Pokemon GO: How to catch Smeargle

In this article, I will explain how to catch Smeargle in Pokemon Go, a second-generation Pokemon from the original game.  

Smeargle is a Normal-Type Pokemon, his nickname is “Painter Pokemon” original from the Johto Region. In the original games he uses “Sketch” as one of his moves. With it, he can permanently copy the moves of every pokemon he encounters in battles. But, in Pokemon GO the mechanics have been changed and instead of using his move, he will automatically copy the moves of the pokemon you were taking photos of when he appeared. 

Now lets get to the main subject and that is, how to catch this little thief.

How to Catch Smeargle in Pokemon GO

• Look at any of the pokemon you own in the Pokemon tab 
• Open the in-game camera to take a picture of the pokemon you have chosen in the last step 
• Take the picture 
• Once you’re done, tap the arrow in the left corner of the screen to exit 
• Now go over the photos you took and look for Smeargle. He will be closer to the camera, probably even blocking the main “model” of your picture 
• If he managed to photobomb the picture, he will appear close to your character in the overworld 
• But be aware, as every single pokemon from the game he can run away as well, so I suggest using your best berries to keep him in line  

Here are some tips and notes to help you with this event:

• You do not need AR+ to catch Smeargle  
• He will only appear in the first photo you took, so if he is not there try again until he uncovers himself 
• You can only review the last 10 photos you took. So it’s a high chance that even if you didn’t review a picture and the little thief managed to photobomb one of them for him to appear to be captured regardless 
• The probability of this pokemon appearing in the pictures is not clear, yet it can be quite rare. Users reported that they took more than 1,000 pictures and no sign of him. Others reported that he appeared in the first batch of pictures they took 
• Smeargle will automatically copy the moves of the pokemon he photobombed 
• In case the moveset of Smeargle appears to be Signal Beam without explanation, simply exit Pokemon GO and get back into it. This should fix the glitch. 

We hope that you’ll find our guide on how to catch Smeargle in Pokemon GO useful. If there’s anything else you would like to share with fellow players or if you have any tips regarding the game, make sure to leave them down in the comments below!