How Often Do PokéStops Refresh in Pokemon Go?

Using PokéStops in Pokémon GO is a favorite pastime of many Trainers. They’re amazing sources of items and XP. But not everyone is lucky with drops or runs into as many PokéStops as they’d like. Generally, it takes five minutes for a PokéStop to refresh in Pokémon GO.

To get the most out of PokéStops, Trainers need to understand how they work, how often they offer rewards, and what they can expect. This article will give you a brief rundown on PokéStops and ways to maximize your farming efficiency, even when playing solo.

PokéStops Refresh Time

Spinning a PokéStop to get items turns it pink. That’s how you know it’s unavailable for a while. But if you watch closely, you’ll notice the PokéStop fading from pink to blue, with blue indicating you can have another spin.

Some Trainers have reported that the refresh time can be longer than five minutes. It’s possible you may have to wait if your internet connection drops or lags. So, while the default refresh time for PokéStops seems to be around five minutes, the actual time may vary slightly based on your device and connection.

Understanding How PokéStops Work

A PokéStop is one of the most recognizable in-game elements in Pokémon GO. It’s a common source for items, and it can grant up to 250 XP when you first encounter one. Although subsequent uses of a PokéStop only give 50 XP, it’s worth revisiting them.

One of the primary reasons to use PokéStops is for the Pokémon Eggs. But an even greater reason to use PokéStops is for the Wild Pokémon.

Wild Pokémon gather around PokéStops thanks to a default game mechanic. Once close enough, you’ll see them on the Nearby tab. But what makes PokéStops even better is their interaction with Lure Modules.

You can set a Lure Module or more on PokéStops, preferably in close proximity to each other. Doing so will allow even more Wild Pokémon to appear in the area.

What Do PokéStops Drop?

Spinning a PokéStop Disk can grant a variety of items.

• Poké balls
  
• Pokémon eggs
  
• Berries
  
• Potions
  
• Revives
  
• Evolution Items
  
• Gifts
  
• Stickers
  

Of course, the rewards are gated behind the Trainer level. The higher the level, the better the rewards you’ll unlock. For example, you can start getting Ultra Balls from PokéStops at Trainer level 20.

A Trainer level 5 is the minimum requirement for PokéStops to drop a Regular Potion. It takes a Trainer level of 25 to get a chance at a Max Potion. The same principle applies to Berries and Revives.

Pokémon Eggs and Evolution Items like Dragon Scale or Sun Stone can drop starting at level 1. The only distinction is that a Trainer hitting a 7-day streak is guaranteed an Evolution Item on their next spin.

PokéStops Spin Limits

Is it worth waiting for the refresh timer to reset on a PokéStop just because you’re low on items? It probably isn’t, especially at lower levels. Five minutes can seem like an eternity in Pokémon GO if you’re in the right spot.

Finding a location with multiple PokéStops close by is one of the best ways to take advantage of the game mechanic. That’s because you have a crazy amount of daily spins you can make.

Imagine spinning the same PokéStop every five minutes for 24 hours. You’d get 288 daily spins if you do it consistently. But Pokémon GO lets Trainers make 1,200 spins at PokéStops every day. That means you can farm way more items than you realize and do it more efficiently.

Naturally, that doesn’t mean players can come close to the 1,200-spin limit without investing several hours into the game and farming a great PokéStop location. But here’s something you need to understand about strategy and efficiency.

If you want to go for the maximum weekly spins, you can get up to 7,000 spins before getting an in-game error. You read that right: 7,000 spins per week.

The refresh time of a PokéStop isn’t the most important aspect. Creating a rotation you can run every five minutes to get multiple drops is crucial to your game progression. And considering the three- to four-item yield per PokéStop, creating a rotation is even more critical if you want a well-stocked Trainer.

How to Increase the PokéStop Wild Pokémon Spawn Rate

Seeing a Wild Pokémon near a PokéStop happens every five minutes or so. The spawn rate is equal to the PokéStop spin refresh rate. But unlike the set spin cooldown, you can accelerate the spawn rate of Wild Pokémon at PokéStops.

When you add lures to a PokéStop, you can cut the time it takes to get a Wild Pokémon in half. That means you can encounter them every two and a half minutes instead of every five minutes.

And if you want to get even more Wild Pokémon, you can add Incense to double the chance of an encounter. Incense is also stackable, and may have an increased effect during special events.

Therefore, you can reliably farm items and catch lots of Wild Pokémon if you plan an efficient PokéStop rotation. There’s more to just fun and games in Pokémon GO; there’s also a lot of strategy going on in order to really excel.

PokéStop Catch Limits

Trainers can make up to 4,800 catches per day or 14,000 per week. The catch limit is significantly higher than the PokéStop spin limit because you can encounter more Wild Pokémon between PokéStop spins.

Of course, catching 4,800 times in a day seems unrealistic without stacking Incense and spawning multiple Pokémon per minute. You could play over 10 hours without perfect spawning conditions and get nowhere near the catch limit.

FAQ

What happens after you hit the daily or weekly PokéStop spin limit?

The game displays an error if you attempt to spin a PokéStop after 1,200 daily spins or 7,000 weekly spins. This will prevent you from spinning the disk again until your daily or weekly counter refreshes.

What happens after you hit the daily or weekly PokéStop catch limit?

Trainers can catch 4,800 times per day or 14,000 times in a week. But unlike the PokéStop spin limit mechanic, the game won’t display an error. You can still try to catch Pokémon after reaching the limit, but you’ll notice that it doesn’t work anymore when the Pokémon start breaking out one after the other.

Is it better to spin at a PokéStop or a Gym?

Gyms and PokéStops give the same items in Pokémon GO. Gyms tend to reward the Trainer with higher-value items. For example, PokéStops tend to give more regular Balls and Berries. Conversely, Gyms have up to six times the chance of dropping Revives and are twice more likely to drop high-value Potions. Naturally, having control of the Gym increases the Revives drop rate further.

PokéStops – Your One-Stop Shop to Master Trainer

Keeping track of new PokéStops, especially PokéStop clusters, is essential for your Trainer progression. PokéStops give vital game items you’ll need to take your Trainer from level 1 to Master Trainer. PokéStops also are excellent sources of Wild Pokémon. And given the massive daily limits, you can catch a lot by farming a few close PokéStops.

If you don’t have access to good Gyms in Pokémon GO, PokéStops are decent fallback farming locations. But if you want to shoot for better items and more XP, hanging around Gyms is still your best bet. Just remember that even a new PokéStop can give you 250 XP. That’s nothing to scoff at, primarily when you like exploring and discovering new locations.

Now we want to hear your thoughts. Do you usually have luck spinning PokéStops or avoid them in favor of Gyms? When do you take the time to farm PokéStops, and if you do, what’s your favorite farming strategy? Let us know in the comments section below.