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This post was last updated on March 1, 2026
Have you ever tried to trade Pokémon with someone, only to find out they’re too far away? Pokémon GO limits your trading capabilities in several ways, and trade distance is one of them. To enjoy the full social experience of the game and work toward completing your Pokédex, you’ll want to know about the Pokémon GO trade distance.
Are you just getting into Pokémon GO? Check out this complete list of all Pokémon starters.
How Do You Trade in Pokémon GO?
One of the neatest features of Pokémon GO is the trading system. You and your friends can exchange desirable characters to fill up your Pokédex. However, there are several steps involved in the process.
First, you should know that every Pokémon trade requires Stardust. You and your partner must spend different amounts of Stardust for different trades, depending on the type of Pokémon. More sought-after characters will have a higher Stardust cost.
Once you have something to trade, someone to swap with, and enough Stardust, follow these steps while playing Pokémon to complete the exchange process:
1. Meet your trading partner. You and your trading partner must be in the same physical location to trade. Once you meet, go to your in-game Friend List.
2. Choose your trading partner. Select your desired trading partner in the friends section. Tap the “Trade” button.
3. Select the character. You can now choose which Pokémon you’d like to trade. You may select the character from your in-game collection once the other trainer joins the session.
4. Confirm the trade. If you and your friend have selected a Pokémon to exchange, you’ll see a confirmation option. You’ll also see the Stardust and Candy cost.
Trading for new Pokémon sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it gets more complicated. Pokémon GO has specific requirements that limit who can trade and where you can do it.
What Are Pokémon GO’s Trading Requirements?
A Pokémon trade must meet certain requirements. These include trainers reaching at least level 10 before being eligible to participate in a trading session. You can’t initiate an exchange if you’re less than level 10, and you can’t swap with someone lower than that level, either.
You must be friends with your trading partner before you can trade. It’s not enough to memorize someone’s username or know them as friends in real life. You may only send and accept trade requests from the players on your Friend List.
Another Pokémon trading requirement involves the characters themselves. You can trade most of the characters in your Pokédex, but not certain Pokémon like Mew and Mythical Pokémon. You also can only swap characters once.
Then there’s the Pokémon GO trade max distance requirement. Yes, you have physical limitations even when trading in a virtual game, limiting trades to a certain range.
What Is the Pokémon GO Trading Distance?
Pokémon GO allows you to trade characters with other players within physical parameters. This limit is known as the trading distance, which restricts your options to the people in your geographical location. In other words, you can’t just trade Pokémon with everyone everywhere.
So, how big is the Pokémon GO trade range distance? One hundred meters. In other words, you and your fellow trainer must be within a 100-meter radius to exchange Pokémon.
You can trade with someone in the same building as you. The guy down the hall, the girl next door, that noisy person upstairs—they’re probably within range. But your long-time best friends who recently moved to the other side of the city are outside the trading distance.
Can You Trade Characters Outside the Maximum Trading Distance?
It might seem like a futile question, but can you swap Pokémon characters outside the maximum trade distance of 100 meters? Actually, the answer is yes.
Niantic occasionally expands the trading range for certain events. For example, the 100-meter restriction increased to 40 kilometers during the Christmas season in 2021. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the trade distance adjust for lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and homebound gamers, and it may do so again during future events.
Another way to trade outside the maximum distance is through iToolab AnyGo. This app allows you to use a spoof GPS location without getting banned from the Pokémon GO game. You can download it on different devices and fake GPS movement to swap characters with fellow trainers in other countries.
That VideoGame Blog: Simplified Answers to All Your Pokémon Questions
Do you enjoy Pokémon GO and want to understand all its ins and outs? At That VideoGame Blog, we’re your number one source for gameplay tips, cheat sheets, ROM hacks, specific events info, and all things Pokémon related. As the game increases, you’ll want to learn new things like trade evolutions and a list of bat Pokémon.
