The Normal-type Pokémon Ditto is incredibly elusive in Pokémon GO, a fact that hasn’t changed going into January 2026. This Pokémon can’t be found in typical encounters, but only as a revealed Pokémon transformed into other creatures you run into. The key to finding Ditto is knowing what disguises is has, but since these often change, it can often be tricky to track down this Pokémon.

As one of the rarest Pokémon in Pokémon GO, you’ll only ever know if you catch a Ditto by accident. For example, if you manage to catch a Pokémon that Ditto is disguised as, you won’t know that Mankey is a transformed Ditto until after it’s been caught. When you catch a Pokémon, a message saying “Oh?” might appear, indicating that Ditto has been using that Pokémon as cover.

All Ditto Disguises In Pokémon GO (January 2026)

Unchanged Options From The Previous Year

Without a new event to change up Ditto’s antics, there are still 12 different Pokémon who could all be Ditto in disguise out in the wild. Some of these Pokémon appear in unique areas, some of which are determined by factors like time of day, location, etc. Thankfully, with so many Pokémon who all have an equal chance of being Ditto, you have a range of investigation options to explore as you search for new encounters.

For at least this time of writing, here are all the disguises Ditto will be using for January 2026:

• Duskull (Ghost-type)
• Slakoth (Normal-type)
• Whismur (Normal-type)
• Buneary (Normal-type)
• Sentret (Normal-type)
• Teddiursa (Normal-type)
• Surskit (Bug/Water-type)
• Voltorb (Electric-type)
• Mankey (Fighting-type)
• Growlithe (Fire-type)
• Magnemite (Steel/Electric-type)

Most of these disguises came as a direct result of the prior “Completely Normal” event that took place in 2025. Until another event tied to Ditto and other Normal-type Pokémon comes around, it is unlikely that these disguises will change anytime soon. That being said, the arrival of a new year could lead to more sweeping changes in Pokémon GO, updating Ditto’s forms in new ways.

Shiny Chances For Ditto

Use Every Item At Your Disposal To Raise Your Odds

Like any other Pokémon, the Shiny odds in Pokémon GO for a Ditto are 1 in 64, giving you a slim chance of encountering one right away. However, the more encounters you create for Ditto, the more opportunities you have to get lucky. So, you’ll want to manipulate the spawn rate of every form Ditto is taking this month to maximize your options.

One of the best methods for increasing Ditto spawns is to use in-game items. As an example, you can use a Lure Module at a Poke Stop to attract more wild Pokémon to appear at the location. If you’re in an area that already has a population of a Ditto disguise like Sentret, Surksit, Voltorb, or others, that Lure Module will simply put far more encounters at your disposal to catch as many Ditto as possible.

Shiny Ditto can feel nearly impossible to find, considering how you have to search for a special Pokémon that already doesn’t show up often. Finding a Shiny Ditto requires you to find one special Ditto disguised within a group of pre-existing Pokémon, meaning you have to be lucky enough twice to get what you want. As a result, Shiny Ditto is arguably one of the hardest Shiny Pokémon in the game to get.

Yet, unlike other Pokémon GO updates, the features surrounding Ditto are unlikely to change, keeping your expectations for this Pokémon the same no matter how you approach hunting it. Since Shiny Ditto isn’t tied to some Special Research, you have a lot more freedom to Shiny hunt it compared to some other Pokémon. The normal version of Ditto is connected to various research tasks, but they are far easier to encounter.

Ditto, unfortunately, is not a very useful Pokémon other than for bragging rights in your collection. Despite its ability to transform into any other Pokémon, Ditto is not a strong combatant, with very few skills needed to take on powerful foes. Having several Ditto in your roster can be a fun way to compare with other friends, but most players will likely encounter this Pokémon by accident as they search for creatures with more potential.

The trial and error it takes to find a Shiny Ditto may take you quite a number of hours, but for completionists, this goal will be worth it. Although Shiny Ditto is one of the hardest Pokémon to find in Pokémon GO, the same disguises it uses in January 2026 give players some tools to find it again at the start of the new year.

Systems

Released

July 6, 2016

ESRB

e

Developer(s)

Niantic

Publisher(s)

Niantic

Engine

Unity

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op

Cross-Platform Play

Yes