Another Rocket Leader battle ends, but Giovanni is still nowhere in sight. Your Rocket Radar shows nearby hideouts, so why isn’t he appearing? The answer comes down to which radar you’re using: a regular Rocket Radar finds Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra, while Giovanni needs a Super Rocket Radar.
In 2026 those radars have come from event GO Passes rather than Special Research, and the passes that offered them have already ended. In this guide, you’ll see what the Super Rocket Radar does, how the GO Pass tracks handed it out, what to do if you still have one in your bag, and how to check the marked PokéStops until you find the real Giovanni instead of a decoy.
Part 1. What Is the Super Rocket Radar?
The Super Rocket Radar is an item that reveals possible Giovanni hideouts. After equipping it, you can investigate the marked PokéStops for Team GO Rocket’s boss. Some of those stops contain Decoy Grunts instead, so you usually have to check several before Giovanni shows up. Since the June 2026 takeover, he no longer appears in Rocket Balloons, so PokéStops are the only place to look. Decoy battles do not consume the radar; it is only used up once you defeat him.
These differences help you choose the correct radar for your goal:
Think of the Super Rocket Radar as a way to narrow down Giovanni’s location. It highlights possible Hideouts, but it does not identify the genuine one immediately. You need to investigate the marked locations and check which opponent appears.
Part 2. How to Get a Super Rocket Radar in Pokemon GO in 2026
In 2026, Super Rocket Radars have come from event GO Passes instead of the Special Research used in earlier takeovers. Two passes offered one: GO Pass: Steeled Resolve – Taken Over (April 28 to May 4, 2026) and GO Pass: Flying Taxi (June 23 to June 29, 2026). Both have ended, and the Flying Taxi rewards expired on July 1, 2026. The sections below use Steeled Resolve as the worked example because its reward track is fully documented, but the same structure applies to each takeover: check the pass, find the radar’s rank, and claim it before the pass expires.
Progress Through the GO Pass
Start by checking whether the relevant event pass includes a Super Rocket Radar. Then review its required rank and available ways to earn GO Points. Completing the listed activities and Pass Tasks increases your rank, unlocking rewards along the way.
During GO Pass: Steeled Resolve, the free radar was unlocked at Rank 30. You could claim it without buying the Deluxe upgrade. However, check each event’s reward list before assuming the same rank applies.
Follow these steps when a qualifying event pass becomes available:
- Locate the radar reward: Check its track and required rank.
- Earn GO Points: Complete the activities listed within that pass.
- Monitor your progress: Review your remaining ranks before the event ends.
- Claim your radar: Collect the unlocked reward and check your Item Bag.
Also check whether the pass has a daily GO Point limit. Steeled Resolve included a period when that limit was lifted. Similar opportunities can help with progression when an event specifically offers them.
Upgrade to GO Pass Deluxe for an Extra Radar
If you want a second radar, check the event’s Deluxe rewards. For Steeled Resolve, the upgrade cost US $4.99, with equivalent local pricing tiers, and it unlocked the paid reward track alongside continued access to the free one. Upgrading has to happen before the pass ends, and the extra radar sits at a low rank, so the upgrade delivers it immediately.
Here’s how the two radars were distributed during that event:
The Deluxe upgrade therefore provided one additional radar at Rank 1. Reaching Rank 30 unlocked the second radar through the free track. The paid track’s Rank 30 reward was a Meltan encounter.
Important: progression and reward collection can have different deadlines. Steeled Resolve progression ended May 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. local time, while unlocked rewards expired a few days later (check the event’s official blog post for the exact time, since it varies by event). For another event, confirm both deadlines before you progress or buy an upgrade.
Can You Still Get One Right Now?
As of September 2026, no GO Pass or research is handing out Super Rocket Radars. If you already claimed one and never used it, it still works: equip it and start checking marked PokéStops, and you’ll get Giovanni’s current Shadow Legendary, Shadow Reshiram. If you don’t have one, the next Team GO Rocket takeover event is your next chance, so watch the in-game news for a GO Pass that lists a Super Rocket Radar in its reward track.
Part 3. Bonus Tip: Farming Rocket Radars Faster with AnyGo
A Super Rocket Radar sends you to possible hideouts, and decoys mean you may have to check several marked PokéStops before Giovanni appears. If your area has only a handful of stops, that search takes a while, and collecting six Mysterious Components for a regular Rocket Radar takes longer still.
iToolab AnyGo is a location changer for Pokémon GO, and it helps with the searching part. You can change your GPS to a denser cluster of PokéStops, work through the Grunts there, and check more marked hideouts in a single session. It will not hand you a Super Rocket Radar, which only comes from event rewards such as a GO Pass; what it does is cut the walking between stops.
