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Pokémon GO Plus and Auto-Catch Accessories Explained
How Pokémon GO Plus-style accessories catch and spin for you, what you give up, how to set one up, and why unofficial auto-catch gadgets can risk your account.
Auto-catch accessories are small Bluetooth devices that pair with your phone and let you catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops without looking at the screen. They suit players who walk to work or school, or who want to keep a daily streak going while doing something else. The catch is that they make catching convenient, not better, and not every gadget sold as an "auto-catcher" is something you should connect to your account.
What an accessory actually does
Once connected, the accessory tells you when something is nearby, with a vibration and a light, and handles two jobs:
- Catching: it makes a single catch attempt on a nearby wild Pokémon, using a ball from your bag, normally a standard Poké Ball. If that throw fails, the encounter is over.
- Spinning: it spins PokéStops within reach and collects the items.
Depending on the model and your settings, you either press the button for each action or let the device act on its own.
The official accessories
The game has supported a small family of official accessories over the years. Features can change with game and firmware updates, so treat this as a general guide:
| Accessory | How you use it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon GO Plus (original) | Press the button when it signals a Pokémon or PokéStop | Runs on a replaceable coin-cell battery; no automatic mode |
| Poké Ball Plus | Press the button, much like the original GO Plus | Rechargeable; also a controller for Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! on Nintendo Switch |
| Pokémon GO Plus + | Button presses, or automatic catching and spinning switched on in the game's settings | Rechargeable; also works with the separate Pokémon Sleep app |
Your game's settings show which accessories your version supports.
Setting one up
- Charge the device or fit a fresh battery.
- Turn on Bluetooth and give the game any Bluetooth or nearby-devices permission it asks for.
- In the game, open Settings and find the section for connected devices or accessories.
- Put the accessory into pairing mode, usually by pressing its button, and select it when it appears.
- Once paired, the map screen usually shows an accessory icon; tapping it is typically how you reconnect if the connection drops.
Connections can end after a while, when a battery saver steps in or when the app is closed, so glance at the icon if things go quiet. Staying connected also costs phone battery, so carry a power bank on long walks.
Pair from inside the game rather than your phone's Bluetooth menu. If pairing keeps failing, remove the device from the phone's Bluetooth list, restart the app and pair again from the game's settings.
What you give up
| Catching by hand | Catching with an accessory |
|---|---|
| Choose any ball, including Great and Ultra Balls | No choice: the device uses balls from your bag, starting with standard Poké Balls |
| Berries to improve the odds, double candy or calm the Pokémon | No berries |
| Nice, Great and Excellent throws and curveballs for bonus XP and better odds | No throw bonuses |
| Keep throwing until it's caught or flees | One attempt, then the Pokémon is gone |
| You see exactly what you're catching | You find out afterwards |
That's why many players leave an accessory running for common spawns on a walk and still catch anything interesting by hand. Accessory catches generally count as normal catches for candy, Stardust and simple "catch X Pokémon" tasks, but research tasks that need particular throws or berries still need you to catch by hand.
Accessory catches can include shiny Pokémon, so look through your new catches after a walk rather than mass-transferring them unseen. When you do catch by hand, the items database explains what each ball and berry adds.
Third-party auto-catchers and your account
Unofficial auto-catch devices exist too, some built to imitate an official accessory. Two points matter:
- Unofficial hardware isn't supported. It can stop working after an app update, and the safe choice, as our fair play guide recommends, is to stick to officially licensed accessories. If you're unsure about a device, the game's current terms and help center are the authority, not the product box.
- Software is a hard line. Anything that asks for your login, runs through a modified version of the game or plays on your behalf from a server is cheating, and it's the kind of thing that gets accounts suspended or banned. The same guide sets out what the rules cover.
Using one sensibly
- Keep Poké Balls stocked. An accessory can get through them quickly on a long walk, and what it uses once they run out depends on the device and the current game version, so check the help center if you want to protect your Great and Ultra Balls.
- Watch your storage. Automatic catching fills it faster than you'd expect, and a full box stops catching. The same goes for your item bag: when it's full, spins stop collecting items. The storage management guide has tips for keeping your Pokémon storage under control.
- Look where you're going. The point of an accessory is to keep your eyes off the screen, so keep your eyes on the path ahead.
- Never play while driving. An accessory doesn't change that, and a buzz from the device is still a distraction.
Accessory questions
Do accessories work in raids or Gym battles?
No. They handle wild catches and PokéStop spins. Raids, Gyms, Team GO Rocket and Trainer Battles all need the phone.
Will an accessory keep my catch streak going?
A successful accessory catch is a normal catch, so it generally counts, but check your streak in the game if it matters to you. The page on daily rewards and streaks explains how the catch and spin bonuses build.
For the catching skills an accessory skips, from curveballs to berries, the guides on the Trainer Hub homepage start with the basics.