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Battle challenges from friends in Pokémon GO are controlled by a single toggle in the game’s Settings menu. Turn it on to receive Trainer Battle challenges from friends, and turn it off to stop receiving them. Niantic’s help pages describe the same setting under two slightly different labels, so the exact wording you see on screen may vary by app version and language.
Turn friend battle challenges on
- Open Pokémon GO and go to the Map View.
- Tap the Settings icon.
- Tap General.
- Enable Allow Battle Challenges with Friends.
Niantic’s troubleshooting page uses this label. Its battle guide calls the same option Battle Challenges from Friends. If your installed version shows a different wording, use the option in the same General section that refers to battle challenges from friends. Official guidance for this setting is in the Niantic troubleshooting article on missing invites and the Battle icon.
Turn friend battle challenges off
To stop receiving challenges, open Settings, tap General, and uncheck the battle challenge option. Niantic’s Battling Other Trainers article gives the same instruction in its tip:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems“If you’d like to stop receiving Battle Challenges, you can disable this feature by visiting the Settings page and unchecking Battle Challenges from Friends.”
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megacom DuoMon 1P/2P dual account Auto Catcher compatible for Pokemon Go Plus - Compact Go Accessory with Auto Catch, Voice Notifications - Faster Wireless Bluetooth for Pocket Go Game (Blue)
- ✅ FASTER & BETTER AUTO CATCHER: Now you can complete your box faster with the megacom DuoMon, which will drastically speed up the catching and collecting process so you can become the ultimate trainer faster.
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- ✅ MUST-HAVE CATCHER FOR EVERY TRAINER: multiple advanced features, this automatic Pokemon catcher is made for both Pokemon Go beginners and experienced trainers who want to reach another level.
While the option is unchecked, a friend who tries to challenge you sees a message saying you are not currently receiving challenges. The toggle affects only challenges from friends as described in these help pages; the official pages do not describe other effects on your account.
Source: Niantic’s Battling Other Trainers help article.
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Challenge a friend
Challenges are sent from the other player’s profile, so you need to be on that friend’s page rather than starting from the battle screen itself. Niantic’s battle guide describes this path:
Recommended Free Tools
- From Map View, open your Trainer Profile.
- Open the Friends tab.
- Select the friend you want to battle.
- Tap the Battle icon on that friend’s profile.
- Tap LET’S BATTLE! to send the challenge.
Niantic states that friends can be challenged remotely, so you do not need to be physically near each other.
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- Auto catch Pokemon and collect items. Vibration feedback. Enjoy Pokemon Go on the move without looking at your smartphone! It will also tell you when it’s time to recharge the battery. If there is connection problem of the device, please make sure you have updated the app to the latest version.
- Device requires Bluetooth low-energy compatible smartphone with Pokémon GO app installed.
- Compatible with Android devices with 2 GB RAM or more, Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Ver. 4.0 or higher) capability, and Android Ver. 4.4-6.0 installed.
- Compatible with iPhone 5/5c/5s/SE/6/6s/6s Plus/7/7 Plus devices with iOS Ver. 8-10 installed.
- Please charge for two hours before use it. If the device can't be connected after update ( no matter phone's or the product's update ) , please delete the bluetooth history of the device and pair again in the game.
If invites or the Battle icon are missing
If you are not seeing Trainer Battle invites or the Battle icon on a friend’s screen, work through these checks in order. They follow Niantic’s troubleshooting page.
- Confirm the setting is on. Go to Settings > General and make sure Allow Battle Challenges with Friends is enabled. If it is unchecked, your friends will see the not-receiving-challenges message.
- Check the device clock. Set the date and time on your phone to synchronize automatically with local time.
- Check child-account permissions. If the account belongs to a child, a parent or guardian needs to check multiplayer permissions in the Niantic Kids Parent Portal or Pokémon Trainer Central.
- Contact support. If the problem continues, Niantic’s troubleshooting page directs players to contact support.
Child accounts
For child accounts, Niantic says a parent or guardian can enable or disable access to Trainer Battles and other social features. The official child-access article describes managing these permissions in Pokémon Trainer Central and the Niantic Kids Parent Portal. If battle invites are missing on a child’s account, the setting may be controlled by the guardian rather than by the child in the app.
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- The packaging is Japanese, but item works the same as the US version.
- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
Source: Niantic’s child access to social features help article.
Version and date limits
The official help pages do not provide a version-by-version comparison of menu labels, so treat the wording above as Niantic’s published naming rather than a guarantee for every build or language. The help articles also do not show a publication date you can verify from the pages themselves; the search results used to find them showed only relative ages, so check the app itself if the labels differ.
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- Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
- Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
- Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
- There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
- Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
This is an in-app setting. No accessory, replacement part, or purchase is needed to change it.
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