Having friends can make Pokemon GO even more fun! Here’s how to add friends in Pokemon GO as well as raise friendship levels.
Everything is better with friends, and Pokemon GO is no different. Whether that’s sending Gifts to each other or entering Raids remotely, being friends with other trainers has lots of benefits.
We’re going to cover everything you need to know about making friends in Pokemon GO, including how to find some new friends if you don’t have a local Pokemon GO community.
How to Add Trainers in Pokemon GO
To add friends in Pokemon GO you need to obtain your friends Trainer Code and copy it in the add friend section.
The trainer code and section to add friends are both on the same page, therefore both friends should follow the steps below:
- Tap on your Avatar in the bottom left corner of the screen
- Press on the Friends tab in the top right
- Press the Add Friend button
To add your friend:
- Copy and paste your friends Trainer Code in the ‘Add Friend’ box (they’ll need to share it with you first).
For a friend to add you:
- Copy and share your Trainer Code with your friend and they will need to follow the process above.
After this friend request is accepted, you and the other player will become friends! There are a few things that you can do as friends, including sending gifts. However, the best thing to do with friends is to trade in Pokemon GO.
Friendship Levels
What Are Friendship Levels in Pokemon GO?
There are four Friendship Levels in Pokemon GO, these being:
- Good Friend
- Great Friend
- Ultra Friend
- Best Friend
There’s technically a fifth Friendship Level called Lucky Friend, and we’ll go over that in a moment. Having a higher level of friendship with another trainer has plenty of rewards and benefits that come with it.
How to Raise Friendship Level in Pokemon GO
There are 5 ways to raise your Friendship Levels in Pokemon GO:
- Sending and opening Gifts
- Trading Pokemon
- Battling in a Gym together
- Battling in a Raid together
- Battling each other
You’re limited to raising your Friendship Level once per day, per friend.
After you’ve raised your Friendship Level for the day, you’ll need to wait until tomorrow before you can further progress the friendship. You can tell which Friendship Levels you’ve raised today by which friends have halos around their Avatars.
What Rewards / Benefits Are There From Friendship Levels?
There are a few benefits to having friends with higher levels, such as a trade discount or bonus damage in Raids. For all of the information on benefits, look at the table below:
| Friendship Level | XP Reward | Raid Balls | Raid / Gym Attack Bonus | Trade Discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friend (1 Day) | 3000 | N/A | 3% | 0% |
| Great Friend (7 Days) | 10000 | +1 | 5% | 20% |
| Ultra Friend (30 Days) | 50000 | +2 | 7% | 92% |
| Best Friend (90 Days) | 100000 | +4 | 10% | 96% |
It pays to keep raising the Friendship Level between yourself and other trainers, as the bonuses are plentiful.
Since raiding becomes easier with friends, check out our ultimate Raid guide for Pokemon GO to make use of these bonuses!
What are Lucky Friends in Pokemon GO?
Lucky Friends are a rare Friendship Level that can appear randomly. These will give you a guaranteed Lucky Pokemon if you trade with each other.
Lucky Pokemon require 50% less Stardust to power up, so you’ll want to get as many of these as you can!
After becoming Best Friends with another trainer, if you do any of the normal actions to raise your Friendship Level, there’s a 1.17% chance you could become Lucky Friends, according to The Silph Road website.
After you’ve done a trade, you’ll become Best Friends again. You can become Lucky Friends again in the future.
How to Find Trainers to Befriend in Pokemon GO
There are a few ways to find friends in Pokemon GO, including:
- Finding trainers on social media, such as the PokemonGOFriends subreddit
- Inviting your friends in real life to play Pokemon GO
- Using the Pokemon GO Campfire companion app
Of course, you won’t be able to participate in trading with friends online, as trading has a strict trading distance. But you can still get plenty of other benefits for making friends with other trainers.
There are also some great benefits to having friends during special events – here’s everything you need to know about Community Days in Pokemon GO!
