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The PokeBall Plus is a nifty little accessory that grants some interesting enhancements to Pokemon Go and Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee. While the device is pretty useful, many of its features and functions aren’t very clear when first using it. So if you’re wondering how to use the PokeBall Plus, look no further.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to connect the PokeBall Plus and other frequently asked questions.
Update (September 15, 2019): Added information on how to connect the Pokeball Plus to Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.
How to Connect PokeBall Plus with Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee
When you first boot up Pokemon: Let’s Go, you’ll be prompted to select a controller to use. Hold down on the control stick in the middle of the PokeBall Plus until it clicks. Then the option to select the PokeBall Plus will be highlighted. Press down on the stick again and then select “confirm.”
You can play the game with the PokeBall Plus as a controller. Just tilt the control stick to move, push down on the stick to select things and click the top button to bring up the menu where you can save the game and check items.
To catch Pokemon, just select “get ready” when encountering a Pokemon. An outer ring will appear on the Pokemon along with a constantly shrinking and reappearing inner ring. Then just make a throwing motion with the PokeBall Plus in hand to toss your PokeBall in the game. You don’t need to throw too hard. If the PokeBall lands in the inner ring, you’ll get a bonus multiplier to XP. The smaller the ring, the higher the bonus. The straighter you keep your arm to the screen, the more accurate your throw will be. Make sure you keep the wrist strap on.
You can also send a Pokemon from the game to the PokeBall Plus and take it for a stroll in the real world to level it up and acquire rewards like Berries and Candy. To do that, go to the main menu and hit “save.” Then click on “take your Pokemon on a stroll” and follow the on screen prompts to send your Pokemon to the PokeBall Plus. If you want to send your Pokemon back to the game, just select the “save” menu again and then hit “take your Pokemon on a stroll” again.
While taking your Pokemon for a stroll, you can hold down the control stick for several seconds while the LED is turned off to activate “Play with Pokemon” mode, according to Nintendo’s support website. The mode will be active when the LED starts blinking slowly with a color representing the Pokemon inside. You can gently shake or rotate the PokeBall Plus, rotate the controls stick or leave it alone to interact with the Pokemon inside and hear its cry. To exit the mode, press the top button or the control stick button. You can also leave the PokeBall Plus alone for at least a minute to exit as well.
How to Get Mew From the PokeBall Plus
You can get the Mythical Pokemon Mew with your PokeBall Plus to play in Pokemon: Let’s Go.
After you fought and defeated your rival for the first time, head to the menu and select “communicate” and then “mystery gifts.” Then select “get with a Poke Ball Plus.” After you connect to the internet, you’ll receive Mew.
To get Mew, you need both an internet connection and a Nintendo Account. Make sure that the PokeBall Plus doesn’t run out of battery during the transfer process.
How to Connect PokeBall Plus with Pokemon GO
Bluetooth must be active on your smart phone to connect it to the PokeBall Plus. Go into the settings menu in Pokemon Go and scroll down to “PokeBall Plus.” Click on that and then press down on the control stick once to make it discoverable by the app. Then tap to enable the accessory to connect.
If you’re connected, then the PokeBall Plus icon will become brighter and you can make the accessory itself vibrate when you press on the control stick. If disconnected, then it will start flashing white when you press on the control stick. From the game screen, you can connect and disconnect the PokeBall Plus by tapping the PokeBall Plus icon. The icon will turn green when it’s connected. You can also disconnect the PokeBall Plus from the PokeBall Plus menu in the settings.
The PokeBall Plus will vibrate and light up when a Pokemon is nearby. You can press the top button to throw a Pokeball and the LED will let you know if you caught it. If it flashes in multiple colors and vibrates five times, then you caught the Pokemon. If it lights up red and vibrates two times, then you failed to catch it. The accessory will also count your steps, allowing you to hatch eggs and collect Candy from a Buddy Pokemon.
The PokeBall Plus will automatically spin the Photo Disc of a nearby PokeStop to acquire items, but only if you’re taking a Pokemon on a stroll from Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, according to Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee’s Japanese trailer. If not, then you’ll have to press the top button when it flashes blue to get the items. According to kurganon on The Silph Road Subreddit, if the PokeBall Plus is muted it will not automatically acquire items even with a Pokemon inside of it. Learn how to mute and unmute the device below.
As someone pointed out in the comment section below, you can use the Mew in the PokeBall Plus to spin PokeStops for you. So even if you don’t have Pokemon: Let’s Go, you can still get a use out of the Mew that came with the device.
How to Connect Pokeball Plus with Pokemon Sword & Shield
Go into the menu by pressing X and then select “Mystery Gift.” Select “Take a Stroll with Poke Ball Plus.” The game will instruct you to press the top button or the control stick on the Pokeball Plus and wait until it connects with the game.
