There's a way for you to have most of your favorite Pokémon that you caught in Pokémon GO right in your Pokémon HOME app, and we're going to show you how. While there are some limitations, it's actually pretty easy to do—there's just a bit of setup involved first.

Here's everything you need to know about transferring from Pokémon GO to HOME.

Pokémon GO is one of the best ways to play Pokémon games on your iPhone or Android. But if you want to keep your Pokémon safe, you might want to transfer them to Pokémon HOME. Before you can do that, you'll need to link both your accounts.

To do this, you'll need to have a Nintendo account, which shouldn't be a problem if you're already using Pokémon HOME. But you need to make sure you use the same Nintendo account in GO and HOME and link them together. Here's how:

  1. Open Pokémon GO.
  2. Tap the Poke Ball icon at the bottom of your screen.
  3. Select Settings in the upper-right corner of your screen.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom and select Pokémon HOME.
  5. Tap Sign In.
  6. You'll be redirected to your browser, where you'll need to log in to your Nintendo account.
  7. Log in to the same Nintendo account you use in Pokémon HOME.

Now you're all set. You've successfully linked your Pokémon GO and Pokémon HOME accounts. This link isn't permanent, and this means that you can always disconnect your Nintendo account from the Pokémon GO app and use a different one whenever you'd like.

Another cool thing you can do is have more than one Pokémon GO account linked to the same Pokémon HOME account. This means you can send Pokémon from two different GO accounts.

2. How to Send Pokémon From Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME

Now onto the fun part. Transferring Pokémon from GO to Pokémon HOME is pretty easy to do, and it'll only take you a few taps.

First, you'll need to send your Pokémon from Pokémon GO. If you've already linked your accounts, all you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. Open Pokémon GO.
  2. Tap the Poke Ball icon at the bottom of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings in the top-right corner of your screen.
  4. Scroll down and select Pokémon HOME.
  5. Tap Send Pokémon.
  6. The game will open your GO Transporter. If you have enough GO Transporter Energy, tap Continue.
  7. Choose the Pokémon you want to send.
  8. Tap Next.
  9. Make sure you're only sending the Pokémon you don't want in Pokémon GO anymore.
  10. Once you're ready, tap Transport.
  11. Finally, tap on Done.

You've successfully sent Pokémon to your Pokémon HOME account. Of course, that's just the first part. You now need to receive your Pokémon too.

3. How to Receive Pokémon in Pokémon HOME

After you've transferred your Pokémon from Pokémon GO, you need to receive them in the Pokémon HOME app. You can't do these next steps from your Nintendo Switch, you need to use your smartphone. Here's how:

  1. Open the Pokémon HOME app on your mobile device.
  2. You'll see a pop-up window saying that "one or more Pokémon have been transferred from Pokémon GO," and it'll ask you if you'd like to receive them. Tap Yes.
  3. Under Pokémon GO Link, tap Receive.
  4. Select View Transferred Pokémon.
  5. Here you can see all the Pokémon you transferred. You can then tap Receive Pokémon.
  6. Tap the X button to go back to your main screen.

And that's it! Your Pokémon GO Pokémon are now safely stored in the Pokémon HOME app.

If you tapped No when you first launched the app, you can still receive the Pokémon you sent. To do this, tap the menu button at the bottom of your screen, then select the Options button. Here, under Pokémon Go Link, tap Receive. Then follow the steps above to receive your Pokémon.

If this is your first time transferring Pokémon from Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME, you'll get a special Melmetal that is capable of Gigantamaxing in Pokémon Sword and Shield. So make sure to go to your gift box to claim it.

What You Need to Know Before Transferring Pokémon

There are some limitations when it comes to transferring Pokémon.

First, you have to use GO Transporter's in-game item. This item uses something called GO Transporter Energy. Each Pokémon uses different amounts of energy, and the rarer the Pokémon, the more energy it'll need. For instance, a shiny legendary Pokémon uses most of the GO Transporter energy, so you won't be able to transfer two or more at the same time.

Fortunately, the GO Transporter energy gets fully recharged after a few days. You don't need to go out and recharge it for yourself, but you can use PokeCoins to charge it right away.

Two Poke Balls on the grass

It's also worth noting that you can't transfer all your Pokémon GO Pokémon. Some special Pokémon like shadow Pokémon or special event Pokémon with celebratory attire can't be transferred. Also, you can't transfer a Pokémon that's marked as favorite or that you're using as your buddy—but you could change your buddy, and you'll be good to go.

Speaking of Pokémon you can't transfer; you can't transfer back your Pokémon from Pokémon HOME to Pokémon GO. You need to be entirely sure you want to move them, since there's no undo.

As a final Pokémon Go tip, always receive your Pokémon in Pokémon HOME before sending more from Pokémon GO. If you send a second batch of Pokémon before receiving the first one, the transferring process might not work properly.

Transfer 'Em All!

That's everything you need to know about transferring your Pokémon from Pokémon GO to Pokémon HOME. You'll be transferring Pokémon in no time after you get the hang of it. Remember that you can always transfer a low-level Pokémon as a test to make sure everything's working as intended.

And afterwards, if you can't get enough Pokémon on all your smart devices, you can also try some of the best Pokémon companion apps for smartphones.