Skip to main content

How to get Stardust in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go has grown from a simple mobile game into a Pokémon experience that can rival, and even surpass, some mainline games at this point. There wasn't much to the initial game outside the novelty of walking around the world, catching Pokémon by tossing Pokéballs at them, and getting a few items for visiting specific locations. Years later, the roster has exploded, battles have become fully fleshed out, and events make it worth keeping up with regularly. One thing that has been there from the start that is just as important as ever is Stardust.

Related Videos

Difficulty

Easy

What You Need

  • Mobile device

  • Pokémon Go

Stardust is a key resource in Pokémon Go all this time later. From the most casual players to hardcore raiders, you will always have a need for these little viles of sparkles. However, this is one item that can't be bought in the shop, no matter how much real or in-game currency you have. That being said, there are multiple ways to go about getting Stardust, though some are more efficient than others. If you're running low on this precious resource, here's how to get Stardust in Pokémon Go.

Further reading

An eevee in Pokémon Go.

How to get Stardust

As mentioned, there are a couple of ways you can earn Stardust while playing Pokémon Go. Here are some of the best ways you can get a ton of it fast.

Step 1: Purchase Star Pieces from Poké Shops. These items increase the amount of Stardust you get from any source by 50% for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Catch a ton of Pokémon. You earn 100 Stardust (not counting the extra you get using a Star Piece) for every regular Pokémon caught, 300 for any second evolution, and 500 if you find one in their final evolution. You also get a 600 Stardust bonus for your first catch of the day, and if you keep your streak up for a full week, you get a massive 1,800 Stardust bonus, so do as the old jingle said and try to catch 'em all!

Step 3: Hatch as many eggs as possible. Use Incubator items if you have them to speed the process up. Here's how much each egg type is worth:

  • 2km egg = 400 to 800 Stardust
  • 5km egg = 600 to 1,600 Stardust
  • 7km egg = 800 to 1,600 Stardust
  • 10km egg = 1,600 to 3,200 Stardust
  • 12km egg = 3,200 to 6,400 Stardust

Step 4: Open your daily gifts. Each one can have anywhere between 100 and 300 Stardust for free, and you can hold a maximum of 30, so stockpile them until you pop a Star Piece and pretend its your birthday.

Step 5: Battle Team Go Rocket. You have to first be at least level eight to do this, but battling Team Go Rocket Grunts and Leaders at PokéStops or in their hot air balloons will net you 500 Stardust for the grunts and 1,000 for the leaders.

Step 6: Complete Field Research tasks. These tasks cycle randomly, but some of them can pay out with up to 4,000 Stardust, o up to even 10,000 for Special Research tasks.

A happy squirtle.

What is Stardust used for?

Stardust in Pokémon Go has a number of uses, but the most vital is that it is essentially XP for your Pokémon. Unlike Candy, which is Pokémon-specific, you can dump Stardust into any Pokémon you have to power them up. The higher level that Pokémon is, the more Stardust is required to power it up further, which is why you will always have a need for it. Using Stardust on a Pokémon, along with Candy, is how you can increase that Pokémon's CP and HP.

That would make Stardust valuable on its own, but it actually has a few more uses than that. Outside of stats, you will also need to spend Stardust in order to unlock second Charge Moves for your Pokémon to use in battles.

With the addition of Team Go Rocket in the game also came new Shadow Pokémon. Again, Stardust is needed here in order to purify them, ranging from 1,000 to up to 20,000 for a Legendary.

Finally, Stardust is required to make trades and is potentially the most expensive way to spend it. A normal trade will only cost a measly 100 Stardust, but trading for a Pokémon you never caught will cost at least 20,000, and if you want to trade for something like a Shiny or Legendary, you better save up because you'll need over 1 million Stardust to make that trade.

Editors' Recommendations

How to play co-op in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty characters

Stepping into the dangerous lands of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be harsh on most players. Early on, the game is especially challenging, even for veterans of the soulslike genre. While it isn't a sequel to either a souls game or the developer's previous Nioh series, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty does build on the base of those games, with the option to call in friends to join you in battle. While not as esoteric to unlock as in some other games in the genre, there are still a few hoops to jump through if you want to play co-op in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

Read more
Pokémon Sleep: expected release date, trailer, news, and more
An illustration of a Snorlax and other Pokémon napping from the Pokémon Sleep trailer.

Just when you thought you had all the Pokémon you needed in your life, here comes a way to interact with the world of Pokémon while you sleep. First announced in 2019 and quietly in development since, the mobile app Pokémon Sleep is set to launch in 2023, the Pokémon Company recently announced.

You may have caught all the Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet or Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but have you studied their sleeping habits? Here's everything you need to know about this new Pokémon experience.
What is Pokémon Sleep?
Rest your very best! | Pokémon Sleep

Read more
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC lets players venture outside of Paldea
Key art featuring new characters and Pokémon that are in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask.

During a Pokémon Presents showcase to celebrate Pokémon Day, the DLC for Scarlet and Violet was revealed. The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC is titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and will release in two parts, both planned to launch in 2023.
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero ✨| Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
Both pieces of DLC take place outside of the Paldea region and will be accessible once players start the Treasure Hunt in the main game's story. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Teal Mask, which comes out first, sees players go on a school trip to the Japan-inspired land called Kitakami. While there, players will encounter new Pokémon, such as the monkey-like Munkidori, dog-like Okidogi, bird-like Fezandipti, and the mask-wearing Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon. The Teal Mask comes out this fall.
Then, this winter, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero: The Indigo Disk will arrive and let players transfer to Blueberry Academy, where they will meet lots of new students and teachers. It will continue the story established in The Teal Mask and ultimately culminate in an encounter with another new Legendary Pokémon called Terapagos. Over the course of both DLCs, over 230 older Pokémon will come to Scarlet and Violet, including Chingling, Milotic, Shiftry, Vikavolt, Yanma, Ninetales, Zebstrika, Metagross, Dewgong, Espurr, Whimsicott, and Alcremie.
Additionally, once players preorder The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC by October 31 will get a Hisuian Zoroark that knows the moves Happy Hour, Tera Blast, Bitter Malice, and Nasty Plot and has a Dark Tera Type as a bonus alongside some new outfits. 
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch. The Teal Mask launches sometime during fall 2023, while The Indigo Disk will arrive during winter 2023.

Read more