How to battle your friends in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Battling against an AI opponent isn’t the same as battling against real players online in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Better yet, you can fight against your friends. Pokémon TCGP is Nintendo’s biggest mobile game in its franchise since Pokémon Go, and just like how you can play with friends in Pokémon Go, you can do the same in TCGP.

Playing the card game against random people online works a little differently than playing with people you actually know. If you’re unsure how to start a battle against your friends in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket after crafting the perfect deck, we’ll help you figure out how it works and what you need to do to set it all up. 

How to add a friend in Pokémon TCGP

Before you can start battling friends, you’ll need to add them as a friend on Pokémon TCGP first.

Step 1: Complete the tutorial missions to eventually unlock the Social Hub. Enter the Social Hub from the button at the bottom center of your screen.

Step 2: Select Friends in the bottom-left corner.

Step 3: In the top-right corner, select the button with the icon displaying a person with a + symbol.

Step 4: If you’re the one sharing your Friend ID, tap the copy button to copy your Friend ID and share it with your friend. If you’re the one searching for your friend, select the bar under Search for a player and enter your friend’s Friend ID. Once they come up after the search, send them a friend request.

Step 5: Whoever is approving the friend request must wait for it to go through. Select the Approve tab in the bottom-right corner of the Friends screen and then accept the request once it appears.

How to create a private battle with your friend in Pokémon TCGP

Battles can only be done between two players, so 2v2 or more isn’t currently possible. You’ll want to ensure that you can communicate with your friend or else this won’t work, but if you’ve already friended them, you probably have a way to speak with them.

Step 1: Head to the Battle menu by selecting the fourth icon on the bottom of your screen.

Step 2: Select Versus then Private Match.

Step 3: Both you and your friend must enter the same shared password to join each other’s games. You can either enter a password yourself, or have the game automatically generate one for you. The password is case sensitive, so make sure it’s exact.

Step 4: Once the password is set, select the Deck button to select a deck to battle with, then select the Battle! button. You should quickly match up with your friend afterward, but if not, the password was probably written incorrectly or perhaps one of you has a bad internet connection.

Currently, there’s no other way to play a private match with a friend unless you enter the same password. This means that it’s impossible to play private matches with strangers you’ve met online and then friended after a match. Pokémon TCGP is still new, so Nintendo could update this in the future.