Pokémon GO Photos: AR Mode and GO Snapshot

Pokémon GO can place its creatures in your real surroundings, and a good photo of your favourite Pokémon on a park bench or a friend's shoulder can outlast any catch. Most bad shots come down to a few fixable things: light, angle and a steady hand. This guide covers AR mode, GO Snapshot, photobombs and sharing photos safely. For everything else about the game, the Trainer Hub homepage is the place to start.

Three ways to capture a moment

Method	Where you find it	Best for	Watch out for
AR mode on the catch screen	The AR toggle when you encounter a wild Pokémon	Photographing a wild Pokémon in its real setting, using the camera icon on the encounter screen	Throws feel harder for many players and it drains battery, so switch AR off after your shot
GO Snapshot	The camera icon on one of your own Pokémon's details screen	Posed photos of Pokémon you own, including your buddy	Battery drain from the camera
A plain screenshot	Your phone's own screenshot shortcut	Recording a result, a rare catch or an appraisal	Personal details visible on screen

Getting AR to work

Allow camera access. AR and GO Snapshot need camera permission, and saving pictures needs access to your photo library. If the AR option is greyed out or missing, check the app's camera permission in your phone's settings; some phones lack the sensors AR needs, so it may not be available at all.
Check your device. The more advanced AR mode, which anchors a Pokémon to real surfaces, relies on your phone's AR support. Phones without that support may only offer the simpler mode, which is still fine for photos.
Give it something to track. AR finds surfaces more easily on textured ground like grass or gravel than on a plain or glossy floor.
Find good light. Daylight or a bright room helps both tracking and the photo; in dim light, images come out grainy.
Stand still. Stop walking before you open the camera; it helps the phone track the scene and keeps you aware of what's around you. Never frame a shot while crossing a road.
Shoot before you throw. For a wild Pokémon, turn AR on at the encounter screen and look for the camera icon. Take your pictures first, because the chance is gone once the Pokémon is caught or runs away.

Using GO Snapshot

GO Snapshot is the photo mode for Pokémon you already own. Open a Pokémon from your storage, tap the camera icon, point your phone at a flat surface and place the Pokémon in the scene. Menus shift between app updates, so if the icon has moved, check the in-game news or help pages. On phones with advanced AR support you can walk around the Pokémon to frame your shot. Take a few pictures, then review them and choose which to save or share. It's the easiest way to photograph your buddy without the rush of an encounter. Snapping your buddy also counts as one of the daily activities that build its bond; our guide to buddy Pokémon covers the others.

Composition tips

Get low. Eye-level shots make small Pokémon look far more convincing than ones taken from standing height.
Give it a sense of scale. A bench, a doorway or a friend in the frame shows how big or tiny the Pokémon is supposed to be.
Mind the background. A clean sky, a wall or open grass lets the Pokémon stand out. Busy backgrounds make it look pasted in.
Clean the lens. A lens smudged from time in your pocket is a common cause of hazy photos.
Take several. Pokémon animate and shift between poses in GO Snapshot, so a short burst gives you a better chance of catching a good one.

Photobombs and snapshot tasks

From time to time, and especially during some events, taking GO Snapshot photos can trigger a photobomb: a surprise Pokémon appears in your picture and then shows up on your map to catch, usually a limited number of times per day. Smeargle, for example, first arrived in the game as a snapshot photobomb. Research tasks also regularly ask for photos, such as a snapshot of your buddy or of a particular wild Pokémon. For a wild Pokémon, the task normally counts once the photo is taken on the encounter screen, whether or not you catch it. Our Field Research and Special Research guide explains how these tasks work.

Photos at in-person events

Community Days, raid meetups and large in-person events are natural moments for a group shot with your local players. A few courtesies keep it pleasant for everyone:

Ask before photographing people, and take extra care with children, who should never appear in a photo without their parent's agreement.
Step out of walkways and away from roads before stopping to take pictures, especially in crowds.
Respect venue rules; some places limit photography or ask you not to block paths.
The camera and AR drain a phone's battery quickly, so on a long event day, save photo sessions for breaks. Our guide to pacing a multi-day event has more on battery planning.

Before you share: a privacy check

A screenshot or photo can reveal more than you mean it to. Before posting one publicly, look for:

Other people's faces or names. Crop or ask first.
PokéStop and Gym names. They point to real places, so a shot taken near home can show roughly where you live.
The map and your Trainer Code. Crop both out unless you mean to share them.
Photo metadata. Photos taken with your phone's own camera app, such as event group shots, can store where they were taken in the file; check your camera or sharing settings.

For what else a screenshot or friend list can give away, see staying safe in Pokémon GO communities.