Pokemon GO: What the Colored Rings Mean and How to Get a Good Catch

Catching Pokemon can be a fun and relaxing activity in Pokemon GO once you get the hang of it, but with no tutorial in sight it can be frustratingly difficult to figure out the perfect time to flick your Pokeball at your hopeful companion.

The first indication of how difficult your capture attempt will be is looking at the color of the ring that is shrinking over it. There’s a spectrum of colors it can be, but here’s the basic breakdown:

Green: This should be an easy catch, but the Pokemon will probably have fairly low CP.
Yellow: It might be a second form, or just a higher CP level. Either way, this Pokemon will take more skill and persistence to capture.
Red: A mighty foe indeed. Red is saved for the most powerful, the most rare, the most difficult to catch Pokemon. You’ll want something better than a standard Pokeball for these guys, and preferably a bit of patience.

The rings won’t always be perfect shades of green, yellow, and red. The difficulty may vary with the different hues, as they might appear yellowish green (moderately easy) or more of an orange (fairly difficult).

Now that that’s all established, just how do you make that perfect shot? Ring location is key here. You want to hold onto the Pokeball as the ring shrinks, then throw it at its absolute smallest. The smaller the ring, the better your chances of not missing and wasting a Pokeball. Check out this Bellsprout.

In the image above, the ring is still pretty big, so you’d probably miss if you threw the ball then. In the image below, however, the ring is much smaller, giving you a greater chance of success.

If you make a particularly well-aimed shot, hitting the center of the ring, you’ll see the word “Nice!” or “Excellent!” These are the best throws you can perform, and you’ll get a bit of bonus EXP upon the successful capture of the Pokemon if you can manage them.

For more hints, tips, and tricks, check out our Ultimate Pokemon GO Guide!