In Pokémon GO, Lucky Friends is a temporary status available after two players become Best Friends: their next trade makes both traded Pokémon Lucky, then the status ends. Friendship now also includes Forever Friends, which unlocks a remote trade at 180 friendship points. Niantic’s help page notes an October 15, 2025 friendship update, but does not document every change or reward in detail.
How Lucky Friends work
Friendship points advance a pair through relationship milestones. Lucky Friends is different: it is a temporary status that can occur only after the pair reaches Best Friends. After that, each subsequent friendship interaction has a small chance to trigger it. Niantic does not publish a numeric probability. When it happens, the game sends an in-app notification, and the status appears in the Friend List and that friend’s profile. Niantic’s Lucky Friends help page
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The next trade between the pair is the payoff: both Pokémon traded become Lucky Pokémon. The Lucky Friends status clears after that trade, so it does not guarantee that later trades will also produce Lucky Pokémon.
Friendship levels and benefits
Niantic lists six friendship states, from the initial Friends state through Good, Great, Ultra and Best Friends to Forever Friends. The thresholds below are friendship points needed to reach each level after becoming Friends. Bonuses accumulate as the relationship advances; Forever Friends retains Best Friends bonuses and adds remote-trading access. Niantic’s Friendship Levels page
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| Level | Points to reach | Trade Stardust reduction | Extra Raid Premier Balls | Battle attack boost | Remote trade access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends | Initial state | None | None | None | No |
| Good Friends | 1 | 5% | None | None | No |
| Great Friends | 7 | 5% | 1 | Small | No |
| Ultra Friends | 30 | 10% | 2 | Small | No |
| Best Friends | 90 | 20% | 4 | Large | No |
| Forever Friends | 180 | Best Friends bonuses retained | Best Friends bonuses retained | Best Friends bonuses retained | Yes |
These are the benefits and thresholds shown on Niantic’s current help page; it does not assign a separate numeric bonus value to Forever Friends beyond retaining Best Friends bonuses.
How friendship points accrue
Niantic’s current support description says players may earn up to one friendship point per day through activities such as opening Gifts or participating in Raid Battles. Some features, including Weekly Challenges, may allow multiple points in a day. The exact pace depends on eligible interactions and the game’s active rules. Friendship Levels
Rank #2
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Forever Friends and remote trades
Forever Friends is the sixth friendship milestone. Reaching 180 points with a friend unlocks one remote trade. A later remote trade with that same friend requires 90 additional friendship points. The pair can have only one remote trade available at a time, can complete one remote trade per day, and has 48 hours to respond at each step. Niantic’s remote-trading instructions
Remote trade access is not a general replacement for ordinary trading. Ordinary trades require the players to be physically together; remote trading is a specific Forever Friends feature. Niantic’s ordinary trading guide
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Remote-trade process and eligible Pokémon
For a remote trade, each player selects up to three tagged Pokémon to offer, then reviews and confirms the final trade. Players do not need to complete each step simultaneously. Remote trades do not count as Special Trades.
Niantic excludes multiple Pokémon categories from remote trading, including recently caught, previously traded, Shadow, Mythical, buddy, actively Mega-Evolved, fused and certain crowned Pokémon. Check the in-game eligibility and Niantic’s current remote-trading instructions before preparing an offer, since the help page’s exclusions determine what can be selected.
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What changed in the October 2025 update?
Niantic’s Lucky Friends help page identifies a friendship and progression update dated October 15, 2025, and says it introduces new milestones, research tasks, rewards and chances to increase friendship. That page does not enumerate the complete changes or specify every new reward, so it is not enough to establish a full change log. The currently listed levels and remote-trade rules are described on Niantic’s Friendship Levels and remote-trading pages. Lucky Friends update note
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Keep the three mechanics distinct
- Friendship points move a pair toward the next friendship milestone.
- Lucky Friends is a temporary status that can trigger after Best Friends through a later interaction.
- Lucky Pokémon is the result for both Pokémon in the next trade while Lucky Friends status is active.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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