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Pokemon GO Candy Guide – How To Earn, Boost & More

Here’s everything you need to know about Candy in Pokemon GO including what it does, how you can earn it, and even how you can boost your Candy earning!

Candy is one of the most important resources for Pokemon GO players, but there’s a lot to learn about it.

Not only are there plenty of things you can use Candy to do in Pokemon GO, but there are even more ways in which you can earn Candy.

Plus, if it’s lots of Candy you’re after, there are also different methods to boost how much Candy you can collect.

Here’s a complete guide to Candy in Pokemon GO so you’ve got the full rundown on this resource!

What is Candy in Pokemon GO?

Candy is a resource in Pokemon GO that has 4 important functions. You can use Candy to:

  • Evolve Pokemon
  • Power Up Pokemon
  • Unlock a second charge attack for your Pokemon
  • Purify Shadow Pokemon

Each Pokemon family has a specific type of Candy you will need to use to perform these actions with. For example, you can use Pikachu Candy to evolve Pikachu into Raichu as well as to Power Up all Pokemon within the Pikachu family.

There is also Candy XL, which has a different use to your regular Candy. Check out our Pokemon GO Candy XL guide for more information!

Pokemon GO Pikachu Candy Evolve

How to Earn Candy in Pokemon GO

There are 7 ways to earn Candy in Pokemon GO. They are:

  • Catching Pokemon:
    • 3 Candy for catching 1st evolution stage.
    • 5 Candy for catching 2nd evolution stage.
    • 10 Candy for catching 3rd evolution stage.
  • Hatching Pokemon Eggs:
    • 5-15 Candy from hatching a 2km Egg.
    • 10-21 Candy from hatching a 5km or 7km Egg.
    • 16-32 Candy for hatching a 10km or 12km Egg.
  • Transfer Pokemon:
    • Earn 1 Candy every time you transfer a Pokemon.
  • Evolving Pokemon:
    • Evolving a Pokemon gives you 1 Candy.
  • Walk with your Buddy:
    • Walking a certain distance with your buddy Pokemon (depending on which Pokemon it is) gives you 1 Candy.
  • Feed Berries to a Pokemon at a Gym:
    • In rare occurrences, you can earn 1 Candy from feeding a Pokemon at a Gym.
  • Trading Pokemon:
    • 1 Candy for trading Pokemon caught within 10km of each other.
    • 2 Candy for trading Pokemon caught within 10-100km of each other.
    • 3 Candy for trading Pokemon caught over 100km of each other.
Croagunk Pokemon GO

How to Boost How Much Candy You Get

Use Pinap Berries

Using a Pinap berry when you catch a Pokemon doubles how much Candy you earn from catching a Pokemon.

Silver Pinap Berries also double the Candy earned and make it more likely for you to catch the Pokemon too!

Pokemon GO Pinap Berries

Mega Pokemon Candy Bonus

The Mega Evolution update in Pokemon GO added a new bonus for Mega Pokemon. When you have a Pokemon Mega Evolved, you get extra Candy for catching Pokemon of the same type.

For example, Mega Evolving Blastoise will give you bonus Candy for catching Water-type Pokemon.

This bonus is 1 extra Candy for level 1 and 2 Mega Pokemon and 2 extra Candy for Pokemon who are Mega Level 3.

Check out the list of every Mega Pokemon in Pokemon GO to see if you’ve got any Pokemon you can Mega evolve to earn more Candy.

Pokemon GO Mega Blastoise

Earn Extra Candy During Pokemon GO Events

Some Pokemon GO events come with the bonus of extra Candy for catching Pokemon.

In addition to the bonus catch Candy on Community Days, other Pokemon GO events sometimes give players extra Candy for catching Pokemon. Make sure to keep an eye out for the bonuses for upcoming Pokemon GO events to see if extra Candy is one of them.

First Ever Community Day in Pokemon GO

If you’re out on an adventure to farm Pokemon Candy, you might come across a shiny or two if you’re lucky. Check out our Pokemon GO shiny odds guide to find out your chances of encountering shiny Pokemon.

Candy infographic for Pokemon GO
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