Open Gifts
Send and open a Gift with a friend. This is the easiest daily interaction — one opened Gift counts for the day.
Friends & trades
Pokémon GO friendship levels & trading
Building friendship unlocks battle bonuses and slashes the Stardust cost of trades. Here are the levels, what each one gives you, and how trading and Lucky trades actually work.
Last reviewed: 15 June 2026
The four levels
Friendship levels & bonuses
Friendship goes up one level per day of interaction — open a Gift, trade, or battle/raid together. You can only raise a friendship one level per day, so Best Friends takes a minimum of 90 days.
| Level | Days | Raid/Gym attack bonus | Extra Premier Balls | Trade cost discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Day 1 | – | – | – |
| Great | 7 days | Small | +1 | Small |
| Ultra | 30 days | Medium | +2 | Medium |
| Best | 90 days | Large | +4 | Large |
The attack bonus applies when you and a friend battle the same raid or gym together. The extra Premier Balls give you more catch attempts on the raid boss.
Levelling up faster
How to raise friendship
Battle or raid together
Joining the same raid or gym battle, or trainer-battling each other, also ticks the daily interaction.
Trade a Pokémon
An in-person trade counts too. Only one interaction per day per friend raises the level, so consistency beats volume.
Trading
How trading & Stardust costs work
Both trainers must be Good Friends or higher and within about 100 m of each other in real life. Each trade costs Stardust, and the amount depends on your friendship level and what is being traded.
| Trade type | What it covers | Stardust cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | A Pokémon already registered in your Pokédex | Cheap — as low as 100 at Best Friends, more at lower levels. |
| Special | Legendary, Mythical, Shiny, or any Pokémon new to your Pokédex | Expensive — up to 1,000,000 at Good Friends, dropping steeply with each level. Limited to one special trade per day. |
Higher friendship is the single biggest way to cut trade costs — a special trade that costs hundreds of thousands of Stardust at Good Friends can fall to a small fraction of that at Best Friends. For the exact current figures, check the official Help Center linked below.
The best reason to trade
Lucky trades
What you get
- A glowing “Lucky” background on the Pokémon.
- Half Stardust cost to power it up — permanent savings.
- Guaranteed minimum IVs of 12/12/12, so it is usually high quality.
How to boost the odds
- Higher friendship levels raise the base Lucky chance.
- The longer ago a Pokémon was caught, the higher its Lucky chance.
- Lucky Friends (a chance when interacting as Best Friends) makes the next trade guaranteed Lucky.
Good to know
Friendship & trading FAQ
How long does Best Friends take?
A minimum of 90 days, because friendship only rises one level per day of interaction: Good (day 1), Great (7 days), Ultra (30 days), Best (90 days).
Do I have to meet in person to trade?
For standard trading, yes — both trainers must be within about 100 m of each other. Niantic has run remote-trade features and events over time, so check the in-game friend screen and official news for what is currently available.
Can I trade Legendaries or Shinies?
Yes, but they count as special trades: one per day, and they cost much more Stardust — especially if the Pokémon is new to your Pokédex. Raising friendship dramatically reduces the cost.
Does trading change a Pokémon’s IVs?
Yes — a traded Pokémon’s IVs are re-rolled within a range set by your friendship level, and a Lucky trade guarantees at least 12/12/12. You cannot trade a traded Pokémon again.
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