Pokémon GO Friend Codes: Find, Add and Swap (October 2026)

Every Pokémon GO player has a 12-digit Trainer Code, which most players call a friend code. Swap codes with another player and you can send gifts, trade, raid together and level up a friendship for big XP rewards. This page shows where to find your own code, how to add someone, and where to swap codes without getting scammed. We do not list anyone's personal code here: codes are tied to real accounts, and the community boards below are the right place to swap them.

How to find your Pokémon GO friend code

1. Tap your avatar in the bottom left corner.
2. Open the FRIENDS tab.
3. Tap ADD FRIEND.
4. Your Trainer Code sits at the top. Tap Copy my Trainer Code or Share my Trainer Code, or show the QR code to someone standing next to you.

The code is permanent. It does not change when you change your name, team or device.

How to add a friend

1. Open FRIENDS and tap ADD FRIEND.
2. Paste the other player's 12-digit code, or tap QR Code and scan theirs.
3. Send the request. Once they accept, you appear on each other's list.

Pending requests show under the FRIENDS tab. If a request will not send, one of you is probably at the friend limit. Niantic raised the cap from 450 to 650 in increments of 50 over several weeks starting December 2025, so 650 is the ceiling now. The list is shared across apps from the same studio, so friends from other games on the same account count toward it.

Where to swap friend codes safely

Pokémon GO has no public player search, so codes get swapped in community spaces:

• Reddit: r/PokemonGoFriends is the biggest board. Post your code with your region and what you want (daily gifts, raid invites, trades). The r/pokemongo and r/TheSilphRoad communities also run friend code threads.
• Campfire: the official companion app shows nearby players, local groups and active raids. It is the best way to meet people you can trade with in person.
• Discord: local raid servers usually have a friend code channel, and many run raid-invite channels for remote raids.

Friendship levels and rewards

You earn up to one friendship point per friend per day by sending or opening a gift, trading, raiding, battling in a Gym or Trainer Battle together, or playing weekly friend challenges. Weekly challenges team you with up to three friends and can award extra friendship points on top of the daily one.

Activate a Lucky Egg before a friendship levels up and that XP doubles. Players line up several Best Friend promotions on the same day under one Lucky Egg for a fast level boost.

Gifts: limits and tips

Gifts drop from PokéStops and Gyms. You cannot open your own; you send them to friends.

• Send: one gift per friend per day. You cannot send another until they open the last one.
• Carry: up to 20 gifts in your bag. Gifts do not take up item space.
• Open: the standard cap is 30 per day. Gift events raise it for a short time (a May 2025 global challenge raised it to 50).
• Postcards: pin a gift's postcard to your Postcard Book before you send it. You cannot save it afterward. Gifts from far-away friends also help complete Vivillon patterns.

Trading, Remote Trades and Lucky Friends

Normal trades happen in person. Both players need Trainer level 10 or higher and have to be close to each other.

Remote Trades went live worldwide on December 11, 2025. When you reach Forever Friends with someone, you each get one Remote Trade with that friend, and you earn another by collecting 90 more friendship points. You can only hold one at a time per Forever Friend.

How a Remote Trade works:

1. Mark Pokémon you are willing to give away with the Remote Trade tag.
2. Each of you picks up to three of the other's tagged Pokémon as a wish list.
3. Each of you offers one Pokémon from the other's wish list.
4. Both confirm or cancel.

These cannot be traded remotely: Pokémon caught in the last 30 days, already traded Pokémon, Shadow and Mythical Pokémon, Pokémon defending Gyms or Power Spots, your buddy, Mega Evolved or Fused Pokémon, Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta, and Pokémon placed at Pokémon Playgrounds.

Lucky Friends can only happen between Best Friends or above. Each daily interaction gives a small chance of becoming Lucky Friends, and your next trade with that friend, in person or remote, turns both Pokémon Lucky. Lucky Pokémon cost half the Stardust to power up.

Remote Raids with friends

Friends make Remote Raids easier. Join a raid lobby, tap Invite Friends on the right side of the screen, and pick up to five friends at a time (more after a short cooldown). Each invited friend spends a Remote Raid Pass to join from anywhere. Raiding with a Great Friend or higher also adds the attack bonus and extra Premier Balls from the table above. If your list is short, the raid-invite channels on Discord and Campfire fill lobbies quickly.

Referral codes are different

Your Trainer Code is not your referral code. The referral program has its own code, found on the FRIENDS screen under Invite. It only works for players who are new to Pokémon GO or have not played for at least 90 days, and both of you get rewards such as encounters, Rare Candy and Incubators as the new player hits milestones. The game itself does not hand out free items for adding friends; for those, grab the current Pokémon GO promo codes.

How to remove a friend

1. Open the FRIENDS tab and tap the friend.
2. Scroll to the bottom of their profile.
3. Tap Remove Friend and confirm.

Removing a friend wipes your friendship level for good. Adding them back starts again from zero. Removing someone in one game on the shared friend list removes them from the others too.

Playing other Pokémon games? See our Pokémon UNITE codes and Pokémon TCG Pocket codes.

FAQs

Where do I find my friend code in Pokémon GO?

Tap your avatar, open the FRIENDS tab and tap ADD FRIEND. Your 12-digit Trainer Code and a scannable QR code are at the top of that screen.

How many friends can you have in Pokémon GO?

650. The cap went up from 450 in steps of 50 over several weeks starting December 2025.

Is it safe to share your Pokémon GO friend code?

Yes. The code only lets someone send you a friend request, and you choose whether to accept. Keep your real name and location off the same post, and never share your account login.

How long does it take to become Best Friends in Pokémon GO?

90 days of interaction, or 90 friendship points. You earn one point per friend per day, plus extra points from weekly friend challenges. Forever Friends takes another 90 points after that.

How do Remote Trades work in Pokémon GO?

Reach Forever Friends with someone to earn one Remote Trade. Tag Pokémon you are willing to trade, each pick up to three from the other's tagged list, then offer one each and confirm. Another Remote Trade unlocks after 90 more friendship points.

What is the difference between a friend code and a referral code?

A friend code (Trainer Code) adds someone to your friend list. A referral code is a separate code under Invite on the FRIENDS screen, and it only rewards you when a new or returning player (90+ days away) uses it.