Pokémon Go Remote Trades: What It Is and How It Works

Pokémon Go Remote Trades just quietly solved one of the game’s most frustrating limitations. For years, players begged Niantic to allow long-distance trading instead of being chained to the strict 100-meter radius. And now, with the introduction of the new Forever Friends tier, you can finally trade from anywhere in the world. No spoofing, no workarounds, no awkward “meet halfway in a parking lot at 11PM” situations.

It’s not a global free-trade system, and Niantic definitely put guardrails everywhere. But for anyone who couldn’t trade regionals, finish Lucky Friend trades, or complete research steps requiring trades, Pokémon Go Remote Trades are a massive quality-of-life upgrade especially if you understand exactly how the system works.

Pokémon Go Remote Trades: What They Are and Why They Matter

Remote trades allow you to trade Pokémon with a specific friend from any distance, as long as both of you have unlocked the new Forever Friends status. Once you hit this tier, the two of you earn a special currency called Remote Trades, which lets you complete one long-distance trade.

This is the biggest trading update Pokémon Go has ever introduced. Before this, trading was physically impossible unless you stood within 100 meters of your friend. An obvious problem for rural players, online-only friend groups, and anyone with international Lucky Friends.

Remote trades finally let long-distance friendships matter, without turning the game into a global shiny marketplace.

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How to Unlock Forever Friends To Use Remote Trades

Forever Friends is a new friendship tier above Best Friends. To unlock it:

1. Reach Best Friends (the traditional max tier).
   
2. Continue interacting with that same friend to earn Friendship Points.
   
3. Once you accumulate 90 extra Friendship Points beyond Best Friends, you become Forever Friends.

Important details:

• You can only work toward one Forever Friend at a time, preventing mass long-distance trading networks.
  
• Hitting Forever Friends grants you XP, unique rewards, and a Remote Trade with that friend.

This makes Forever Friends a meaningful, long-term bond rather than something you rush in a weekend.

How Friendship Points Work In Relation To Remote Trades

Friendship Points are the core currency behind unlocking Forever Friends and accessing Pokémon Go Remote Trades. You earn them by consistently interacting with a specific friend over time, turning regular daily actions into long-term progress. Instead of grinding one big task, the system rewards steady, ongoing cooperation – exactly the kind of bond Niantic wants to highlight.

Most of your Friendship Points will come from simple, everyday actions. Sending or opening Gifts, battling together, and participating in raids or PvP all contribute to your progress. These interactions form the backbone of your daily growth and make the system feel natural rather than forced.

You can also earn bonus Friendship Points from cooperative weekly challenges, which give you a chance to speed things up if both you and your friend are active. These challenges aren’t mandatory, but they’re a helpful boost for players who want to reach Forever Friends faster.

Here’s the simplified breakdown:

• Daily interactions earn up to 1 Friendship Point per day with that specific friend.
  
• Weekly group challenges provide bonus Friendship Points that accelerate progress.
  
• Only one friend can progress toward Forever Friends at a time, keeping the feature deliberate and meaningful.

Altogether, the system is slow by design. Friendship Points aren’t something you farm, they’re something you build over time through consistent play. It ensures that reaching Forever Friends, and eventually unlocking Remote Trades, feels intentional and genuinely cooperative.

How to Perform a Remote Trade

Once you become Forever Friends and have a Remote Trade ready, here’s how the process works:

1. Tag Pokémon for Remote Trading

Use the new Remote Trade tag to mark Pokémon you’re willing to trade remotely.

2. View Your Friend’s Tagged Pokémon

After you reach Forever Friends, both of you automatically gain access to each other’s Remote Trade lists.

3. Create a Wish List

Choose up to three Pokémon from your friend’s tagged list.
Your friend does the same.

4. Choose a Trade Offer

From your friend’s wish list, pick the one Pokémon you’re willing to send.

5. Review and Confirm

Both players review the trade details like Stardust cost, selected Pokémon, etc, and then confirm.

Once accepted by both sides, the trade completes like normal, just without being physically together.

Remote Trades Restrictions and What You Cannot Trade

Niantic added heavy restrictions to prevent abuse and keep local trading relevant. You cannot trade the following remotely:

• Pokémon caught in the last 30 days
• Pokémon that have already been traded once
• Shadow Pokémon
• Mythical Pokémon
• Pokémon currently defending Gyms
• Your current Buddy
• Mega-Evolved Pokémon
• Fused Pokémon (like Kyurem forms)
• Crowned Zacian and Crowned Zamazenta
• Pokémon placed at Pokémon Playgrounds

Additional limits:

• You can only hold one Remote Trade per Forever Friend, preventing stockpiling.

The restrictions reflect Niantic’s intent: this isn’t meant to replace local trades, it’s meant to support players who genuinely cannot trade in person.

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How Remote Trades Work With Lucky Friends, Lucky Trades, and Special Rules

Remote trades interact with Lucky mechanics exactly like normal trades, with some important twists:

• If you are Lucky Friends, your next trade will be Lucky, even if done remotely.
  
• After the Lucky trade happens, your Lucky status resets as usual.
  
• Remote Trades do NOT consume your daily Special Trade, regardless of what you trade.

This effectively turns remote trades into bonus opportunities for high-value Pokémon exchanges.

Pokémon Go Remote Trades Rollout Timing and Availability

The feature is rolling out globally in phases:

• Rollout began on December 8, 2025 (PST).
  
• New Zealand received it first (as is common for Niantic test launches).
  
• Other regions will activate over time depending on server performance and stability.

If you don’t see Remote Trades yet, your region may be waiting for the next activation wave.

How The Community is Reacting to Remote Trades So Far

Player reactions lean positive, with a healthy dose of caution.

Positive feedback includes:

• A huge win for rural and isolated players.
  
• Finally makes long-distance Lucky Friend trades possible.
  
• Remote trades not counting as Special Trades is widely praised.

Criticism includes:

• The 90-point grind for Forever Friends feels slow for some players.
  
• The restricted Pokémon list is extremely strict.
  
• Concerns about long-term monetization remain, given Niantic’s history.

Overall, players see it as a much-needed improvement with room for future flexibility.

Tips to Get More Remote Trades

Want to maximize the value of your Remote Trades? Here are some practical tips:

• Choose Forever Friends carefully. Active, consistent players are ideal.
  
• Maintain daily interactions to secure steady Friendship Point growth.
  
• Coordinate weekly challenges for bonus progression.
  
• Keep your Remote Trade-tagged list curated with appealing options.
  
• Save Remote Trades for high-value Pokémon like regionals, PvP IVs, or Lucky trades.

Remote trades work best when they’re strategic, not spammed.

Are Remote Trades Good for the Game?

In short: yes.
Pokémon Go Remote Trades finally remove one of the most frustrating barriers for long-distance trading. It opens up new gameplay possibilities, resolves long-standing limitations, and empowers players with meaningful friendships outside their local area.

Is it perfect? No. The grind is long, the limit is tight, and the restricted Pokémon list is aggressive. But compared to the previous system, this is one of the most player-friendly updates Niantic has implemented in years.

If Niantic occasionally loosens restrictions during events or seasons, Remote Trades could become a core pillar of the game’s social ecosystem.

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Pokémon Go Remote Trades finally make global friendships functional in a game built around connection. Whether you’re clearing research, completing Lucky Friend trades, or chasing regionals, this system opens up possibilities that were unreachable before.

Before pushing for Forever Friends or stacking up regionals from long-distance pals, make sure to top up on Joytify so you’re stocked with storage upgrades, passes, and essentials for maximizing your Pokémon Go Remote Trades.