Pokémon GO: How To Get Buddy Hearts Fast

With so many bonuses available, players will want level up their Pokemon’s Buddy Hearts fast!

Releasing back in 2016, Pokemon GO allowed players to make Pokemon their buddies. In 2019 and update released meaning players can now earn Buddy Hearts, getting bonuses for bonding with their Pokemon.

After reaching level 2 players gain access to Buddy adventure, opening up new opportunities to bond with Pokémon and earn Buddy Hearts.

Earning Buddy Hearts

Buddy Levels

There are four levels of Buddy Hearts players can progress through. Furthermore these levels also come with bonuses for players.

Good Buddy (1 Heart)

• Adventuring Buddy: Your buddy appears on the map screen
• Readable Mood: You can see your buddy’s level of excitement

Great Buddy (70 Hearts)

• Catch Assist: Your buddy may assist you in catching a Pokemon
• Find Gifts: Your buddy can give you gifts that would normally be found at a Pokestop, whenever you’re running low

Ultra Buddy (150 Hearts)

• Finding Souvenirs: Your buddy can find a souvenir that counts towards a bonus heart.
• Find Locations: A buddy may draw a players attention to a Pokestop. When spun it will grant additional items as well as a bonus heart.

Best Buddy (300 Hearts)

• CP Boost: Buddies gain a power boost in battles. The CP boost is equivalent to the Pokémon’s CP after two extra power ups. If the Pokémon is level 40 it will have its CP boosted as though it was level 41.
• Best Buddy Ribbon: The Pokémon gains a special ribbon to wear.

How To Increase Hearts

With so many bonuses it’s important to level up your friendship with your buddy as quick as possible. However, that isn’t the only reason: many Pokemon such as Sylveon also evolve with Buddy Hearts.

Daily activities are the easiest way to increase your buddy’s hearts.

The activities allow players to earn up to 11 hearts (including a bonus heart) but, when a Pokemon is excited this can double (sans the bonus category). These activities reset at midnight and are as follows:

• Walk together
• Give your buddy a treat
• Battle together
• Play together
• Take a snapshot
• Visit a new place
• Bonus

How To Complete Activities

Walk Together

One heart is earned for each 2km walked with your buddy. To earn all 3 hearts players need to walk a total of 6km.

Give Your Buddy A treat

Feed 3 berries (one every 30 minutes) to earn a heart. Alternatively, players can earn all 3 hearts by feeding the Pokemon one Poffin.

Battle Together

Have the buddy in the party when battling a Gym, Team GO Rocket, a Raid battle or Trainer battles.

Take A Snapshot

Take a photo of the Pokemon.

Visit A New Place

Visit a new Pokestop or Gym you haven’t visited before.

Play Together

Play with the pokemon in AR Mode until heart bubbles float around it.

Bonus

The Buddy gives the player a present or souvenir. Alternatively, the player can visit a location the buddy wants to visit. This category is not affected by the excited state, meaning they do not double.

Quickly Increasing Buddy Hearts

The quickest way for players to quickly increase hearts is to utilise the ability to change their buddy. Buddies can be switched up to 20 times per day.

By completing the daily activities for one Pokemon, then switching to another players are easily able to level up multiple Pokemon at once.

Ignoring the bonus heart and ‘visit a new place’ heart players can gain 9 hearts at least, per day per Pokemon.

This means it only takes 18 days to level up your buddy to Ultra Buddy and 34 days to become Best Buddies.

Ultimately the quickest and easiest way to increase your Buddy Hearts is by continuously doing the daily activities and switching out Pokemon.

Given that we’re up to Generation 7 in Pokémon GO, particularly with Alolan Pokemon being added. It may not be too long before we have more details about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet!