective. It means you have plenty of opportunities to find Ditto, but you still need to catch a lot of Pokemon to get lucky.

When you’re out hunting, prioritize catching Pokemon from the current disguise list. Even if you’ve already caught dozens of that species, each new encounter could be the Ditto you’re looking for. It’s also worth noting that during special events, Niantic sometimes increases Ditto spawn rates or adds new Pokemon to the disguise list, so keep an eye on event announcements.

Effective Methods for Catching Ditto

Once you know what Pokemon to look for, you can employ several strategies to increase your chances of finally catching Ditto. These methods focus on maximizing your encounters with potential Ditto disguises and improving your catch rate when you do find them.

Boosting Spawn Rates with Incense

Incense is one of the most valuable tools for Ditto hunters. When activated, Incense attracts Pokemon to your location for 60 minutes (or 90 minutes during certain events), significantly increasing the number of Pokemon you encounter.

The key to using Incense effectively is to keep moving. While Incense works when you’re stationary, it’s much more effective when you’re walking around. Pokemon will appear more frequently—approximately every minute while moving compared to every five minutes when stationary. More Pokemon encounters mean more chances that one of them will be a Ditto in disguise.

During special Ditto-themed events or Pokemon GO festivals, spawn rates for Ditto disguises are often temporarily boosted. If you’ve been struggling to find Ditto, saving your Incense for these events can be a smart strategy. The increased spawn rates combined with Incense’s attraction power create the perfect conditions for a successful hunt.

Making the Most of Lures

Lures work similarly to Incense but are attached to PokeStops instead of your character. When activated, a Lure Module will attract Pokemon to that PokeStop for 30 minutes, benefiting any player in the area.

For Ditto hunting, Lures are particularly useful when placed at PokeStops in areas with high natural spawn rates. Parks, shopping centers, and urban areas typically have more Pokemon spawns to begin with, and adding a Lure to the mix increases those numbers even further.

Before deploying a Lure, check the current Ditto disguise list and look for PokeStops where those Pokemon are already appearing. This targeted approach ensures you’re maximizing your chances of encountering the right species. If you play regularly, consider using one Lure per day as part of your daily routine—you’ll get bonus items for your first PokeStop spin of the day, and the Lure might just attract that elusive Ditto.

Using the Nearby Tracker

The Nearby Tracker (the bar at the bottom right of your screen) shows Pokemon that are close to your location or near nearby PokeStops. Learning to use this tool effectively can save you a lot of time and walking.

When you open the Nearby Tracker, it displays silhouettes or images of Pokemon in your vicinity. If you see a Pokemon that’s on the current Ditto disguise list, it’s worth investigating—especially if multiple copies of that Pokemon appear nearby, as this suggests a nest or cluster spawn.

The tracker also shows which PokeStop a Pokemon is near, making it easy to navigate directly to potential Ditto disguises. If you’re using a mapping tool like the one in iMyFone AnyTo, you can cross-reference the tracker information with the map to plan an efficient hunting route that covers all the nearby possibilities.

Strategic Use of Lucky Eggs

While Lucky Eggs don’t directly increase your chances of finding Ditto, they can make the hunting process more rewarding. Lucky Eggs double all experience points (XP) you earn for 30 minutes, which includes the XP you get from catching Pokemon.

Since catching a Ditto grants bonus XP (like any new Pokemon entry in your Pokedex), activating a Lucky Egg before you start a hunting session ensures you’ll maximize that bonus if you do find one. The extra XP from the Lucky Egg can help you level up faster, unlocking new items and features that might help with future hunts.

For even greater benefits, you can combine a Lucky Egg with a Star Piece, which increases Stardust earnings by 50%. This combination turns a successful Ditto catch into a major boost for your account progression. Just be sure to have these items activated before you start catching Pokemon, as they can’t be applied retroactively.

Improving Catch Rate with Berries

When you do encounter a Pokemon that might be Ditto, you want to catch it as efficiently as possible. Berries can significantly improve your catch rate, reducing the chance that the Pokemon will flee and forcing you to continue your search.

Razz Berries are the most common option, making Pokemon easier to catch by effectively reducing their escape rate. For particularly stubborn Pokemon or when you’re down to your last few Poke Balls, Golden Razz Berries provide an even greater catch rate boost.

