Eggs and Hatching in Pokémon GO

Eggs are one of Pokémon GO's oldest systems for getting new Pokémon: you collect them from PokéStops and Gifts, place them in an Incubator, and walk a set distance to hatch whatever's inside. Unlike catching, hatching doesn't depend on what's spawning near you, which makes eggs a steady way to fill out your Pokédex.

How hatching actually works

• Eggs are collected, not chosen: you can't see or pick what's inside until it hatches.
• Each egg needs a set walking distance, tracked while it's assigned to an active Incubator.
• Distance is generally measured by GPS movement at a reasonable walking or cycling pace; traveling by car or plane typically doesn't count, and moving unrealistically fast can flag your progress as invalid.
• Adventure Sync can track some walking distance toward eggs (and weekly rewards) in the background even when you don't have the app fully open, subject to your phone's own settings.

Egg distances

Pokémon GO has used a handful of standard egg distances since launch, commonly including short (around 2 km), medium (around 5 km), longer (around 7, 10 and 12 km) tiers, generally correlating with rarer or more region-specific Pokémon at the longer distances. Which exact distances are in circulation, which Pokémon can hatch from which distance, and any special egg types tied to particular events have all changed more than once since launch, so check the in-game egg list rather than treat any specific distance-to-species mapping as fixed.

Incubators

You'll generally have one built-in Incubator that never runs out of uses, plus the option to hold and use additional Incubators (some limited-use) obtained from leveling up, in-game purchases, or event rewards. Only Incubators actively assigned to an egg count that egg's distance, so an egg sitting unassigned in your inventory makes no hatching progress. How many Incubators you can hold or use simultaneously has been adjusted over time; check your current inventory cap in-game.

Why eggs are still worth doing

• Egg pools during events often include Pokémon that are rare in the wild, and Eggs from Gifts sent by faraway friends have at times been a way to hatch species that don't appear where you live. What a given Egg can contain depends on the current pool, so check the in-game Egg list.
• Hatched Pokémon often come with reasonable IVs on average and sometimes a shiny chance, on top of whatever candy and Stardust you'd get anyway.
• Because hatching doesn't compete with catching for your time, it pairs naturally with regular walks, commutes, or Adventure Sync tracking in the background.

Getting eggs in the first place

PokéStops (and Gyms, which double as Stops) are the main source of eggs from their regular Photo Disc spins, and Gifts sent by friends can also contain eggs, alongside other items. If you're not familiar with the basics of spinning Stops and opening Gifts yet, our core mechanics guide covers catching, CP and the wider item loop that eggs fit into.

FAQ

Can I choose which egg goes in which Incubator?

Yes, you assign an egg to an available Incubator yourself; the game doesn't do it automatically beyond suggesting a slot.

Does walking faster hatch eggs faster?

No. Progress is based on distance covered, not speed, and moving unrealistically fast for a pedestrian can prevent distance from counting at all.

Do regional Pokémon hatch from eggs the same way everywhere?

Not necessarily. Eggs have sometimes offered a way around regional exclusivity, usually through Eggs from Gifts, but the specifics change with each Egg pool, so check current Egg information in-game or in official announcements before counting on a particular species from a particular Egg tier.

For catching regional exclusives, shinies and Pokédex completion more broadly, see our collecting guide. Incubators and other items are covered on our items page, and you can find the rest of our reference material through the database hub or the Trainer Hub homepage.