To rename a Pokémon in Pokémon GO, tap the Main Menu (the Poké Ball button), tap Pokémon, open the Pokémon you want, and tap the pen button next to its name. Type the new nickname and confirm.
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android, and renaming is free with no limit on how many times you change a nickname. Afterward, you can search your Pokémon by nickname, as the Pokémon GO Help Center explains.
What you need before you start
- The Pokémon GO app, signed in to your account. If a button looks different from what is described here, update the app from the App Store or Google Play first.
- A Pokémon in your collection. You rename Pokémon one at a time from each Pokémon’s summary. The summary is the detail screen that shows its CP, HP, attacks, and the buttons for powering up and evolving.
- A name idea. A nickname is a custom name for a single Pokémon. It is separate from your Trainer nickname, which is the name of your account.
How to rename a Pokémon
- Open Pokémon GO and wait for the Map View to load. This is the main screen with your avatar on the map.
- Tap the Main Menu button. It is the Poké Ball at the bottom center of the screen.
- Tap Pokémon. Your full list of Pokémon opens.
- Tap the Pokémon you want to rename. Its summary opens, with the name shown above the HP bar.
- Tap the pen button beside the name. A text field opens with the current name in it and your keyboard appears.
- Delete the current name and type the nickname you want.
- Confirm the change with the button on screen (for example OK). The summary now shows the new nickname.
The Help Center’s Viewing a Pokémon Summary page describes this field: the nickname is set to the species name by default, and you edit it by tapping the pen button. Nicknames can be up to 12 characters long, so keep them short.
Check that the new name was saved
- Close the summary to return to your Pokémon list.
- Tap the magnifying glass at the top of the list to open the search field.
- Type the nickname you just entered.
The list should narrow to the Pokémon with that nickname. If nothing appears, check the spelling, and include any punctuation you used. The Help Center notes that names containing punctuation or special characters are only found when the search includes the same punctuation.
How to change the name back
There’s no reset button. To undo a rename, open the Pokémon’s summary, tap the pen button, clear the field and confirm, or type the species name back in.
Nickname ideas that help you sort
A nickname is most useful when it tells you something the list view does not. Because the nickname is searchable, a short code at the start of the name works like a label.
- Mark battle roles. Start the name with a short code such as “GL” for Pokémon you use in the Great League. The steps for building a Great League team explain what that league allows.
- Mark keepers. Use a word such as “Keep” or “Raid” for Pokémon you never want to transfer.
A code such as “TR” can mark a team for Team GO Rocket Leaders, and you can unequip a Rocket Radar in Pokémon GO while that team is not ready.
Leave real names, phone numbers, and other personal details out of nicknames. The game’s Player Guidelines say content you create in the game can be reviewed, and action can be taken if it is inappropriate.
Find renamed Pokémon with search
The search field in your Pokémon list understands nicknames, species names, and a set of keywords. These examples come from the Help Center’s Searching & Filtering your Pokémon Inventory page.
| Type this | What it shows |
|---|---|
| A nickname, such as Joe | Every Pokémon you gave that nickname |
| A species name, such as Pikachu | Every Pokémon of that species |
| +Pikachu | The whole evolutionary family (Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu) |
| cp1500 or cp-1500 | Pokémon at exactly 1500 CP, or at 1500 CP and lower |
| favorite | Pokémon you marked with the star |
| traded | Pokémon you received in a trade |
| #battle | Pokémon that carry the tag named battle |
| grass&evolve | Pokémon that match both terms |
| !defender | Everything except Pokémon currently defending a Gym |
You can combine these with a nickname pattern. If your Great League picks all start with “GL”, a search that joins those letters and a type with & narrows the list to the matching Pokémon.
Tags: Labels for Groups of Pokémon
A tag is a colored label you can attach to as many Pokémon as you like. Tags do not change any names, so they suit groups, while nicknames suit notes about one Pokémon. Tags are only available to Trainers who are Level 15 and above.
To create one, open your Pokémon list, tap Tags, then tap the Plus button. To find a group later, type # followed by the tag name in the search field. The Help Center’s Tagging your Pokémon Inventory page has the full steps.
Protect renamed Pokémon from transfers
A nickname is only a label. It does not stop a Pokémon from being transferred, and the Help Center warns that you cannot get a Pokémon back after you transfer it. To protect a Pokémon you care about, open its summary and tap the star to mark it as a favorite. Favorited Pokémon cannot be transferred until you remove the star.
Before a large cleanup, search for your “Keep” nickname or the word favorite to review what is protected. If you are clearing out rare Pokémon, read how to transfer several Legendary Pokémon at once first, because that option has to be turned on in the app settings before it works. Pokémon HOME has its own cleanup process. Here’s how to delete a Pokémon from Pokémon HOME on an iPhone.
Troubleshooting
I do not see a pen button
The pen button is on the Pokémon’s summary, beside the name, not in the list view. Tap a single Pokémon to open its summary first. If you pressed and held a Pokémon, you are in the multi-select mode used for transfers. Back out of that mode and tap the Pokémon once instead.
The name will not save, or it is cut short
Shorten the nickname and try again. If the app rejects a name without explaining why, try plain letters and numbers and remove anything that could be read as offensive. Also check your connection, since Pokémon GO needs to be online to play, and try the edit again once the signal is steady.
Search does not find the nickname
Type the nickname exactly as you entered it, including punctuation. Also clear any other term left in the search field, since combined terms narrow the results.
The nickname changed after a trade
Trading changes a Pokémon’s CP, HP and other stats, and a Pokémon you receive arrives with its species name. Open its summary and rename it with the pen button.
Frequently asked questions
Does renaming a Pokémon cost anything?
No. Renaming is free, needs no items, and has no level requirement. A nickname is only a label and doesn’t change CP, attacks or any other stat.
Can other players see my Pokémon nicknames?
Assume they can in some places. The Help Center says your Trainer Profile shows your Trainer nickname together with your buddy’s nickname. It does not list every screen where a Pokémon’s nickname appears to other players, so keep nicknames friendly and free of personal information.
Can I change my Trainer name the same way?
No. Your Trainer nickname is an account setting. Tap the Main Menu, tap Settings, tap Account, and tap the pencil icon next to your Trainer nickname. Unlike a Pokémon nickname, it can only be changed a limited number of times, and the pencil disappears once you have used all of your changes. The details are in Changing your Trainer Nickname.
Can I rename several Pokémon at once?
The Help Center only describes renaming from an individual Pokémon’s summary. To label many Pokémon in one pass, use a tag instead. You can select multiple Pokémon when you add them to a tag.
Does the nickname of an Eevee decide what it evolves into?
Yes, once per name. Renaming an Eevee to a special nickname before evolving it picks the evolution, such as Sparky for Jolteon, Rainer for Vaporeon, Pyro for Flareon, Sakura for Espeon, Tamao for Umbreon, Linnea for Leafeon, Rea for Glaceon and Kira for Sylveon. Each name trick only works one time per account, so close and reopen the summary after renaming to make sure the evolve button shows the right Pokémon before you spend Candy.
How do I see how many Pokémon I have caught?
Your totals are on your Trainer Profile. The steps for checking how many Pokémon you have caught show where to look.
Next step
Rename the handful of Pokémon you use most, then put them to work. Clear nicknames make it faster to pick the right ones when you build a battle party, and you can follow your results by checking how many battles you have won.
Friends can only challenge your team remotely if you allow battle challenges with friends in Settings.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.