How to get Smeargle in Pokemon Go & can it be Shiny?

Catching a Shiny Smeargle isn’t your typical method of encountering Shinines in Pokemon Go. Here’s how to do it. 

Dubbed the Painter Pokemon, Smeargle first appeared in Pokemon Gold & Silver’s Johto region. But Pokemon Go players will have to complete an interesting process to find its Shiny.

While new additions to the Go Pokedex often get the most attention, it’s also exciting when Niantic adds Shiny versions of existing ‘mon to the game. After all, getting your hands on one of these rare creatures gives you the ultimate bragging rights.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about catching the rare Shiny variant of Smeargle, including its release date and the step-by-step method for finding it.

How to get Smeargle in Pokemon Go

Much like Ditto, the Normal-type Smeargle can’t be caught in the same way as other Pokemon. It won’t appear in the Wild, and can’t be found by hatching eggs. Instead, you’ll have to follow a specific method.

Smeargle was added to Go back in 2019, much later than its fellow Gen II creatures. Trainers could spend years playing and never find one, as it only appears if you use the Snapshot camera mode in the game.

It was previously available during the Festival of Colors in March 2023, but we will update this article once we learn more about its return.

Can Smeargle be Shiny in Pokemon Go?

The Gen II ‘mon appeared as a Shiny in the game for the first time as part of the New Pokemon Snap celebration, which coincided with the release of the Snap sequel on April 30, 2021.

Here’s how to get a Shiny Smeargle in Pokemon Go:

1. Open the Pokemon Go app.
2. Select any of your Pokemon from the ‘Pokemon’ menu.
3. Open Snapshot mode by pressing the camera icon in the top right.
4. Take multiple photos of your Pokemon.
5. Press the exit button and review your photos.
6. If Smeargle appears in a photo, it will then pop up in the Wild.
7. Tap it and prepare to catch it!

If Smeargle doesn’t appear in any of your photos, you’ll simply have to try again until it does. Fortunately, Niantic has confirmed that Smeargle will appear more often than normal, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find.

This could still be quite a long process, though, as it’s not guaranteed you’ll find a Smeargle every time you use Snapshot mode, and there’s only a small chance it will be a Shiny when you do eventually get one.