Pokemon GO: Is trading currently disabled?

Trainers in Pokemon GO might not be able to get trades done today.

Trading has been a cornerstone of the franchise, whether it be in the phone app or console games. Not only can trainers get cool new Pokemon through trades, but they can also get candy and other resources at times. In fact, some evolutions only happen through trading (like Trevenant’s).

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Trainers unable to trade Pokemon, potentially due to glitch

According to Niantic Support’s Twitter, trading is currently disabled in the game. Trainers will not be able to conduct any transfers at all. If they try to do so, they will literally find the trade button missing.

Based on the tweet that was put out, Niantic is investigating an issue that has something to do with trading. They did not indicate, however, what that issue might be or what caused it.

While the nature of the issue is still unclear, there is a glitch in the game that is likely what caused Niantic to shut down trading. Apparently, some trainers were able to get infinite Lucky trades before the feature was disabled.

One such trainer had revealed the glitch through a Reddit post. u/AndKrem showcased screenshots full of newly acquired Lucky Pokemon:

According to the post, this user traded with another trainer and found out they were both still Lucky Friends after the trade. Therefore, they decided to keep trading. They eventually reached the maximum amount of trades a trainer can engage in per day, which is 100.

Whenever any trade is conducted, it has a 5% chance of being Lucky. If it is Lucky, it will have perfect IVs as well as a reduced Stardust cost for powering up. Trainers will be able to recognize if a trade was Lucky if the Pokemon has a golden aura around it.

Trainers can also get a Lucky Friend status, which significantly raises the likelihood of a trade being Lucky. After they get one Lucky trade, however, the status should reset. This mechanic appears not to have worked resulting in the glitch.