What You Need to Know About Remote Trades in Pokemon Go, Explained

After years of asking for remote trades and rumors that they might be on the way, Pokemon Go players finally got the good news. Niantic recently confirmed that remote trading is coming to Pokemon Go. In fact, a test group of players in New Zealand already has the new feature, which will roll out as a phased release over time. Like many new additions to Pokemon Go, remote trades are a bit confusing to understand. But we do have a few key details that can help players who don’t yet have access to the feature get ready for its arrival.

Remote trading in Pokemon Go will have some restrictions. You’ll need to reach a new, higher level of friendship to trade remotely, and the number of remote trades will be limited. There are plenty of details to sort through and questions to answer about this exciting new feature, so I’m here to cover everything you need to know. Plus, a few tips for how you can prep for remote trades even if they aren’t available in your area yet.

When Is Remote Trading Coming to Pokemon Go?

For players in test regions, including New Zealand, remote trading in Pokemon Go went live on December 8th. This is a phased rollout, and it’s not clear how many test regions may be added after New Zealand.

As for the full, global release of the feature, Niantic plans to share more information at a later date. So it’s not clear how long the test period will last before remote trades are available to everyone.

How Do Remote Trades Work in Pokemon Go

Although only select players can access remote trades, Niantic has shared a good bit of info on how they work. This, plus insight from those lucky players already using the feature, gives us a good idea of what to expect.

In order to remote trade with someone in Pokemon Go, you will need to reach the new Forever Friend tier. This is a step above Best Friends, and your progress can be tracked with the newly added Friendship points feature. Hitting this new level of friendship will offer additional perks like bonus XP, as well as the ability to remote trade.

You’ll be able to unlock a remote trade by earning friendship points with your Forever Friends, but can only have one trade unlocked at a time. That means you can’t stack up 10 remote trades with one friend, but will need to trade with that Forever Friend before you can earn a new remote trade with them.

Once the trade is unlocked, you will need to tag your offered Pokemon with the new Remote Trade tag. Forever Friends will be able to see the list of available trade Pokemon and select which ones they want to receive. This helps deal with the fact that there’s still no good in-game way to communicate like you would while trading in person.

Which Pokemon Can Be Remote Traded

There are some restrictions on which Pokemon you’ll be able to trade remotely. with your Forever Friends. The following Pokemon are not eligible for Remote Trades:

• Pokemon caught in the last 30 days
• Previously traded Pokemon
• Shadow Pokemon
• Mythical Pokemon
• Pokemon defending Gyms or Power Spots
• Pokemon currently set as your buddy
• Actively Mega-Evolved Pokemon
• Fused Pokemon
• Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta
• Pokémon placed at Pokemon Playgrounds

Some of these restrictions, including Mythical Pokemon and those that have already been traded, are already restricted for in-person trades. But some of these limitations are specific to remote trades. As of now, it’s unclear whether Purified Shadow Pokemon will be eligible for remote trades or restricted like Shadow Pokemon are.

What to Do to Prepare for Remote Trades

If remote trading isn’t yet available in your area, there are still a few things you can do to get ready for when it arrives. Here are some ideas to help make sure your Pokemon Go account is ready to go when remote trades come to your area.

Review Friend List & Level Up Friendships

You may want to review your friend list to see which friends are near Best Friend status. You can also make sure to send gifts and do Weekly Challenges with your friends to help get to Best Friend status. That way, you’ll have less of a climb to hit Forever Friends once trading goes live.

The friend list cap is also going to increase with the trading update. Currently capped at 450, it will be raised to 650 over the next several weeks. So you may also want to consider adding new friends when able, to expand your potential remote trading pool. If you are hoping to remote trade for region-specific Pokemon, for instance, you might want to find friends from those areas and work towards Forever Friends status.

Tag Pokemon You Want to Trade

Sorting through your list of Pokemon to determine which ones you’d like to offer for trades is another good idea. You can add custom tags to Pokemon in your storage, so you can easily search for them later. Sorting through and identifying Pokemon you’re willing to trade now can make it easier to jump right into remote trades when they arrive.

Are you excited for remote trades to finally be available in Pokemon Go? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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