Unlike with Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee, you cannot use the Pokeball Plus as a controller for Pokemon Sword & Shield. While you can take a Pokemon on a stroll with a device to have your Pokemon collect items, your Pokemon will not gain experience.
How to Mute & Unmute the PokeBall Plus
To mute the PokeBall Plus, press the top button and the control stick at the same time until the device produces a long vibration. To unmute it, press the two buttons again until it provides two short vibrations.
How to Charge the PokeBall Plus
To charge the PokeBall Plus, all you need to do is open the cover on the back of the accessory and plug it into a USB type-C plug such as the one included in the package. According to Nintendo’s support page, it takes three hours to fully charge. Plugging in the PokeBall Plus makes it play the same sound heard when healing Pokemon at the Pokemon Center in Pokemon: Let’s Go. However, this feature may not work on third party USB chords even through the device will still charge.
To check how much battery power is left in the device while playing Pokemon: Let’s Go, you can go to the HOME menu on the Switch and select “controllers” according to Nintendo’s support website. The charge will be displayed over the oval-shaped controllers. If the device is currently not connected to any device, you can hold down on the control stick and the top button for five seconds to see how much charge there is, according to HiHoSilver99 on the Pokemon Go Subreddit. A green light means there’s a lot of charge left, a yellow light means there’s a medium amount of charge left and a red light means the charge is low. To get it to stop flashing, press the control stick once.
How to Reset the PokeBall Plus
If there is a problem with the PokeBall Plus, such as it not charging properly even with a new power source, you can try resetting it. To reset the PokeBall Plus, locate the tiny, black button to the right of the base of the strap and press the button once with the tip of a pen or small object. The PokeBall Plus will briefly vibrate if reset.
You can also reset the device by going into support mode by holding down the top button and control stick for five seconds when not connected to anything, according to HiHoSilver99 on the Pokemon Go Subreddit. The flash of the LED will let you know how full the battery is. Press the top button once so that the LED turns blue and then press the control stick to reset pairing information with the Switch, which you can do if you want to pair the device with a new Switch system. Press the top button twice so that the LED turns white and then press the control stick in to delete all user data on the device.
Caution: If the PokeBall Plus is reset while data such as scores, save data, etc is being written to it, then it may be erased forever.
PokeBall Plus FAQs
How long does the battery last?
According to user malcomjudd on The Silph Road Subreddit, the battery lasts for five hours when used as a Switch controller and six hours when connected to Pokemon Go.
Will Lucky Eggs and Lure Modules be effective while using the PokeBall Plus?
Yes, you can activate those items and they’ll still work even with the phone screen turned off so long as the PokeBall Plus is connected.
What happens if my Pokemon Storage or Item Bag is full in Pokemon Go?
If Pokemon Storage is full, then you won’t be able to catch Pokemon even thought the PokeBall Plus will still react. If your Item Bag is full, then you won’t be able to press the button to spin the Photo Disc of PokeStops. Make room in your Storage and Bag or buy upgrades in the in-game shop for more space.
Can I take a Pokemon on a stroll and use the PokeBall Plus with Pokemon Go at the same time?
Yes, you can. In fact, you’ll get extra XP for doing so and automatically spin photo discs at PokeStops to get items.
When I try to catch a Pokemon with the PokeBall Plus in Pokemon Go, instead of flashing white as it tries to catch the Pokemon it flashes red and does nothing. I still have space in my Pokemon Storage. What’s happening?
That means you ran out of PokeBalls. The PokeBall Plus only uses regular PokeBalls instead of Great Balls or Ultra Balls. You won’t be able to catch any more Pokemon with the PokeBall Plus until you get more PokeBalls from PokeStops or the in-game shop.
Can I get a Raid Pass from a Gym?
If you spin the Photo Disc at a Gym, then you’ll be able to acquire your free daily Raid Pass if you have not done so already or if you don’t already have one.
If I use the PokeBall Plus with Pokemon Go while it still has Mew in it, can I still transfer it to Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee?
Yes, you can still transfer Mew to Pokemon: Let’s Go even if you used the device for Pokemon Go, as someone pointed out in the comment section below.
Does the PokeBall Plus use Wi-Fi or mobile data to work?
No. It’s just an accessory to enhance Pokemon: Let’s Go or Pokemon Go, as someone in the comment section pointed out.
However, you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and a Nintendo Account on the Switch to transfer Mew from the PokeBall Plus to Pokemon: Let’s Go. You’ll also need Wi-Fi or mobile data to use Pokemon Go.
I’m having a problem with the PokeBall Plus
If you’re experiencing problems with the PokeBall Plus, you can visit Nintendo’s customer support website and search for articles on the device.
Have a question that isn’t listed above? Let us know in the comment section below and we’ll try to answer it.
See also:
- How to Get the Starter Pokemon in Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee
- Pokemon Let’s Go Version Exclusive Pokemon
- Pokemon Go Meltan Quest Step-by-Step Guide