When Pokémon Go was first released in summer 2016 it became an instant global phenomenon as fans of the gaming series headed outdoors to catch and battle Pokémon using augmented reality.
Now, six years on, Pokémon Go continues to release new features to keep players gripped with the latest being the option to add friends.
Every Pokémon Go player has their own unique 12-digit Trainer Code and a connected QR code.
Here’s everything you need to know about Pokémon Go friend codes and how to add your friends.
What are Pokémon Go friend codes?
Pokémon Go friend codes allow players across the world to stay connected as well as helping players find new friends to trade and fight enemies with.
As well as giving Pokémon Go trainers the pure enjoyment of playing with others, Pokémon Go friend codes allow players to gain both more experience points and raid bonuses.
These aren’t the only benefits – by trading Pokémon with other players you can fill gaps in your Pokédex and by exchanging gifts and trading you can quickly amass XP (something which is especially useful once you’re past level 30 and levelling up becomes more of a slog).
The more trainers you play with, the more you’ll see your Friendship Level increase – and the higher it goes, the bigger a bonus you’ll receive.
Here’s what each level bags you:
Good Friend: Players can trade all Pokémon except Mythical
Great Friend: Players will gain attack bonuses during gym battles with that friend (3000XP), Stardust discounts for trading and one extra Premier Ball for raids carried out with that friend
Ultra Friend: Even larger attack bonuses during gym battles with that friend (50,000XP), two extra Premier Balls for raids with that friend and additional Stardust discounts for trading
Best Friend: Four extra Premier Balls for raids carried out with that friend, massive Stardust discount for trading and the largest attack bonus during gym battles with that friend (100,000XP)
You can give out up to 100 gifts a day to your friends, however, you can only give the same friend one gift a day. Players themselves are only allowed to open 12 gifts a day.
How to add friends on Pokémon Go
Once you’ve hit a Trainer Level of 10 on Pokémon Go you’ll be able to add friends. To add a friend you will need to have their unique 12-digit code as Pokémon Go does not allow players to search for friends by name in a bid to prevent trainers from interacting with strangers.
Here’s how to add codes:
- Go to your Trainer screen and tap the ‘Friends’ tab in the upper right hand corner.
- Select ‘Add Friend’ and enter a Trainer Code of a friend.
Once you’ve added the code, your friend will be asked to accept your request to be friends and voila, you’re now connected on Pokémon Go.
It’s worth noting that there is a cap on how many friends you can add – the current cap is 400, but this may be changed in the future.
If you’re looking to find a whole lot of friends on Pokémon Go, it’s also worth noting that there are entire websites — like PogoTrainer.club and PokemonGoFriendCodes.com — dedicated to the sharing of friend codes.
How to access your Pokémon Go friend code
Here’s how to access your own code to share with others:
- Go to your Trainer screen and tap the ‘Friends’ tab in the upper right hand corner.
- Select ‘Add Friend’ where, as well as giving you the option to add someone else’s code, you will also be shown your own Pokémon Go friend code.
- You can now share your code via the ‘Share my Trainer Code’ option or by copy and pasting the code and sharing it via your social networks.
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