How to Transfer Multiple Legendary Pokémon at Once in Pokémon GO

To transfer more than one Legendary Pokémon at a time in Pokémon GO, first turn on Expanded Group Transfer in the game’s Settings. Then open your Pokémon list, tap and hold one Legendary until it is selected, tap the others, and tap Transfer. Without that setting, the game does not let you include Legendary or Mythical Pokémon in a group transfer. Transfers can’t be undone, so mark the Pokémon you want to keep as favorites before you start.

Before you start

A transfer sends a Pokémon to Professor Willow for good. It frees a slot in your Pokémon storage and you receive Candy in exchange. A transfer does not free up space on your phone, which is a separate matter covered in how much storage Pokémon GO needs on iPhone. Niantic’s help page on Transferring Pokémon is clear that you can’t get a Pokémon back after you transfer it.

• Where this works: the steps are the same in the Pokémon GO app on iPhone and Android. Menu positions can shift a little between app updates, so go by the labels.
• What the setting does: the game describes Expanded Group Transfer as allowing you to transfer Legendary Pokémon and certain Mythical Pokémon when you select multiple Pokémon in your Pokémon storage.
• What it does not do: it does not lift the other group transfer limits, which are listed further down.

Legendary and Mythical are the game’s labels for its rarest Pokémon, most of which come from raids, research, and special events. That rarity is why the game makes you opt in before you can transfer several at once.

Step 1: Protect the Pokémon you want to keep

Do this first. A favorited Pokémon can’t be transferred at all, which makes the favorite star the simplest safety net before a bulk cleanup.

1. From the map, tap the Poké Ball (the Main Menu button) at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Pokémon to open your list.
3. Tap a Pokémon you want to keep to open its profile.
4. Tap the star in its profile. Repeat for every keeper.

To check your work, tap the magnifying glass at the top of the list and search favorite. Only your protected Pokémon should appear.

Step 2: Turn on Expanded Group Transfer

1. From the map, tap the Poké Ball.
2. Tap Settings, the gear button at the top right of the screen.
3. Look for Expanded Group Transfer. Niantic does not say which part of Settings it sits in. If your Settings screen is split into sections, check General first, then scroll through the others.
4. Tap the switch next to Expanded Group Transfer to turn it on. If the game asks you to confirm, read the message and accept it.

The setting stays on until you turn it off. Nothing is transferred just by switching it on.

Step 3: Select and transfer several Legendaries

1. Tap the Poké Ball, then tap Pokémon.
2. Tap the magnifying glass and type legendary to show only Legendary Pokémon. Type mythical to show Mythical Pokémon instead.
3. Tap and hold one Pokémon you want to transfer until it is selected.
4. Tap each other Pokémon you want to include.
5. Stop and read through the selection. This is your last chance to change it.
6. Tap Transfer, then confirm when the game asks.

The selected Pokémon leave your list and you receive Candy for them. Clear the search box to go back to your full collection.

What still can’t be group transferred

Turning the setting on does not make every Pokémon eligible. Niantic lists these limits:

• Shiny and Lucky Pokémon. You can’t transfer several of them at a time.
• Good Buddies. The same applies to Pokémon you have reached Good Buddy status or higher with.
• Some Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. Niantic names Mew and Celebi as examples that can’t be selected for transfer.
• Protected Pokémon. Your active Buddy, favorited Pokémon, and Pokémon currently defending Gyms can’t be transferred at all.

For a Shiny, Lucky, or Good Buddy Pokémon that you really do want to remove, use the single transfer route: open that Pokémon, tap the Menu button, and choose Transfer.

Use search to narrow the list safely

Niantic’s guide to searching and filtering your Pokémon inventory lists search terms you can combine. Use & to require two things, and put ! in front of a term to exclude it.

Search	What it shows
legendary	All Legendary Pokémon in your list
mythical	All Mythical Pokémon in your list
legendary&!shiny	Legendary Pokémon that are not Shiny
legendary&!favorite	Legendary Pokémon you have not protected yet
legendary&traded	Legendary Pokémon you received in a trade
favorite	Everything you have marked as a favorite

Add a species name to compare copies of one Pokémon side by side before you pick which to give up. If you label your keepers with nicknames, they are easier to spot in a long list, and our guide shows how to rename a Pokémon.

How to confirm it worked, and how to turn it back off

Run the same search again after the transfer. The Pokémon you sent should be gone, and the count at the top of your Pokémon list should be lower. You can read more about that number in our guide to how many Pokémon you have caught.

The transfer itself has no undo. The only part you can reverse is the setting. Go back to Poké Ball > Settings and turn Expanded Group Transfer off. Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are then left out of group transfers again, which is a sensible default once your cleanup is finished.

Troubleshooting

I can’t find Expanded Group Transfer

Scroll through the whole Settings screen, including each section if it is divided into tabs. If it still isn’t there, update Pokémon GO from the App Store or Google Play and look again. Niantic’s help page shows the setting under exactly this name.

A Legendary won’t select

Check whether it has a favorite star, is your active Buddy, or is defending a Gym. Remove the star or swap your Buddy if you truly want it gone. A Pokémon in a Gym has to come back first. If it is Shiny, Lucky, or a Good Buddy or higher, transfer it on its own. Some Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, such as Mew and Celebi, can’t be selected for transfer at all.

The setting is on but Legendaries still won’t join the selection

Go back to Settings and confirm the switch really is on, then close and reopen your Pokémon list. If nothing changes, restart the app. Niantic does not publish a specific fix for this, so treat a restart and an app update as general first steps.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a transferred Legendary Pokémon back?

No. Niantic states that you can’t get Pokémon back after you have transferred them. That is why favoriting keepers and reviewing the selection before you tap Transfer matters so much.

Do I need the setting to transfer one Legendary?

No. The setting only covers selecting multiple Pokémon. You can still open a single Legendary, tap the Menu button, and choose Transfer without it.

What do I get for transferring Legendary Pokémon?

You receive Candy in exchange for each Pokémon you transfer. Niantic’s help page does not give an amount, and in-game events can change transfer rewards, so check the in-game news if you are saving a big cleanup for a bonus.

Does this setting send Pokémon to Pokémon HOME?

No. Sending Pokémon to Pokémon HOME is a different feature that uses the GO Transporter, found under Settings > Connected Devices and Services > Pokémon HOME. Niantic explains it in Sending Pokémon to Pokémon HOME. That move is also one way: Pokémon sent to HOME can’t return to Pokémon GO.

Is there a limit on how many I can select at once?

Niantic’s help page doesn’t state a maximum. Smaller batches are easier to review, which lowers the chance of sending something you wanted.

Next step

Favorite your keepers, turn on Expanded Group Transfer, and clear your extra Legendaries in small batches. If you also store Pokémon in HOME and need room there, see how to delete a Pokémon from Pokémon HOME.