Can You Convert XL Candy to Normal in Pokémon Go?
Straight to the point – no, there is currently no way to convert XL Candy down to regular Candy in Pokémon Go. I know many players, including myself, wish we could exchange our surplus XL Candy for the regular Candy we desperately need. But so far, Niantic has not provided any method to downgrade or trade in XL Candy.
As an avid Pokémon Go player and content creator, I want to fully break down XL Candy – what it is, how to get it, what to use it for, and why converting it to regular Candy isn‘t possible. I‘ll also share some pro strategies for earning more XL Candy and maximizing its value.
What is XL Candy Exactly?
XL Candy is a special new form of Candy introduced in late 2020. It serves one main purpose – to power up Pokémon beyond Level 40 all the way up to the new cap of Level 50.
Without XL Candy, you cannot level up any Pokémon past 40 no matter how much normal Stardust or regular Candy you have. XL Candy is absolutely required for those last 10 levels.
Niantic likely added XL Candy as an item sink and hardcore grind beyond the previous endgame. It gives longtime players something to work towards after reaching Level 40.
But for more casual players XL Candy feels out of reach. Even for veterans like myself, it‘s a scarce resource that we obsess over accumulating.
Here‘s a quick overview of how XL Candy works:
| XL Candy | Regular Candy |
|---|---|
| Only usable from Levels 41-50 | Only usable up to Level 40 |
| 296 needed to max out (L40-50) | 66 needed to max out (L1-40) |
| Obtainable at Trainer Level 31+ | Obtainable at Trainer Level 1+ |
So in summary – XL Candy exclusively powers up Pokémon over 40, while regular Candy covers 1-40. Let‘s look closer at how you can obtain this elusive XL Candy.
How To Get XL Candy in Pokémon Go
XL Candy is seriously hard to come by. As a Level 47 Trainer myself, I‘ve only been able to accumulate around 1,000 XL Candy so far. There are a few ways to get it:
Catching Wild Pokémon
This is my #1 source of XL Candy. But the catch is that the Pokémon needs to be high level (30+) to have a chance of dropping XL Candy when caught.
At Trainer Level 30, wild Pokémon over Level 30 have a ~5% chance of dropping XL Candy.
At Trainer Level 35, Pokémon over Level 30 have ~25% XL Candy drop rate.
Once you hit Trainer Level 40 the XL Candy drop rate is even higher.
So farming XL Candy via catching is only feasible at higher Trainer Levels. Lower levels need alternative sources.
Hatching Eggs
Pokémon hatched from Eggs have a random chance of coming with bonus XL Candy:
- 2km Eggs – Up to 3 XL Candy
- 5km Eggs – Up to 6 XL Candy
- 10km Eggs – Up to 16 XL Candy
- 12km Eggs – Up to 32 XL Candy
12km Strange Eggs from defeating Rocket Leaders are the Holy Grail for earning consistent XL Candy from eggs. I try to hatch out as many 12km eggs as I can get my hands on.
Raiding
The higher the raid tier, the more XL Candy you‘ll randomly receive as a reward. On average:
- Tier 1-2 raids – 0-2 XL Candy
- Tier 3-4 raids – 3-8 XL Candy
- Tier 5 Legendary raids – 8-16 XL Candy
That explains why hardcore raiders can stockpile XL Candy for their legendaries so quickly. Raid relentlessly if you want XL Candy gains.
Trading Pokémon
When trading Pokémon, especially high CP ones, both parties get a chance at bonus XL Candy:
- 1-10% chance if over 1,000 CP
- 25% chance if over 2,000 CP
- 50% chance if over 4,000 CP
Lucky Friend trades with guaranteed XL Candy are the jackpot. But regular trades can surprise you too.
Transferring Pokémon
This method drives me crazy. Even transferring high CP Pokémon like Gyarados, Rhydon, and others barely ever yields XL Candy for me. The drop rates seem lower than advertised.
