Pokemon GO Friends: All friendship levels, trade perks, and more

Friends in Pokemon GO is a feature that can greatly affect the gameplay since it has a considerable amount of perks tied to it. From unlocking special "lucky" trades to getting boosts and other combat advantages, having friends in Pokemon GO and maintaining a high level of friendship can be a rewarding experience. It is a unique strategic layer that can also give you a significant amount of XP daily.

In this article, we will explore how friends work in Pokemon GO. We will also discuss the different friendship levels and the perks associated with each of them.

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How to add friends in Pokemon GO?

Adding friends in Pokemon GO (Image via TPC)

Adding friends in Pokemon GO is straightforward, and works via a unique identifier called the trainer code. This is a 12-digit code that is unique to every trainer in Pokemon GO and is used to add friends.

Here is how you can add friends in Pokemon GO with a trainer code:

• Tap on your profile picture at the bottom left corner of the screen.
• Tap on the add friend option from the following screen.
• Enter your friend's trainer code in the box that you see, and hit the send request button.
• A confirmation screen will pop up. Select the send request option here and you will have successfully sent a friend request in Pokemon GO.

If your friend is in front of you, you can also use the QR code feature to add them. After the add friend option, you will be able to see your QR code just above the box where you enter someone else's trainer code. Either have your friend scan this code from their account, or you can scan the QR code from the top right section of GO to send a friend request.

Finally, you may also add friends via Facebook or from your Contact List on your mobile phone.

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Friendship levels and perks in Pokemon GO

There are four friendship levels in Pokemon GO, and each will give you a specific amount of XP for reaching it with a friend. Each friendship level also has a requirement where you need to interact with each other for a specific number of days:

Friendship Level	XP awarded	Requirements
Good Friends	3,000	Interact with each other for 1 day
Great Friends	10,000	Interact with each other for 7 days
Ultra Friends	50,000	Interact with each other for 30 days
Best Friends	100,000	Interact with each other for 90 days

Each of these levels is denoted by an orange heart symbol beside the friend's name in your friend list and has various perks associated with them when it comes to trading and raid or gym battles.

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Pokemon GO friendship perks for Raid Battles

For Gym Battles and Raid Battles, you will receive the following damage bonus and/or extra Premier Balls based on your friendship levels:

Friendship Level	Damage Bonus	Extra Premier Balls Awarded
Good Friends	3%	0
Great Friends	5%	1
Ultra Friends	7%	2
Best Friends	10%	4

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Pokemon GO friendship perks for trading

Trading is a crucial aspect of GO and involves a lot of complex mechanics when it comes to friends. Each trade has a cost in terms of Stardust that needs to be paid, and this value depends on various factors like the classification of Pokemon (i.e., normal, mythical, or legendary) and their type (i.e., normal or shiny).

Furthermore, the Stardust cost also changes if the Pokemon is registered in your Pokedex. If it is a new and unique critter you have not caught, the Stardust value is greatly increased for the receiver of the new critter.

Here is a table explaining the exact nature and cost of trades with friends in Pokemon GO:

Level	Trading Discount	Trading Cost (in Stardust)
		Regular Pokemon		Shiny, Legendary, & Mythical Pokemon
		Caught before	New	Caught before	New
Good Friends	0%	100	20,000	20,000	1,000,000
Great Friends	22%	80	16,000	16,000	800,000
Ultra Friends	92%	8	1,600	1,600	80,000
Best Friends	96%	8	800	800	40,000

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Lucky Friends and Lucky Trades in Pokemon GO

Lucky Friends in Pokemon GO (Image via TPC)

After you become Best Friends with someone in-game, all further interactions with them have a slight chance to further evolve your Best Friends into Lucky Friends. This will be accompanied by an in-game notification and they will be denoted in your friend list by a golden-colored aura and design.

When you become Lucky Friends with someone, your next trade with each other becomes a Lucky Trade. In this special trade, both your traded Pokemon will become Lucky Pokemon, which are also denoted by a golden-colored aura and designs.

After you complete the Lucky Trade, your friendship status is reset, and you can start building it from scratch once again. You can also become Lucky Friends with the same person all over again.

Note: Trainers will have a chance to instantly turn someone on their in-game friends list with whom they share a Great Friends friendship level or higher to Lucky Friend with the Lucky Trinket in Pokemon GO. It is set to be available with GO Tour Pass Deluxe during the final week of February 2025.

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