Pokémon GO just broke its own distance rule. Remote Trades are live, and I can confirm Niantic has switched on the feature with a new top friendship tier called Forever Friends. The change rewires the game’s social core, bringing long distance trading to the heart of play.
The update at a glance
Remote Trades let two Forever Friends trade from anywhere. No meetup needed. The rollout began December 8 in New Zealand, with a staged global release to follow. Niantic is also raising the friend list cap from 450 to 650 in steps, so global networks can scale. A free Timed Research runs December 15 to 29, with rewards that nudge players to connect and trade more.
Forever Friends sits above Best Friends. After hitting Best Friends, you must earn 90 more Friendship Points to unlock the tier. Keep going after that, since extra points grant XP and more Remote Trade opportunities. You can store one Remote Trade per friend at a time, which gives the system a steady rhythm rather than a flood.
How Remote Trades actually work
Remote Trades only unlock when both Trainers are Forever Friends. You tag Pokémon with a Remote Trade label to mark what you are willing to exchange. Your friend then builds a wishlist of up to three picks from your tagged pool. You do the same. Each side chooses one to offer back, then both confirm.
Here is the flow you will see in app:
- Tag the Pokémon you are offering with the Remote Trade label.
- Open your friend’s tagged list and select up to three as your wishlist.
- Review what your friend picked from your list, then choose one to send.
- Both confirm, or cancel and restart, until it feels right.
Lucky Friend trades stay Lucky when done remotely. Remote Trades are not treated as Special Trades, which is a huge quality of life win for daily play.
Climbing to Forever Friends
You reach Forever Friends by stacking consistent, small actions. The target is 90 Friendship Points after Best Friends. Points come from daily interactions like opening and sending Gifts, raiding together, Trainer Battles, and weekly group tasks. You do not need to grind in one day. You need to be steady.
Line up a daily routine with key partners. Open gifts at reset, queue a quick battle, and log a raid or Party Play activity. Do this across several friends to build a pipeline of Remote Trades.
This is a social accelerator. By raising the friend limit and rewarding extra points, Niantic is seeding more high trust links across regions. Those links convert into remote exchanges, XP bursts, and easier Lucky completions.
Limits to watch for, and why they matter
Not every Pokémon can move through a Remote Trade. The system blocks several edge cases to protect rarity, anti abuse, and live gameplay states. Watch these rules closely before you plan a swap.
- Pokémon caught in the last 30 days
- Mythical Pokémon
- Shadow Pokémon
- Defending Gym or Power Spot Pokémon, plus Mega evolved or fused forms
Remote Trades also respect a storage limit. You can hold only one Remote Trade per friend at a time. Lucky Friend status still works at distance, which means those long stalled Lucky deals can finally clear. The wishlist tag flow prevents spam and confusion. It turns long distance trades into clear, low friction negotiations.
If a target is excluded, the app will block the attempt. Tag early and check wishlists so you do not waste a Remote Trade slot on a Pokémon that cannot move.
Industry impact is clear. Remote play remains a pillar, but without erasing the value of local sessions. By gating remote trading behind Forever Friends, Niantic ties distance convenience to real relationship building. That keeps the social graph healthy and curbs low trust, high volume brokering. It also gives global communities a reliable path to finish rare dex entries and Lucky rolls without airfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will Remote Trades reach my region?
A: The rollout started December 8 in New Zealand. Availability expands in phases. Check your in app Friends tab and News for activation.
Q: Do Remote Trades use my daily Special Trade slot?
A: No. Remote Trades are not treated as Special Trades.
Q: Do Lucky Friend trades stay Lucky when done remotely?
A: Yes. A Lucky Friend trade remains Lucky, even from a distance.
Q: How many Remote Trades can I hold with one friend?
A: One at a time per friend. Earn more Friendship Points for more opportunities over time.
Q: What should I tag for Remote Trades first?
A: Tag regionals, raid exclusives, and duplicates with good IV spreads. Let your friend’s wishlist guide your next tags.
Conclusion
Pokémon GO just removed the biggest roadblock in its social economy. Remote Trades, tied to Forever Friends, make long distance play real without breaking the game’s balance. Start building your Forever Friend lanes now, tune your tags and wishlists, and get ready to finish the trades you thought you would never complete.
