Pokémon Go: How to create and join a party

Here’s how to use the new Party Play feature in Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go: How to create and join a party
Pokémon Go: How to create and join a party /

Party Play is a completely new feature for Pokémon Go that was revealed on October 16, 2023, and is already being implemented into the mobile game just a day later. It allows you to create or join a party – a group consisting of up to four players. There are no friendship requirements for joining other trainers and Party Play is open to everyone above level 15. This way of playing has many benefits, such as automatic raid invites, a powerful raid battle ability, and challenges that allow you to obtain additional rewards.

This guide will explain how to create and join a party in Pokémon Go.

Pokémon Go players checking out a party recap on his phone.
Party Play is Pokémon Go's biggest feature update in 2023. Here's how to use it / Niantic

Pokémon Go: How to create a party

Creating a party in Pokémon Go is quite easy once you know what you’re looking for. First, make sure that your in-game level is 15 or above to be eligible to use the Party Play feature. If that’s the case, follow these steps:

  1. After starting Pokémon Go, open your trainer menu by tapping on your avatar portrait in the bottom left corner.
  2. Tap the new “PARTY” tab at the top of the screen next to “ME” and “FRIENDS” to enter the party screen.
  3. Tap “CREATE” to start your party.
  4. Show the generated QR code to the players you want to invite or send them the numerical code.
Pokémon Go Party Play create party screens.
This is how to create a party in Pokémon Go step by step / Niantic

Pokémon Go: How to join a party

Joining a party in Pokémon Go is simple as well once you’ve done it for the first time. Again, you’ll need to be level 15 or above to use this feature. Make sure to be near your party’s host – according to Niantic, players in a party need to be within a similar distance to each other as is usually needed to be able to spin a PokéStop. If those conditions are met, follow these steps:

  1. After starting Pokémon Go, open your trainer menu by tapping on your avatar portrait in the bottom left corner.
  2. Tap the new “PARTY” tab at the top of the screen next to “ME” and “FRIENDS” to enter the party screen.
  3. Tap “JOIN PARTY” to proceed.
  4. Scan the party’s QR code from the host’s phone or enter the party’s numerical code. You can switch between the options at the top of the screen.
Pokémon Go Party Play join party screens.
This is how to join a party in Pokémon Go step by step / Niantic

Outside of special events, parties will last for one hour at a time, during which you can complete challenges or fight in raid battles together. Afterwards, you can save the statistics from your run as an image. If you want to continue playing with the same group for longer, just create another party.

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Marco Wutz
MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg