Pokémon GO Friendship Guide

Here’s everything you need to know about Friendship in Pokémon GO

Players can add friends, send them gifts, and trade Pokémon in Pokémon GO. There are a few limitations to these features, but you receive valuable game benefits by raising your Friendship Level with your friends. These benefits increase the closer you become with your friends through in-game activities.

How to add a Trainer to friends

To add a friend in Pokémon GO, you need to click on your main profile picture on the lower-left portion of the screen. From there, go to the Friends section. Under the title of Friends, you should see the number of trainers already listed as your friend.

At the top of this page, click on the icon that reads Add Friend. You need to use the trainer’s 12-digit Friend Code. Yours should be at the top of this section, and you can freely share it with trainers, and if another trainer gives you theirs, you can send them a friend request. You also have the option to scan a Trainer’s QR code to send or receive a friend request.

After the request has been sent, you’ll need to wait to accept it or the other trainer to accept. Following that, you should see the trainer added to your overall list of friends in Pokémon GO.

You cannot send or accept requests until you have reached Trainer level 10.

How to raise Friendship Levels

Every trainer on your friend list has a Friendship level. To increase this, you’ll need to interact with them by doing in-game activities. There are multiple ways to do this throughout a single day of playing the game.

Participate in a Gym battle or Raid

If you’re near your friend, you can party together to challenge Gym battles or Raids. Even if you’re unsuccessful, the interaction with the other Trainer still counts for the day.

Giving or receiving gifts

The easiest way to increase Friendship Level is by providing another Trainer a Gift each day. You have a chance to obtain a Gift whenever you spin a Photo Disc at a PokéStop or Gym. Gifts can be sent to any player on your Friend List and contain numerous helpful items, including Super Potions, Poké Balls, Pinap Berries, and more. They can even include a 7KM egg that has Alolan Pokémon. You can’t open Gifts you receive from PokéStop or Gyms, only those received from Friends. Your Friendship Level will also increase by receiving and opening gifts from other Trainers.

Trading with a friend

You can also raise your Friendship Level by trading Pokémon with a friend. It doesn’t matter what Pokémon you trade. Still, it’s important to note that trading costs a significant amount of Stardust, especially in the earlier Friendship Levels, so this isn’t an optimal means of increasing the Friendship Level. It helps to complete the Pokédex, though.

Friendship levels and benefits

You receive gameplay benefits to adding friends and raising friendship ranks in Pokémon GO. As you become better friends with someone, your Pokémon gains an attack bonus during any raids and gyms you participate with that player. You also earn more Premier Balls from successful raids. You also have the chance to trade with them at lower Stardust costs.

• Trading discount: Zero percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: 3 percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: Zero

Great Friends (7 days)

• Trading discount: 20 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: Five percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raid: One

Ultra Friends (30 days)

• Trading Discount: 92 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: Seven percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: Two

Best Friends (90 days)

• Trading Discount: 96 percent
• Gym and Raid Battle Attack Increase: 10 percent
• Extra Premier Balls from Raids: 4

You’ll also gain some decent chunks of experience upon reaching each Friendship Level milestone:

• Good Friends (1 day): 3,000 XP
• Great Friends (7 days): 10,000 XP
• Ultra Friends (30 days): 50,000 XP
• Best Friends (90 days): 100,000 XP