Evergreen
Moving Pokémon from Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME
How to link Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME, how GO Transporter energy works, what changes when a Pokémon moves across, and what to check before a one-way transfer.
Pokémon HOME is The Pokémon Company's cloud storage service, and it connects a number of Pokémon games. Pokémon GO can send Pokémon to it, which lets a Pokémon you caught on a walk end up in a main-series game on Nintendo Switch. The trip only goes one way, though, so know what you're giving up before you press the button.
Why send Pokémon to HOME at all?
Players tend to use the link for a few reasons. Some want to use a Pokémon they caught in GO, often a shiny or a regional one, in a main-series game. Some like the idea of keeping a favourite catch safe in HOME as a keepsake, marked with where it came from. And some want to fill in HOME's own Pokédex. Freeing up GO storage is a side effect rather than a reason, since transferring to the Professor frees space without spending any Transporter energy.
What you need
- Your Pokémon GO account, signed in as usual.
- A Nintendo Account, which is what links the two games.
- Pokémon HOME set up with that same Nintendo Account.
Before linking anything, make sure you know which login your trainer uses and have a backup sign-in; our guide to account login, linking and security covers both.
Sending Pokémon, step by step
- In Pokémon GO, open Settings and choose Pokémon HOME.
- The first time, sign in with your Nintendo Account to link it.
- Open the GO Transporter and choose the Pokémon you want to send. Pokémon that can't be sent won't be available to pick.
- Check the energy cost of your selection against the energy you have.
- Confirm the transfer.
- Open Pokémon HOME to find your Pokémon, following any prompts it shows to receive them.
Menu names and screens can shift between app updates, so follow the prompts if yours look slightly different.
How GO Transporter energy works
Every transfer uses GO Transporter energy. The cost depends on the Pokémon: rarer ones, such as Legendary, Mythical and shiny Pokémon, cost more than everyday catches, and higher-CP Pokémon can cost a little more too, so a single special Pokémon can use as much as a batch of common ones. Energy recharges on its own over time, and you can recharge it instantly with PokéCoins if you choose. Because costs and recharge times can change, the Transporter screen is the place to check current values. If you're patient, sending a few Pokémon at a time and letting the energy refill costs nothing.
What carries over and what changes
| Aspect | What happens |
|---|---|
| Species and form | Kept, where HOME supports that form |
| Shiny status | Kept |
| Origin | Marked with a GO origin symbol |
| CP | Not used; the Switch games HOME sends Pokémon to don't use CP |
| Stats | Converted to the main-series system; a Pokémon's GO IVs carry into its new stats, so a strong Pokémon in GO generally arrives with strong stats |
| Moves | Replaced with main-series moves, so don't expect the same moveset |
| Return trip | Not possible at the time of writing; a Pokémon sent to HOME can't come back to GO |
Which Pokémon can't be sent
A few kinds of Pokémon won't be available to pick. Shadow Pokémon can't be sent, so purify one first if you want to move it. A Pokémon defending a Gym has to return to you before it can be sent. Some special forms and costumed Pokémon can't be sent either, and a Pokémon whose species or form isn't supported by HOME at the time stays in GO. If you can't pick a Pokémon, one of these is usually why.
Before you send: a checklist
- Is it one-of-a-kind? Shinies, event Pokémon and anything with a legacy move are hard to replace if you change your mind.
- Do you still use it? A raid attacker or a league Pokémon you've invested in does nothing for you in GO once it's gone.
- Does HOME have room? Check your free space in HOME before a large transfer (see the cost question below).
- Does the destination game have it? HOME can pass Pokémon on to compatible Switch games, but only games that include that species, and some games have extra limits on what they'll accept. Check before sending something specifically to use in one.
- Is the energy worth it? Spending energy on bulk commons you'll never look at again may not be the best use of it.
If you're sending Pokémon as part of a collecting goal, our guide to shinies, Pokédex completion and regionals can help you decide what's worth keeping in GO instead.
Bonuses for linking
The HOME link has come with extras. Sending Pokémon to HOME has been one of the ways to get GO's Mystery Box, an item that makes Meltan appear for a short time when you open it, and a first transfer has come with a special Melmetal in HOME. Rewards like these change, so check the in-game and in-app details.
Pokémon HOME questions
Can I move Pokémon from HOME back into GO?
No. At the time of writing, the link only runs from GO to HOME.
Does it cost anything?
Sending from GO doesn't cost money: Transporter energy refills for free over time, and PokéCoins only come into it if you want an instant recharge. On the HOME side, the free plan only holds a small number of Pokémon and keeping more needs HOME's paid Premium plan, so check the current plan details before moving a lot.
Will sending a Pokémon remove it from my GO Pokédex?
No. The entry stays, so your Pokédex progress isn't affected, but the Pokémon itself is gone for evolving, trading or anything else that needs you to own it.
Is this the same as the link to Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!?
No. That's a separate, older connection with its own process.
Still managing a crowded box? Our guide to managing your Pokémon storage helps, and the Trainer Hub homepage has the rest of our guides.