Pokemon Go: What are Sponsored gifts, how do I get them?

ByAdam B Hours
Sponsored gift balloon in Pokemon Go

Last Updated on: 17th July 2021, 04:07 pm

Pokemon Go has recently kicked off the Pokemon Go fest event, but this has caused more awareness of Sponsored Gifts – what are they, exactly?

What do they look like? What are their rewards? Why am I not getting any of them? are fortunately all questions I’ll be answering shortly regarding Pokemon Go and its Sponsored Gifts feature.

All about Sponsored Gifts in Pokemon Go

Sponsored gifts seem to be primarily being delivered by balloons during Pokemon Go fest 2021, like the one shown in our banner image at the top of this article. These balloons, much like Team Rocket Balloons, show a shadow on the ground and slowly drift around the player. Tapping to open them will result in being given the option to open a container like this one.

Google Play Sponsored gift in Pokemon Go
Google Play Sponsored gift in Pokemon Go, Credit: Niantic, Inc

Hitting open will greet you with a similar sort of interaction as spinning a Pokedisc, where items will temporarily appear in bubbles on your screen for you to pop to collect them – alternatively, just wait for the bubbles to hit the top of your screen or close out the screen to collect the items.

Below is a snapshot of what the first sponsored gift gave me – notably including a fair few Ultra balls, alongside at least one Incense and Super Incubator. Not bad for free.

Sponsored Gifts items in Pokemon Go
Credit: Niantic, Inc

Why am I not seeing Sponsored gifts?

If you haven’t seen any Sponsored gifts in Pokemon Go yet its possible you’re just getting unlucky – but if you’d like to be safe it could be a good idea to check your settings menu for the “Show Sponsored Gifts” option, at the bottom of the main settings list shown here.

If this setting is toggled off, you likely won’t see any balloons at all for these, so make sure to turn it on for the free items.

Settings menu In Pokemon Go
The settings menu In Pokemon Go, Credit: Niantic, Inc

READ MORE: Pokemon Go Raids: Hidden Mechanic Discovered

If your settings are ready to allow Sponsored gift balloons to spawn in Pokemon Go for you, then all you need to do is keep an eye out while playing for any shadows on the ground that might mean a balloon is above you and grab them when they appear.

Enjoy the free items, trainer.

Is there anything else to know?

Sponsored gifts in Pokemon Go aren’t too complex, try adjusting your settings as mentioned above if you haven’t been getting them.

That’s about everything you need to know in regards to Sponsored gift balloons. If you’d be interested, you can find further Pokemon Go articles, stories, and guides on The Click right here, and more pieces written by me personally here.