- Teleport to rocket-dense areas with one-click.
- Simulate GPS movement along any custom path with joystick.
- Newly released Native Mode: spoof iOS location without modded apps for all LBS apps safely.
- Auto catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops using Go Catcher.
- Support Monster Hunter Now, Pikmin Bloom and other location-based apps.
- No Failed to Detect Location Error 12.
- Run seamlessly on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.
- Fully support the latest iOS 27/Android 17.
How to Use iToolab AnyGo to Farm Mysterious Components Faster
Step 1 Download and install iToolab AnyGo on your Windows or Mac computer. Launch AnyGo and select General Mode.
Step 2 Connect your iPhone or Android phone to your computer with a USB cable.
Step 3 Find an area on the map with several PokéStops, then choose Two-spot or Multi-sport Mode to draw a route through the stops and set the walking speed. Open Pokémon GO and spin or battle at the invaded stops you pass. Decoy Grunts still drop Mysterious Components, and checking them does not use up a Super Rocket Radar.
Part 4. How to Use the Super Rocket Radar to Find Giovanni
With your Super Rocket Radar ready, the search for Giovanni begins. Follow these steps to equip it, investigate possible hideouts, and prepare your team for battle.
1. Equip the Super Rocket Radar
Open your Item Bag, select the Super Rocket Radar, and tap Equip. Back on the map, marked PokéStops appear as possible hideouts; tap the radar icon to see the list. Check that you equipped the Super Rocket Radar and not a regular one, because only the Super version leads to Giovanni.
2. Check the Marked PokéStops
Visit a marked PokéStop and check which opponent appears. Several marked stops contain Decoy Grunts instead of Giovanni. If you find a decoy, you can battle it for its usual rewards or leave it and move on; either way the Super Rocket Radar stays in your bag. Keep checking until Giovanni appears.
3. Battle Giovanni
Once Giovanni appears, heal your Pokémon before entering. His current lineup opens with Shadow Persian, continues with Shadow Machamp, Shadow Kangaskhan, or Shadow Rhyperior, and finishes with Shadow Reshiram, so a team covering Fighting, Ground, and Dragon works well. If you lose, you can battle him again as long as you stay near the PokéStop, and the radar is only consumed when you win.
Winning gives you an encounter with his current Shadow Legendary, Shadow Reshiram, plus 5,000 precious Stardust and three random item bundles. The featured Shadow Pokémon rotates, so saving a radar does not lock in today’s one.
4. Check Every Marked PokéStop Quickly with AnyGo
When marked hideouts are scattered, AnyGo’s teleport feature can simplify your search. Select a marked PokéStop’s location and move your reported GPS position there. Check the encounter, then investigate another location if a decoy appears.
This is about reaching the stops faster, not about getting more radars, since a Super Rocket Radar only comes from event rewards.
Part 5. Can You Stack Super Rocket Radars?
Yes, you can keep multiple Super Rocket Radars in your Item Bag. Claiming another eligible radar reward adds to your stored supply. If you’d rather save them, unequip your radar until you’re ready. Each victory against Giovanni consumes one, leaving any others for future encounters.
However, saving a radar doesn’t preserve his current Shadow Pokémon reward. That encounter depends on the rotation when you battle him. Also, claim GO Pass rewards before their deadlines, even when you plan to use the radars later.
The radar also stays in your bag through any number of decoy encounters, so holding several does not force you to use them.
Summary
Getting a Super Rocket Radar in Pokemon GO starts with checking eligible event rewards. During Steeled Resolve, the free track offered one at Rank 30 and Deluxe added another at Rank 1, and the June Flying Taxi pass worked the same way. Both have ended, and as of September 2026 there is no active source, so if you still have one in your bag, equip it and start checking marked PokéStops; otherwise watch for the next takeover GO Pass. Decoys are part of the search and do not consume the radar. Beat Giovanni and you get his current Shadow Legendary, Shadow Reshiram.
When the marked hideouts are scattered across town, AnyGo Pokemon GO Spoofer gives you more stops to check in one session. Download it and start with the nearest PokéStop cluster.