Leveling up in Pokemon GO unlocks better items, stronger wild Pokemon encounters, and crucial gameplay features. While the journey to level 40 (and beyond to level 50) can seem daunting, understanding the most efficient XP-gaining methods will get you there much faster. Here’s how to maximize your experience points and accelerate your progress.
Why Your Trainer Level Matters
Before diving into strategies, understand what you’re working toward. Your trainer level directly impacts your Pokemon GO experience:
Important level milestones:
- Level 5: Gym battles and raids unlock
- Level 10: Super Potions and better items from PokeStops
- Level 12: Great Balls unlock for better catch rates
- Level 20: Ultra Balls and Max Potions unlock
- Level 30: Wild Pokemon reach maximum CP levels (critical milestone)
- Level 40: Access to level 40-exclusive research and XL Candy system
- Level 50: Maximum trainer level with ultimate bragging rights
Players at higher levels encounter stronger wild Pokemon, earn better rewards from research tasks, and gain respect in the community. Some dedicated players maintain multiple POGO accounts at different levels to help friends with raids or test new strategies, though most focus on leveling one primary account efficiently.
Method 1: Maximize Friend Interactions
The friendship system is the absolute fastest way to gain massive XP in Pokemon GO, but most players don’t utilize it properly.
Friendship XP breakdown:
- Good Friend (1 day): 3,000 XP
- Great Friend (7 days): 10,000 XP
- Ultra Friend (30 days): 50,000 XP
- Best Friend (90 days): 100,000 XP
The Lucky Egg strategy:
When you’re about to hit a friendship milestone (especially Ultra or Best Friend), pop a Lucky Egg to double the XP. Coordinate with friends to open gifts simultaneously when both have Lucky Eggs active.
How to maximize friendship XP:
- Add as many friends as possible (you can have up to 400)
- Join online communities to exchange friend codes (Reddit, Discord, Facebook groups)
- Send and open gifts daily to progress friendships consistently
- Coordinate Lucky Egg timing with multiple friends reaching Best Friend status simultaneously
- One Best Friend level-up with Lucky Egg = 200,000 XP (equivalent to catching 2,000 Pokemon)
The math that changes everything:
Getting just 10 friends to Best Friend status with Lucky Eggs active = 2,000,000 XP. That’s enough to jump from level 1 to nearly level 30 from friendship bonuses alone.
Expected XP: 100,000-500,000+ XP per Lucky Egg session if coordinated properly
Method 2: Legendary Raid Grinding
Raids provide excellent XP, especially when combined with Lucky Eggs and during special events. Legendary raids are your best bet for efficient XP farming.
Raid XP rewards:
- Tier 1 Raid: 3,000 XP
- Tier 3 Raid: 3,500 XP
- Tier 5/Legendary Raid: 10,000 XP
- Mega Raid: 10,000 XP
Optimization strategy:
- Always use a Lucky Egg before starting raid hours or when doing multiple raids
- Participate in Raid Hours (Wednesday evenings) for concentrated raiding
- Join local raid groups to quickly fill lobbies and complete raids faster
- Remote Raid Passes allow you to join raids globally, maximizing raids per hour
Additional raid benefits:
Beyond XP, raids provide rare Pokemon, Rare Candy, Golden Razz Berries, and TMs. You’re simultaneously leveling up and building a stronger team.
Expected XP: 20,000 XP per Legendary raid with Lucky Egg (60,000-100,000+ XP during raid hours)
Method 3: Excellent Throw Mastery
Catching Pokemon is your most frequent activity, so optimizing catch XP creates constant leveling momentum.
Catch XP bonuses:
- Base catch: 100 XP
- Nice Throw: +10 XP
- Great Throw: +50 XP
- Excellent Throw: +100 XP
- Curveball bonus: +20 XP
- First throw bonus: +50 XP
- New Pokemon: +500 XP
The Excellent Curveball technique:
Mastering Excellent Curveball throws doubles your catch XP from 100 to 220+ per Pokemon. Over thousands of catches, this difference is massive.
How to consistently hit Excellent throws:
- Learn each Pokemon’s catch circle size and timing
- Wait for the Pokemon’s attack animation to finish before throwing
- Practice the circular throw motion for curveballs
- Target larger Pokemon with bigger excellent throw circles (Wailmer, Snorlax, Legendaries)
- Use the “set circle” technique: hold the ball until the circle is Excellent-sized, wait for attack animation, then throw
Quick math:
If you catch 100 Pokemon daily:
- Regular throws: 10,000 XP
- Excellent Curveballs: 22,000+ XP
- Over a month: 360,000 additional XP just from better throws
Expected XP boost: 10,000-20,000 additional XP daily from improved throwing technique
Method 4: Evolution Spree with Lucky Eggs
Mass evolution sessions remain one of the most efficient XP grinding methods, especially for new players building their Pokedex.
Evolution XP:
- Standard evolution: 500 XP (1,000 XP with Lucky Egg)
- New Pokedex entry: +500 XP bonus
- Evolution to final form: Sometimes additional bonuses
The evolution session strategy:
- Stockpile low-candy-cost Pokemon (Pidgey, Weedle, Caterpie, Wurmple – only 12 candy each)
- Save enough candy to evolve 60-80 Pokemon
- Activate a Lucky Egg (30 minutes of double XP)
- Rapidly evolve everything you’ve saved
- Favorite Pokemon beforehand to quickly find them
Optimization tips:
- Rename Pokemon to “.” or “!” to sort them to the top for quick access
- Close and restart the app before your evolution session for smooth performance
- Don’t watch evolution animations—you can tap through them quickly
- Combine evolution sessions with friendship level-ups for maximum Lucky Egg value
Expected XP: 60,000-80,000 XP per Lucky Egg evolution session (30 minutes)
Method 5: Never Miss Community Days and Special Events
Pokemon GO’s special events offer multiplied XP bonuses that eclipse normal grinding by massive margins.
