Short answer: Friendship Friday is a weekly Pokémon GO bonus, active every Friday through the Twilight Trails season, that gives up to two extra Special Trades, a better chance at a Lucky trade, a Stardust discount on trades, and two guaranteed Candy XL for trainers level 31+. It only applies to in-person trades — Remote Trades between Forever Friends don't qualify.
Twilight Trails (the season running September 8 – December 1, 2026) added a recurring friendship-focused day to Pokémon GO's weekly rotation, alongside existing days for raids, Max Battles and Showcases. If you've been saving a special trade, Friday is the day to spend it.
What Friendship Friday actually gives you
- Up to two additional Special Trades on top of the usual one-per-day limit — so up to three special trades in a single day if you have the partners and Pokémon for it.
- An increased chance of a Lucky trade on any trade you make, not just special ones.
- A discount on Stardust costs for trades. Sources don't fully agree on the exact percentage (reports range from roughly 10% to 20% off), so treat it as "meaningfully cheaper" rather than banking on a specific number — your friendship level with the trade partner still does most of the work on price.
- Two guaranteed Candy XL from trades, for trainers level 31 and up.
The catch: in-person only
All of the above requires a standard, in-person trade — both of you within the usual ~100 m trading range. Remote Trades, including the one-per-day Remote Trade that Forever Friends unlock, don't get the Friendship Friday bonuses. If your only trade partner is a Forever Friend you never see in person, this event doesn't change anything for you.
How to actually use it
- Line up a partner before Friday. Grab a fresh trainer code a few days ahead so you've cleared Good Friend (ideally Great or Best) by the time Friday's discount kicks in — friendship level still sets your base Stardust cost.
- Save special-trade-eligible Pokémon for Friday, the same way you would for a Community Day — shinies, Pokédex-new catches, and anything else that qualifies as a special trade.
- Meet in person. Since remote trades don't count, this is a weekly excuse to actually meet up with local trainers rather than trade with codes from /codes.
FAQ
Does Friendship Friday run every week, or just once during the season? Every Friday for the duration of the Twilight Trails season (September 8 – December 1, 2026), not a one-off event.
Do Remote Trades get the Stardust discount or extra Special Trades? No — the bonuses are scoped to in-person trades only, so Forever Friends trading remotely don't benefit.
Does this stack with Community Day trading bonuses? Community Day has its own separate trading window with its own bonuses; check whether a Community Day happens to land on a Friday that month, since Niantic's own event page is the source of truth on stacking.
Do I still need to be Best Friends to get the cheapest trades? Yes — Friendship Friday adds a bonus on top of, not instead of, the normal friendship-level Stardust table.