How to Get a Master Ball in Pokemon GO

Master Ball in Pokemon GO is the ultimate Poke Ball that doesn’t fail to catch any creature in the game. However, as one of the rarest items, it’s released through limited-time quests or a levelling-up reward that might just take an eternity to complete. Using the Master Ball is also very crucial, as you don’t want to waste it on a random Caterpie. In this guide, learn how to get Master Ball in Pokemon GO, and when you should use it.

Pokemon GO Master Ball: Easiest Ways to Get

A Master Ball is the best Poke Ball in Pokemon GO, as it has a 100% catch success rate for every Pokemon, making it quite hard to obtain. As of now, the only way to get a Master Ball in Pokemon GO is by reaching trainer level 70. If you are a new player, then check out our guide that will teach you how to level up fast in Pokemon GO.

The trainer level cap in Pokemon GO was increased to 80 in October 2025, and the levelling-up requirements and rewards were balanced equally. Plenty of new rewards were added, and the Master Ball is one of them. Levelling up takes quite some effort and XP, given that you need 7.2M XP just to level up from 69 to 70.

Alternative Ways to Get Pokemon GO Master Ball

Another way to get the Master Ball was by completing a paid research during a limited time Pokemon GO event. The Masterwork Research: A Precious Catch was priced at $7.99 US and was available from December 5, 2025, to February 22, 2026. Players who have already bought it can complete the tasks to get the Pokemon GO Master Ball, but if you have missed it, then there’s no way to get that quest, unless it returns.

Luckily, if you have the quest, then there’s no set expiry date that you need to follow. You can complete it whenever you want, but it’s better to claim the rewards as soon as possible. That said, we have listed all the tasks for the Masterwork Research: A Precious Catch that will give you a Pokemon GO Master Ball:

While most of the tasks are related to making throws and catching Pokemon, some require you to win Team GO Rocket battles. Each GO Rocket grunt uses a team of certain Pokemon matching their specialized types. That’s why you must learn about the weaknesses and resistances of various elemental types from our Pokemon Type Chart.

After completing all the steps and finishing the tasks, you’ll be able to claim the Pokemon GO Master Ball. Other than this quest, you can also get the Master Ball from any of the past events that we have listed below:

• Let’s GO! Special Research (March – June 2023)
• Timed Investigation: Master Ball (September – November 2023)
• Special Research: Master Ball (November 2023)
• Masterwork Research: Catching Wonders (October 2024)
• Masterwork Research: Master Ball (October 2024)

Remember that these are past quests that can no longer be obtained. However, if you logged into the game during the quests’ release, then you might still have them. Make sure to check the Research tab and go through all of them.

How to Use Pokemon GO Master Ball

Using a Pokemon GO Master Ball is very similar to using a normal Poke Ball. But the best part is that it never fails to catch a Pokemon. If you want to use Master Ball, then here’s how you can:

• Once you encounter a rare Pokemon, select the Poke Ball icon at the bottom right corner.
• Swipe across to find the Master Ball Pokemon GO.
• A text box appears once you select Master Ball, asking if you want to use it.
• If you feel like using it, then select ‘use.’
• An animation will show, and you’ll be able to catch the Pokemon.

Other than a normal wild Pokemon encounter, you can also use the Master Ball in Pokemon GO Raids encounters, or to catch Pokemon after defeating Team GO Rocket and Giovanni. Throwing a Master Ball causes a special animation to play, which does not reward bonus XP for Curveball Throws or hitting the target ring. But instead, you get a “Master Ball Throw” bonus worth 1,000 XP.

When to Use Master Ball in Pokemon GO

Now that you know how to get Master Ball in Pokemon GO, it’s important to use it on the right Pokemon. If you are thinking about snagging Arcues, the god of Pokemon using a Pokemon GO Master Ball, then unfortunately, it doesn’t exist in the game. We also wouldn’t recommend using it on raid bosses or rare Team Rocket Pokemon encounters like Cliff‘s shiny shadow , as you get plenty of Premier Balls.

So, the best way to use a Pokemon GO Master Ball is by catching Galarian forms of Kanto Legendary birds: Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos, and Galarian Moltres. These legendaries are very hard to find, as they only appear after using your daily adventure incense.

The daily adventure incense can be used once per day for 15 minutes, reducing the encounter chances significantly. On top of that, if you fail to catch them, there’s a 95% chance they’ll run away. So, if you ever encounter these three Pokemon or their shiny version, don’t hesitate to use the Master Ball on them, as they are some of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

That’s everything you need to know about Master Ball in Pokemon GO. Do you have it yet? Let us know in the comments.