How to use Candy and Candy XL
TrainingLast checked 2026-10-31
In 3 lines
- You collect Candy by catching, transferring, walking with your buddy, trading and hatching, and from level 40 you power up with Candy XL.
- You can get Candy XL from Trainer level 31, and you can also convert 100 Candy into 1 Candy XL.
- Rare Candy can become Candy for any Pokémon, so use it on hard-to-get Legendary and rare Pokémon.
How to collect Candy
- Catching: Every catch gives you Candy for that Pokémon. Feed it a Pinap Berry before you catch it and you get double Candy (a Silver Pinap Berry gives double Candy and also makes it easier to catch).
- Transferring: Transfer a Pokémon to the Professor and you get 1 Candy.
- Walking with your buddy: Walk the set distance for that Pokémon (1, 3, 5 or 20 km) together and you get 1 Candy each time.
- Hatching and trading: You also get Candy when a Pokémon hatches from an Egg or when you trade.
Candy XL
- From Trainer level 31, you sometimes get it from catching, transferring, walking with your buddy and trading.
- You can convert 100 Candy into 1 Candy XL (in the Candy menu on the Pokémon screen).
- Power-ups use Candy up to level 40 and Candy XL from 40 to 50. Going from 40 to 50 takes 296 Candy XL.
| Range | Candy | Candy XL |
|---|---|---|
| 1 → 40 | 304 | — |
| 40 → 50 | — | 296 |
Rare Candy and Rare Candy XL
You get these as raid, research and GO Pass rewards. The moment you use one, it turns into Candy (or Candy XL) for the Pokémon you choose. It's best to save them for hard-to-catch Legendary and Mythical Pokémon or regional Pokémon.
Candy needed to evolve
A first evolution usually takes 12, 25 or 50 Candy and a final evolution 50 or 100, and some Pokémon need 400, like Magikarp → Gyarados. Some Pokémon, like Kadabra and Machoke received in a trade, evolve without Candy after the trade (Trading and Lucky Pokémon).
Mega Energy is separate
Mega Evolution uses Mega Energy, not Candy. You get it by winning Mega Raids, and it also builds up when you walk with a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve as your buddy.
Checklist
- Use Pinap Berries for double Candy when catching
- Convert extra Candy from common Pokémon into Candy XL
- Save Rare Candy for rare Pokémon
Sources
- Site data: power-up Candy and Candy XL counts are from the power-up settings in the Game Master (PokeMiners); buddy distance and evolution Candy are from each Pokémon's settings
- Pokémon GO Wiki: Candy — how to get Candy and Candy XL
Related Pokémon & events
- Dragonite
- Dratini
- Mewtwo
More in Training
- How to earn and save StardustStardust goes into power-ups, second Charged Attacks and trades, so you'll always be short. Deciding where to spend it first is the biggest way to save.
- What to power up first (power-up priorities for beginners)Stardust is limited, so first power up strong counters you'll use for a long time across many raids.
- TMs and how to learn exclusive moves (Elite TMs and Community Day moves)Fast TMs and Charged TMs change a move at random, and they can't teach exclusive moves such as Community Day moves.
- How to raise your Trainer level fast (earning XP)The fastest way is to activate a Lucky Egg (2× XP for 30 minutes) and do your evolving, catching and raids all at once.
- Shadow Pokémon: when to purifyShadow Pokémon have 1.2× Attack but also take more damage, and they cost 1.2× Stardust and Candy to power up.
- Evolution items and the Pokémon that use themSome Pokémon need an evolution item on top of Candy to evolve. The Sinnoh Stone is used for 18 species and the Unova Stone for 7.
- Every way to evolve Eevee (nicknames, Lure Modules and buddy)Eevee evolves into one of 8 Pokémon for 25 Candy, and you can choose the evolution you want by meeting its condition.
- Egg hatching guide (Eggs by distance and incubators)Eggs come in distances such as 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12 km. Put one in an incubator and walk that far, and a Pokémon hatches.
- Buddy Pokémon guide (Candy distance and Best Buddy)Walk with the Pokémon you set as your buddy and you get its Candy every set distance (1, 3, 5 or 20 km), which depends on the Pokémon.
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