almost 4 years ago - The Pokémon GO team - Direct link

Trainers,

More exciting changes will be coming to Pokémon GO in the coming months, and we wanted to share an early update on a couple features you can expect this summer. One is a feature that was previously announced: the ability to invite friends to remotely join you in Raid Battles! The other is a new update that’ll allow you to personalize the Gifts you send to your friends with in-game stickers!

Make your friends smile with a Gift sticker

Sending Gifts to friends just got more personalized! Want to show a friend how much you appreciate them? Soon you’ll be able to add a special sticker to the Gifts you send!

When the feature is rolled out, you’ll get a set of stickers for free! Right before you send a Gift to a friend, tap ADD STICKER and pick a sticker to attach. At launch, there will be five stickers available. You can use a sticker only once, so be sure to stock up on more by opening Gifts. In the future, you’ll be able to purchase some designs from the shop.

Invite friends to raids regardless of their location

As we continue to make changes to Pokémon GO that further adapt gameplay to individual settings, we’re excited to announce that the ability to invite friends to raids will be rolling out soon!

When this feature is available, you’ll see a + button in both public and private raid lobbies that you’ve joined in person. After tapping the + button, you’ll be able to invite up to five friends to join you. Your friends will be able to see raid invitations on their Nearby screen or in push notifications. These invitations will allow them to enter the raid lobby. Your friends will use a pass only once the battle starts, not when they join the lobby.

While the feature will be released after the highly anticipated Legendary Pokémon Reshiram has already left raids, fret not! The Vast White Pokémon will be back in raids in the future, so you’ll have another chance to face off against it and test your resolve for truth.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.

—The Pokémon GO team