It’s worth noting that some Ditto disguises can be surprisingly difficult to catch, especially if they’re higher-level Pokemon. Using berries ensures you don’t waste opportunities when you do encounter a potential Ditto. Since you won’t know it’s Ditto until after you’ve caught it, it’s better to use berries liberally on any Pokemon from the disguise list rather than risk it escaping.

Mastering Your Throw Technique

Your throwing technique has a direct impact on your catch rate. Great throws and Excellent throws provide catch rate bonuses, while curveballs add an additional multiplier to your chances of success.

Since you’ll be catching a lot of the same Pokemon while hunting for Ditto, this is a perfect opportunity to practice your throwing skills. Each species has slightly different catching behaviors and hitboxes, so you’ll get plenty of repetition to perfect your timing and aim.

Consistently landing curveball throws with Great or Excellent accuracy dramatically increases your catch rate. This is especially important for Ditto hunting because you never know which throw might be the one that reveals your target. Wasting Poke Balls on failed catches not only depletes your resources but could mean missing out on a Ditto that decided to flee.

The Ditto Pokemon GO Hack Approach

For trainers who’ve tried everything and still can’t find Ditto, or for those who live in areas with limited Pokemon spawns, there’s another option: GPS spoofing apps. These tools allow you to change your virtual location in Pokemon GO without physically moving, giving you access to Ditto spawns anywhere in the world.

The most popular and reliable option for this approach is iMyFone AnyTo, a location-changing app designed specifically with Pokemon GO players in mind. Unlike some risky third-party mods, AnyTo provides a safe way to explore different locations while minimizing the risk of penalties from Niantic.

With AnyTo, you can teleport directly to areas where Ditto has been reported, simulate realistic movement using a virtual joystick, and join global Ditto hotspots shared by other players. The app includes features like a cooldown timer that helps you avoid soft bans by ensuring your virtual movements follow realistic timing patterns.

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Using AnyTo to Catch Ditto

The process of using AnyTo to find Ditto is straightforward, whether you’re using the mobile app or desktop version:

For mobile users, start by downloading the AnyTo app to your phone. After installation, open the app and follow the setup instructions to configure your location settings. Once set up, you can use the map interface to select any location in the world, choose your movement mode (teleport for instant travel or joystick for simulated walking), and tap the Move button to change your virtual location.

Desktop users follow a similar process: connect your iOS or Android device to your computer, launch AnyTo, and click “Get Started.” Select your preferred movement mode, plot your route on the map, and click Move to change your location in Pokemon GO.

The key advantage of using AnyTo for your Ditto hunt is the built-in Pokemon map feature, which shows real-time spawn locations of various Pokemon, including current Ditto disguises. This eliminates the guesswork and lets you target your efforts precisely where Ditto is most likely to appear.

Current Ditto Disguises in Pokemon GO

As mentioned earlier, knowing which Pokemon can be Ditto is half the battle. The list changes regularly as Niantic updates the game, so it’s important to check for the most current information. Here are the Pokemon that Ditto has been known to transform into:

This list represents some of the most common disguises, but it’s not exhaustive. Niantic typically announces changes to the Ditto disguise list through official channels, so following Pokemon GO social media accounts or checking reliable fan sites can keep you informed of any updates.

One important note about shiny Pokemon: if you encounter a shiny version of any Pokemon on the Ditto disguise list, it will never transform into Ditto. This ensures that players don’t miss out on rare shiny encounters while hunting for Ditto. So if you find a shiny Oddish or any other shiny from the list, you can catch it without worrying that it might turn into a regular Ditto.

Answering Common Ditto Questions

Even with all this information, trainers often have additional questions about how to catch a Ditto in Pokemon GO. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

How can I increase my chances of finding Ditto?

The single most effective way to improve your Ditto odds is to catch every Pokemon you encounter from the current disguise list. Quantity matters here—the more potential disguises you catch, the better your statistical chances. Combining this with Incense, Lures, and location tracking through apps like AnyTo creates the optimal hunting strategy.

Is using a Ditto hack safe?

Using unauthorized third-party apps or modified versions of Pokemon GO carries significant risks, including temporary soft bans or permanent account suspension. However, GPS