How does Campfire work with Pokémon GO? Flares, Team Up and meetups explained

Short answer: Campfire is Niantic's own social app, opened from a green map icon inside Pokémon GO, and it connects to the game through three tools - Flares (a 15-minute map marker that calls nearby Trainers to a raid), Team Up (an in-app finder that groups up to six Trainers for a raid), and Community Check-In (RSVP to real meetups for in-game rewards). None of it replaces your friend list; it's built for finding people near you right now.

Campfire isn't a hidden GO menu - it's a standalone app that happens to share your Niantic Friends list and plug into a few in-game features. New players tapping the green icon on the map for the first time usually want to know what it actually does. Here's each piece, based on Niantic's own help center and Pokémon GO Hub's walkthrough.

Flares: calling people to a raid right now

A Flare is a map marker that tells nearby Trainers "come raid this Gym or PokéStop with me."

Open a Flare Chat for the location, then tap Light a Flare at the bottom of the screen - you can't light one without entering the chat first.
The marker changes from grey to orange on the map so it's visible to anyone nearby.
A lit Flare lasts 15 minutes, and you can only have one lit at a time.
Control who gets notified when you light one under Notification Tab → Notification Settings → Flares: nobody, friends only, or anyone.
Anyone in the Flare Chat can see your Niantic ID, display name and profile photo. If you opt in to location sharing, your real-time location is visible to the whole chat - leave that off if you'd rather just coordinate the raid.

This is the built-in alternative to posting a raid request in a Discord server or hunting for a code on Reddit - it only reaches people already near that specific Gym or Stop, not a whole country's worth of trainers.

Team Up: an in-app raid group finder

Team Up matches you with nearby Trainers for a raid without needing to already know anyone.

Hosting: open Team Up, choose to host, and Campfire can group you with up to five other nearby Trainers (six total including you). You're prompted to add each one as a friend without leaving the group, then invite them to the actual raid in Pokémon GO.
Joining: choose to join instead, and Campfire matches you with a host and the rest of the group automatically. Preset messages let everyone coordinate without typing.
Privacy: matching is currently "blind" - you can't see who you'll be grouped with in advance, which keeps it usable for strangers rather than just people you already know.

Team Up solves a different problem than the 10-a-day Remote Raid Pass limit: it's for finding any warm body to fill a lobby, not for inviting specific friends you've already added.

Community Check-In: RSVPing to real meetups

Campfire also tracks official and community-hosted meetups - GO Fest side events, Community Ambassador gatherings, and similar - separately from raids:

Tap Join Meetup on an invite. One with a Rewards icon pays out an in-game item just for checking in.
RSVP'd meetups show up under My Meetups at the top of your Activity Center.
At the location, at least 15 minutes before start time, tap Check In, then View Promo Code.
Redeem that code in the Web Store.

Finding communities and managing your account

Beyond raids and meetups, Campfire's Communities tab surfaces local Pokémon GO groups to join directly, and its account settings manage your Niantic ID - the identity shared across GO, Ingress, Pikmin Bloom and Peridot. Changing your Niantic ID there is a one-time action, so Niantic recommends being sure before you do it.

FAQ

Do I need Campfire to play Pokémon GO? No - it's entirely optional. Trading, gifting and adding friends by trainer code, QR code or Nearby all work without ever opening it.

Is Campfire the same as my Pokémon GO friend list? Yes, for friends - adding or removing someone in Campfire syncs to your GO friend list, since both draw on the same Niantic Friends list. If a GO friend is missing from Campfire specifically, here's why.

Can I use Flares or Team Up without downloading the separate app? The green map icon opens a version of Campfire inside Pokémon GO itself, but some features are described as needing the standalone app for the full experience - install it if something feels missing in the in-game version.

Is there a minimum age for Campfire? Yes, 13 (higher in some regions) - separate from Pokémon GO's own account rules. A friend under that age keeps playing GO normally but won't appear as a Campfire contact. See trainer codes and kids for how that age gate affects GO's social features more broadly.

Where do I find raid or trade partners if I'm not near anyone on Campfire? The front page hands you a fresh, unused trainer code with one tap, and codes by country if you're after a specific region instead of whoever's nearby.