Walking Buddies
Choose a high level Pokémon (30+) as your Buddy and you have a small chance of earning XL Candy for your walks. I stick to my 4,000+ CP legendaries to optimize my chances.
Research Rewards
A few Special Research lines reward some XL Candy, but usually only 5-20 pieces. Not a great reliable source.
Events & Bonuses
Keep an eye out for in-game events that boost XL Candy drops! Community Days, raid events, and egg-focused events will help your XL haul.
As you can see, Trainer Level impacts XL Candy income, with higher levels having better drop rates. Now let‘s see why XL Candy is so precious and worth the effort.
How To Use XL Candy – Powering Up Your Pokémon
Earning XL Candy means nothing if you don‘t use it. Here‘s a quick look at what powering up with XL Candy from 40-50 entails:
| Level | XL Candy to Reach | Stardust to Reach |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | 10 | 100,000 |
| 42 | 19 | 120,000 |
| 43 | 29 | 140,000 |
| 44 | 70 | 180,000 |
| 45 | 85 | 220,000 |
| 46 | 100 | 260,000 |
| 47 | 115 | 300,000 |
| 48 | 130 | 340,000 |
| 49 | 145 | 380,000 |
| 50 | 296 | 500,000 |
As you can see, maxing out a Pokémon to Level 50 with XL Candy is a huge investment – 296 XL Candy and 250,000 Stardust.
That‘s why you need to be selective when powering up with XL Candy. Here are some tips:
Focus on your top attackers. Don‘t waste XL Candy on weak or low-tier Pokémon. Use it to power up essential meta attackers like Mewtwo, Dialga, Machamp.
Max out Legendaries first. Legendaries get the most stat boosts from XL powering up. Take them all the way to 50!
Level 41-45 are sufficient. Considering the steep XL Candy costs, Level 45 is a good stopping point before diminishing returns kick in.
Master League first. Since Master League has no CP limit, max out your intended Master League teams first before working on Great or Ultra League teams.
Powering a Pokémon up with XL Candy to Level 50 takes an enormous 296 XL Candy. So converting XL to regular Candy would break the balance of the game and deflate the value of XL Candy.
Why You Can‘t Convert XL Candy to Regular Candy
As mentioned, there is currently no way to downgrade or exchange XL Candy in Pokémon Go. No matter how much you may want to, Niantic does not allow converting XL to regular Candy.
I understand the appeal of converting XL Candy. As a semi-casual but dedicated player, I earn XL Candy much more slowly than regular Candy.
When you have Pokémon you want to evolve but are always short on regular Candy, being able to convert XL Candy could help fill that gap. Especially when you have over 1,000 spare XL Candy sitting there with no use.
However, from a game design perspective, Niantic intentionally made XL Candy non-convertible and scarce. Their goal seems to be:
Maintain XL Candy value. If XL Candy became abundant or easily swapped to regular Candy, its value would plummet. It‘s meant to be an exclusive late-game resource.
Promote engagement. The slow grind for XL Candy keeps dedicated players chasing it month after month. It‘s a long-term engagement driver.
Create an item sink. Like Stardust, XL Candy soaks up excess items and resources in the game. This helps stabilize the economy.
Benefit heavy raiders/grinders. Whales who raid constantly or play 24/7 already have stockpiles. Allowing conversion would further benefit those groups over casual players.
So for better or worse, Niantic has engineered the XL Candy system to reward experts and heavy grinders. As a player myself, I understand why many feel frustrated with the current limitations. But those limitations exist for a reason.
My advice is to stay patient with the XL Candy grind. Pursue the earning methods I outlined. Focus on your absolute highest priorities first when powering up. And get the most mileage from your hard-earned XL Candy!
Conclusion
Hopefully this guide gave you a comprehensive overview of how XL Candy works in Pokémon Go and why you can‘t convert it down to regular Candy. While that limitation is disappointing at times, embracing the XL Candy grind makes achieving Level 50 with your top Pokémon feel more rewarding!
What has your experience been like earning and using XL Candy? Which Pokémon are you prioritizing powering up? Let me know in the comments below!