Common event bonuses:
- 2x or 3x Catch XP: Normal 100 XP becomes 200-300 XP per catch
- 2x Evolution XP: 1,000 XP becomes 2,000 XP per evolution
- 2x Raid XP: Legendary raids award 20,000 XP instead of 10,000
- Bonus XP for specific actions: Sometimes first catches of the day or hatching eggs
Community Day advantages:
- Runs for 3-6 hours monthly with massively increased spawns
- Usually features 3x Catch XP or similar bonuses
- Combine with Lucky Eggs for 6x regular catch XP
- Can easily gain 200,000-500,000 XP in a single Community Day
Event strategy:
- Plan your Lucky Egg usage around event bonuses for multiplicative effects
- Stock up on Pokeballs before events to maximize catching time
- Clear bag space for rewards and items
- Join local groups doing event raids for maximum efficiency
Expected XP: 200,000-500,000+ XP per major event (3-6 hours of active play)
Bonus Tips for Faster Leveling
Daily activities add up:
- First catch of the day: 500 XP (2,000 XP on 7-day streak)
- First PokeStop of the day: 500 XP (2,000 XP on 7-day streak)
- Complete these every single day without breaking your streak
Research tasks matter:
- Field Research: 500-2,000 XP per completed task
- Special Research: Varies, but often 10,000-50,000 XP for major milestones
- Timed Research during events: Massive XP bonuses for completion
Battle League participation:
- Each set of 5 battles awards 3,000+ XP depending on wins
- Season rewards provide additional XP
- Quick way to earn XP while not actively walking
Egg hatching strategy:
- 2km eggs: 200 XP
- 5km eggs: 500 XP
- 7km eggs: 1,000 XP
- 10km eggs: 2,000 XP
- 12km eggs: 4,000 XP
- Always have eggs incubating, prioritize longer-distance eggs
The Lucky Egg Master Strategy
Lucky Eggs are your most valuable leveling tool. Here’s how to maximize every single one:
Perfect Lucky Egg timing combines:
- Multiple Best Friend level-ups (coordinate with friends)
- Mass evolution session (60-80 evolutions ready)
- Active legendary raid or raid hour
- During 2x or 3x XP events
The ultimate Lucky Egg session:
- Start with 3-5 coordinated Best Friend level-ups: 500,000-1,000,000 XP
- Immediately do 60-80 evolutions: 60,000-80,000 XP
- Complete 1-2 legendary raids if possible: 20,000-40,000 XP
- Catch everything in sight with Excellent throws: 10,000-20,000 XP
- Total: 600,000-1,100,000+ XP in 30 minutes
Level Progression Timeline
With optimized play, here’s realistic leveling speed:
Level 1-20: 1-2 weeks of casual play (500,000 total XP needed) Level 20-30: 2-4 weeks with focused grinding (1,500,000 additional XP needed) Level 30-40: 4-8 weeks with event participation and friend XP (18,000,000 additional XP needed) Level 40-50: 3-6 months with consistent daily play and XL Candy grinding
The jump from 30 to 40 requires the most XP, but friendship bonuses and events make it much faster than it seems.
Common Leveling Mistakes to Avoid
What slows players down:
- Using Lucky Eggs randomly without maximizing their 30-minute window
- Not adding friends or neglecting the friendship system
- Missing Community Days and special events
- Evolving Pokemon immediately instead of saving for mass evolution sessions
- Not learning Excellent throw techniques early
- Playing solo instead of joining local communities for raids and coordination
The Reality Check
Reaching level 40 requires dedication. Even with optimal strategies, you’re looking at 20,000,000 total XP, which takes weeks of focused play or months of casual play.
Some players consider purchasing POGO accounts that are already leveled to skip the initial grind, but this violates Niantic’s Terms of Service and risks permanent bans. More importantly, you miss the natural progression that teaches game mechanics and builds your Pokemon collection organically.
The satisfaction of legitimately reaching level 40, then pushing toward level 50, comes from the journey itself—the friends made, the Pokemon caught, and the skills developed along the way.
Your 7-Day Fast-Track Plan
Here’s how to maximize XP in your first week:
Day 1: Add 50+ friends from online communities, catch everything with focus on throw technique Days 2-6: Send gifts daily, participate in raids, stockpile low-candy Pokemon for evolution Day 7: Coordinate with friends for Good Friend level-ups, use Lucky Egg for mass evolutions and raids
Week 1 expected gain: 150,000-300,000 XP with focused effort
Repeat weekly, scaling up to Ultra and Best Friend bonuses, and you’ll hit level 30 within a month.
Conclusion: Smart Grinding Wins
Leveling fast in Pokemon GO isn’t about playing more hours—it’s about playing smarter during the hours you do play:
- Prioritize friendship XP above everything else for massive gains
- Master Excellent throws for constant XP improvement
- Never waste Lucky Eggs – stack multiple XP sources before activating
- Participate in every event for multiplied XP bonuses
- Join local communities for raid coordination and friendship trading
The difference between a player who hits level 40 in three months versus one year isn’t usually time played—it’s strategic XP optimization. Implement these methods, stay consistent with daily activities, and you’ll be hitting major level milestones faster than you thought possible.
For more, visit Pure Magazine