How to use a Poffin in Pokemon GO

Poffins is a Pokemon GO food used exclusively for buddy Pokemon, and can be fed to your accompanying Pocket Monster to increase the number of affection hearts players can earn at once.

Poffins, though difficult to obtain without buying them with microtransactions, are definitely worth the trouble. After feeding them to a buddy Pokemon, the Pokemon's hunger bar will fill, and it will instantly become excited. While it's in the excited state, a trainer's buddy Pokemon will earn double affection hearts from non-bonus sources such as walking or battling together.

Considering how many hearts it takes to max out a buddy Pokemon's affection, Poffins can be incredibly helpful.

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Pokemon GO: Feeding your buddy Pokemon a Poffin

A batch of Poffins as depicted in the Pokemon anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Before feeding a buddy Pokemon a Poffin, Pokemon GO trainers are going to need at least one. As previously stated, they're often bought from the in-game shop with Pokecoins, which are usually purchased through microtransactions but can also be obtained from activities such as defending gyms.

There are also a few ways to earn Poffins from playing Pokemon GO, such as AR mapping Field Research Tasks (Take a photo of Pokestop X) or completing certain Special Research questlines offered through events. Regardless of how players obtain a Poffin, once they have one they'll need to open their buddy Pokemon play screen.

To open the play screen, Pokemon GO trainers will first need to open their buddy Pokemon menu, which can usually be accessed in-game by selecting the Pokemon's buddy portrait, which is adjacent to the trainer's avatar image if they have a buddy Pokemon selected.

Once inside the buddy Pokemon menu, press the play button. From the play screen, players can select to offer their Pokemon a quick treat or to advance. If players advance instead of giving out quick treats, they can open the feeding menu by selecting the berry icon located in the bottom-left of the screen.

Once that's open, simply scroll left or right to locate the Poffins in the feeding menu, then select it. This will pull the Poffin from the menu and allow Pokemon GO trainers to tap and drag the Poffin to their Pokemon, who will munch it down graciously.

The excitement effects and filled hunger will happen immediately. Now players can take their buddy out into the world or battle and receive twice the affection they'd typically earn until Poffin's effect expires.