Eevee Evolutions in Pokémon GO: All 8, Name Tricks and the Best Pick

Eevee has eight evolutions in Pokémon GO: Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon, and each one costs 25 Eevee Candy. Vaporeon, Jolteon and Flareon are random. Espeon and Umbreon need a 10 km buddy walk and the right time of day, Leafeon and Glaceon need a Mossy or Glacial Lure, and Sylveon needs 70 buddy hearts. A one-time nickname trick forces any of the eight once per account. Methods below are current as of November 2026.

All Pokémon GO Eevee evolutions and how to get each

Here’s the full Eevee family in one place. The method column is what you use after the nickname is spent; the trick column is your one free guarantee per evolution.

How the Eevee name trick works

The nickname trick is a long-running Easter egg: rename an Eevee to one of the names above and it evolves into that Eeveelution, no conditions needed. It works once per name, per account. Rename a second Eevee “Sparky” later and you’re back to a random result.

To use it:

1. Open the Eevee you want to evolve and tap the pencil icon next to its name.
2. Type the nickname exactly, then save.
3. Check the evolution preview next to the Evolve button. It should show the target Eeveelution; if it shows a question mark, the name didn’t take, so recheck the spelling or close and reopen the app. Pokémon GO Hub notes the preview can also reflect buddy progress or a nearby lure, so test names on an Eevee with no buddy progress, away from Mossy and Glacial Lures.
4. Spend the 25 candy and evolve.

Because it’s a one-shot, use it on the Eevee you care most about: a shiny, a lucky trade or a high-IV catch. A shiny Eevee evolves into the shiny version of whatever it becomes.

How to evolve Espeon and Umbreon without the name trick

Espeon and Umbreon are buddy evolutions, and the steps are the same for both. Only the clock differs.

1. Set the Eevee as your buddy.
2. Walk at least 10 km with it, earning at least two buddy candy.
3. Keep it as your buddy. The day or night evolution only shows up while it’s your active buddy.
4. Evolve during the day for Espeon or at night for Umbreon. The game follows your local day and night, so if the map looks dark, it’s night.

The preview beside the Evolve button switches to Espeon by day or Umbreon by night once the requirement is met, so you can confirm before spending candy.

Leafeon and Glaceon: lure modules

Buy or earn a Mossy Lure Module (Leafeon) or a Glacial Lure Module (Glaceon), attach it to a PokéStop, stand within its range and evolve. Friends can share one lure, so a single module at a busy stop can cover a group’s Eevees.

Line everything up before you place it: have the Eevees picked, candy banked and the evolve screen open. If the Evolve button doesn’t show a Leafeon or Glaceon silhouette, you’re outside the lure’s range, so step closer to the stop and check again.

How to get Sylveon in Pokémon GO

Sylveon needs the most patience. Make Eevee your buddy and earn 70 hearts with it, then evolve with 25 candy. Hearts come from buddy activities like walking together, feeding treats, playing, battling and taking snapshots, and there’s a daily cap, so plan on several days. Per Pokémon GO Hub, hearts stay with that Eevee if you swap buddies.

What if your Eevee has walked 10 km and earned 70 hearts? Pokémon GO Hub’s Eevee guide (September 2026) notes it can qualify for Espeon or Umbreon and Sylveon at the same time, so check the evolution preview before you tap.

The candy math: name trick vs random

This is where the trick earns its keep. With nicknames, all eight Eeveelutions cost exactly 8 × 25 = 200 candy.

Without the trick, the three originals are a lottery. Assuming the common community reading of an even one-in-three split (Niantic hasn’t published odds), the expected number of evolutions to land all three is 3 × (1 + ½ + ⅓) = 5.5 evolutions, or about 138 candy. The nickname route gets you the same three for 75. That’s roughly 63 candy saved on the originals alone, and a bad streak can cost far more.

What is the best Eevee evolution in Pokémon GO?

There’s no single answer, because Pokémon GO has three very different arenas: GO Battle League, raids and gyms. Rankings also move with each new season and move rebalance, so check current PvP rankings before you power anything up.

Our take:

Umbreon is the one we’d build first if you play PvP. It’s a bulky Dark-type that fits the CP limits of Great and Ultra League well, and it has stayed a common league pick across many seasons.

Sylveon and Glaceon are the raid picks. Both hit Dragon-types for super-effective damage, Fairy and Ice respectively, and they’re far easier to max out than legendary attackers.

Vaporeon is the casual gym favorite thanks to its huge HP pool, which drags out fights for attackers.

Espeon, Leafeon, Jolteon and Flareon are mostly collection pieces today. They work, but other Pokémon of their types usually do the job better.

Community Day moves worth hunting

Niantic’s July 2025 Community Day Classic brought back each Eeveelution’s exclusive move. If you missed it, an Elite TM teaches them.

Source: Pokémon GO’s July 2025 Community Day Classic announcement and event coverage. Mostly these add coverage rather than raw power, so treat them as nice extras, not must-haves.

Spend the nicknames wisely, walk the rest, and the full Eeveedex costs less than you’d think.

Into competitive Pokémon? See our Pokémon Champions tier list. Playing Palworld too? Our Palworld type chart and Palworld dungeon locations guide cover the basics.

Eevee evolution FAQ