Pokémon UNITE will happily match you with strangers all day. Playing with a specific person, which is what you want if that person is your partner, takes a couple of extra steps. They are below.
Before you start
You each need your own copy on your own phone. Pokémon UNITE is on both the App Store and Google Play, so it does not matter which of you is on iPhone and which is on Android.
It is free to download, so there is no reason for one of you to hold off and watch over the other's shoulder.
Step by step
- Install it on both phones. Do this before you sit down to play — first-launch downloads are always bigger than you expect.
- Friend each other in-game. This is the step that connects the two of you rather than putting you in a public lobby.
- Play together or challenge one another.
- Stay on a call while you set up the first time. Working out one game's friend system together takes five minutes; doing it over text takes half an hour.
When you cannot find each other
- Make sure you are both fully signed in, not playing as a guest — guest accounts are the most common reason a friend request never arrives.
- Check you have both got the app updated. A version gap can hide one of you from the other.
- Have the person creating the session send the invite rather than both of you searching at once.
- Restart the app on both phones before assuming something is broken.
Making Pokémon UNITE work as a couple thing
Once the setup is done, the question becomes whether you keep playing. Pokémon UNITE is easy to drop into together whenever you both have a spare moment, and that shapes how to fit it into a week.
- Plan and play together, or test your skills head-to-head.
- Every match sparks a little friendly strategy talk.
- Deep enough to keep you both coming back.
Agree on how long a session is before you start. "One more round" is how a ten-minute game eats an evening.
Similar games worth having installed
- Among Us — Among Us is the hugely popular social deduction game where Crewmates race to finish tasks while hidden Impostors quietly sabotage and eliminate them.
- Clash Royale — Clash Royale is a real-time card-and-tower duel where you deploy troops to take down your opponent’s towers in three-minute matches.
- Clash of Clans — Clash of Clans is the classic base-builder where you grow a village, train armies and raid other players.
More of the same kind on our category page.
Where to go next
A tip from running this list: pair a competitive game with a calm one. Our Flower Garden is the calm half of ours — a shared garden that waits for you.
- Is Pokémon UNITE Cross-Platform? iPhone & Android
- Is Pokémon UNITE Multiplayer? How to Play It Together
- How to Play 2 Player Games: The Challenge With Friends
- How to Play 8 Ball Pool With Friends
- Our full list of the best mobile couple games
Frequently asked questions
- How do I play Pokémon UNITE with my partner?
- Install Pokémon UNITE on both phones, friend each other in-game, then start a session together. The friend step is what keeps you out of a public lobby.
- Can you play Pokémon UNITE with friends as well as your partner?
- Yes — the same friend system that connects the two of you works for a wider group, so Pokémon UNITE scales up on the nights you want company.
- Why can't my partner see me in Pokémon UNITE?
- Usually one of you is signed in as a guest, or one copy of the app is out of date. Sign in properly on both phones, update both, then send the invite from one side rather than searching from both.
- Do we need to be in the same room to play Pokémon UNITE?
- No. Pokémon UNITE plays online, so the two of you can be anywhere as long as you both have a connection.
