If you play Pokemon Go and engage in the Team Rocket battles, then you may have acquired a Rocket Radar.
But if you don’t want to use it yet, or if you keep tapping it accidentally, then you might be looking for a way to unequip the Rocket Radar Pokemon Go feature.
How to Unequip a Rocket Radar in Pokemon Go
- Open Pokemon Go.
- Tap the Pokeball.
- Choose items.
- Select Rocket Radar.
- Touch Unequip.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to turn off the Rocket Radar Pokemon Go button, including pictures of these steps.
Some of the Pokestops that you encounter within Pokemon Go are going to be black instead of blue or purple, and they are going to have Team Rocket members standing next to them.
When you spin that Pokestop, you are going to get fewer items than you normally do, and you will also see some on-screen dialogue from the Rocket grunt.
Once they are done speaking, you will be given the option to engage in a battle.
Once the battle is over and you win, you will receive an item called a Mysterious Component.
If you win enough of these components, they will combine to form a Rocket Radar. You can then use this radar to locate Rocket Team Leaders, which will give you 12 KM eggs and items when you defeat them.
When the Rocket Radar is active, it will be on the screen in the upper right corner. You can tap the radar to see where a leader might be hiding out.
But if you don’t want to battle a leader right now, or if you are getting frustrated because you keep touching the button accidentally, then read our guide below on how to turn off the Rocket Radar Pokemon Go button.
Check out our guide on how to turn off Pokemon Go sound if you don’t want it to play anymore while you are playing the game.
How to Remove a Rocket Radar from the Screen in Pokemon Go (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 13 in the iOS 15.4.1 operating system.
Note that this guide assumes that you currently have a Rocket Radar equipped in your account in the game. If not, then you won’t see the icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
These steps will show you how to disable the Rocket Radar Pokemon Go item if you don’t wish to fight one of the Team Rocket team leaders right now.
Step 1: Tap the Pokemon Go icon to launch the game.
Open the Pokemon Go app.
Step 2: Touch the Pokeball at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the red and white Pokeball.
Step 3: Touch the Items button at the bottom of the menu.
Open the Items menu.
Step 4: Select the Rocket Radar item from your Item Bag.
Choose the Rocket Radar.
Step 5: Tap the Unequip button.
Select the Unequip option.
Now when you return to the map view, the Rocket Radar should no longer be in the top-right corner under the weather icon.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about how to turn off the Rocket Radar Pokemon Go item.
Do you dislike the sound that plays when your morning alarm goes off? Read this article about how to change the alarm sound on an iPhone 13 and switch it to something different.
More Information on Rocket Radars in Pokemon Go
In the article above, we pointed out that you can win Mysterious Components from Team Rocket battles at Pokestops.
However, you can also win them from the Rocket balloons that periodically (6 AM, 12 PM, 6 PM, 12 AM) appear at your location.
If you already have a Rocket Radar, then you won’t receive more Mysterious Components. You will need to use the Rocket Radar to battle a team leader (Arlo, Sierra, Cliff). Once you have defeated the team leader, it will use the radar.
If you have more than one Rocket Radar, then you will need to use all of them before you can start collecting Mysterious Components again.
You can use these same steps if you have a Super Rocket Radar and want to unequip that as well.
Many of the Team Rocket battles can be quite difficult, especially the Rocket leader battles and the Giovanni battle from the Super Rocket Radar. You may need to participate in these battles multiple times before you are victorious.
One of the best things about using a Rocket Radar Pokemon Go item is that you will get a 12 km egg after winning the battle.
These eggs often have some very good or very rare Pokemon, some of which can’t be acquired any other way int eh game.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Pokemon Go Rocket Radar
Who are the Team Rocket leaders that I can battle with a radar?
You can randomly battle Cliff, Arlo, or Sierra when you have a Rocket Radar. The team leader that you encounter via the Rocket balloon can change if you don’t engage with the leader the first time you encounter them.
What do I get when I defeat a team leader?
The rewards that you can receive will vary, but you will always get at least 1 12 KM egg and 500 stardust.
The 12 KM egg must be placed in an incubator and walked for 12 KM for it to hatch. Some events can lower this walking requirement, and super incubators can lower it as well.
You will also get a shadow Pokemon encounter, much like the ones you get when you defeat regular rocket or decoy grunts.
If I equip a Super Rocket radar, who will I encounter?
You will have to fight Giovanni when you equip a Super Rocket Radar. he is the Team Go Rocket boss
You will always get this encounter from your next Team Rocket balloon when you have the Super Rocket Radar equipped.
If you are searching for him in the wild, then you may encounter some decoy Team Rocket grunts before you actually find Giovanni.
Note that Giovanni can be a pretty difficult battle, but he will reward a shadow Legendary encounter, so it’s well worth the effort. The exact Legendary Pokémon will vary as Niantic switches them periodically.
How do I get a Rocket Radar in Pokemon Go?
The most common way to receive these radars is to collect six mysterious components. You will find mysterious components each time you defeat a regular Team Rocket grunt.
But you can also purchase these radars from the shop, and they are sometimes given out as research rewards from Rocket special research tasks.
Once you get a regular Rocket Radar you can equip it from the Items menu and battle Team Rocket bosses at Team Rocket Pokestops, or at the hot air balloons that come around several times per day.
What happens when I get Super Rocket Radars?
When you equip a Super Rocket radar Pokemon Go item, you will be able to use it to locate the Rocket headquarters, where you can fight Giovanni.
If you defeat Giovanni, you will get some good rewards, plus you will have the chance to catch a shadow legendary Pokemon.
Note that you can typically only acquire a Super Rocket Radar during a team Rokcet Event, which only happens a few times each year.
Can you stack Rocket Radars?
You can only equip one Rocket Radar at a time, but the game will automatically equip additional ones for you if you have more in your inventory after using one.
So while you can’t technically stack Rocket Radars by equipping multiples at the same time, the game effectively stacks them for you if you have more than one.
What does the Rocket Radar do?
The Rocket Radar can show you where to find the Rocket Team leaders, as well as possible locations for Giovanni.
Once you have equipped the item from your Item Bag, you only need to tap on it to see the potential locations for these Team Rocket individuals.
Will I still get to fight Rocket Team leaders or Giovanni with the Team Rocket hot air balloons?
Yes, you can still have these encounters with a hot air balloon.
In fact, it is probably the easiest way to battle these Rocket members, as the balloon will always have Giovanni or a team leader if you have the Rocket Radar equipped.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing technology how-to articles and tutorials for over a decade. He has extensive experience in information technology both in small business and as a consultant.
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