If you regularly play Pokémon GO, you know how much time can disappear while catching ordinary wild Pokémon. The Poké Ball shakes, the animation plays, and then you return to the map. When dozens of Pokémon spawn during Community Day or Spotlight Hour, those seconds quickly add up.
The Quick Catch technique is a player-discovered method that lets you skip most of that waiting. It does not increase your catch rate or guarantee a successful capture. It lets you leave the encounter immediately after throwing the Poké Ball and check the result afterward.
What Is Quick Catch in Pokémon GO?
Quick Catch, also called Fast Catch, is a technique that skips the normal capture animation and catch summary. It uses the berry or Poké Ball menu to keep the Run button available while you throw.
The game still processes the Poké Ball normally. If the Pokémon is caught, it is added to your collection. If it breaks free, you can tap the Pokémon again and make another attempt.
This makes Quick Catch useful when you want to catch large numbers of Pokémon quickly, collect Stardust, earn XP, or hunt for a particular Pokémon during an event.
How to Quick Catch in Pokémon GO
Using both hands makes the technique easier. Follow these steps:
- Find a wild Pokémon and tap it to enter the catch screen.
- Position your throwing hand over the Poké Ball.
- With your other hand, press and hold the Berry icon on the left side of the screen.
- While holding it, slide your finger slightly toward the center of the screen. Do not lift your finger. You are pulling the menu out without fully opening it.
- Use your free hand to throw the Poké Ball normally. A curveball works as usual.
- Keep holding the Berry menu until the ball reaches the Pokémon.
- Once the ball has made contact, release your finger from the Berry menu.
- The menu should open, while the Run button remains available in the upper-left corner.
- Close the menu if necessary, then tap the Run button to leave the encounter.
You have now performed a Quick Catch. The Pokémon may already be in your storage if the throw succeeded.
How to Check if the Catch Worked
The biggest difference is that you do not immediately see the result. Open your Pokémon storage and look for the Pokémon you just encountered.
If it is there, the catch was successful. If it is missing, the Pokémon broke free or the attempt did not register. You can tap that Pokémon again from the map and throw another Poké Ball.
With practice, the process becomes faster and more natural. First attempts can feel awkward because you are coordinating two fingers.
Why Use Quick Catch?
Quick Catch is most useful when many Pokémon are appearing at the same time. Events can create situations where stopping for the full animation after every encounter wastes a significant amount of playing time.
It can help you:
- Catch more Pokémon during Community Day.
- Check more spawns for potential Shiny Pokémon.
- Collect more Stardust and catch-based XP.
- Save time when clearing common wild spawns.
- Move between encounters more efficiently.
The technique is valuable when you want to maximize encounters during an event window.
Important Things to Remember
Quick Catch does not make Pokémon easier to catch. Your catch factors still matter, including the Poké Ball you use, berries, curveballs, and throw accuracy. A Pokémon can still break free or flee.
It is also wise to avoid relying on Quick Catch when encountering something extremely valuable. If you find a rare Pokémon, a Shiny Pokémon, or anything you absolutely do not want to lose, watching the normal catch sequence can give you greater confidence that the encounter has been completed.
