How to evolve Inkay in Pokémon GO

Published on September 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Are you wondering how to evolve Inkay in Pokémon GO? Unlike most Pokémon evolutions, Inkay requires a special trick to evolve into Malamar, making it one of the more unique evolutions in the game. Whether you’re a new trainer or an experienced player, knowing this trick—and preparing the right conditions—can save you time, Candy, and frustration.

Table of Contents

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know: collecting Candy, using the device orientation trick, and optimizing the timing of your evolution to maximize your XP and rewards. By following these tips, you’ll be ready to add Malamar to your collection and enhance your mobile Pokémon GO experience.

1. Meet the Candy Requirement

The first step to evolving Inkay in Pokémon GO is collecting enough Candy. Inkay requires 50 Inkay Candy to evolve, which is more than some common Pokémon but manageable with consistent gameplay.

How to Earn Inkay Candy

Catch Inkay in the Wild: Every time you catch an Inkay, you’ll earn 3 Candy (or 6 if you use a Pinap Berry). Keep an eye on spawn locations in your area or during events where Inkay appears more frequently.
Use Pinap Berries: Pinap Berries double the amount of Candy you receive from a catch, making them essential if you’re short on Candy. Always equip them when you find an Inkay nearby.
Buddy System: Assign Inkay as your buddy in the Pokémon GO app. Walking with Inkay allows you to earn Candy over distance, which is particularly helpful if you’re waiting for special events or rare spawns.
Transfer Extras: If you catch multiple Inkay, don’t forget to transfer extras to Professor Willow. This gives you 1 Candy per transfer, helping you reach the 50-Candy requirement faster.

By combining wild catches, Pinap Berries, buddy walks, and transfers, collecting enough Candy becomes much more manageable. Make sure to monitor your Candy count regularly in the Pokémon GO app so you know when you’re ready to evolve.

2. Use the Device Orientation Trick

What makes evolving Inkay unique in Pokémon GO is the device orientation trick. Unlike other Pokémon evolutions, you must hold your device upside down to trigger the evolution correctly.

Step-by-Step Guide

Open your Pokémon GO app and select the Inkay you want to evolve.
Turn your phone upside down. Make sure your device’s rotation lock is off so the app can detect the inverted orientation.
Tap the “Evolve” button while holding the device upside down. If done correctly, Inkay will evolve into Malamar.

Troubleshooting Tips

If the evolution doesn’t work, check that your screen rotation is enabled.
Try a slight tilt rather than fully inverting your phone; some devices respond differently.
Ensure your Inkay has enough Candy (50) before attempting the evolution, or the process won’t start.

The device orientation trick adds a fun, interactive element to the Pokémon GO experience and ensures that evolving Inkay feels like a reward for paying attention to the game’s unique mechanics.

3. Optimize Your Evolution Timing

While evolving Inkay works anytime you have the Candy and hold your phone correctly, timing your evolution can maximize your rewards. Pokémon GO often features events, Lucky Eggs, and double XP bonuses, which can make a single evolution more rewarding.

Best Practices

Evolve During Special Events: Niantic frequently holds events where Pokémon spawns are increased, Candy drops are higher, or evolutions grant extra rewards. Evolving Inkay during these events can be especially efficient.
Use a Lucky Egg: Lucky Eggs double your XP for 30 minutes. Pairing your Inkay evolution with a Lucky Egg ensures you gain the most experience from your evolution, helping you level up faster.
Combine with Field Research Tasks: If you have multiple evolutions lined up, plan them together during a Lucky Egg to maximize XP gains.
Time with XP Bonuses: Check your Pokémon GO app notifications for bonus periods that increase XP from evolutions. Coordinating with these events makes your evolution more valuable.

By timing your evolution carefully, you can get extra XP, Stardust, and progress more quickly in Pokémon GO without spending additional resources.

4. Additional Tips for Success

Track Your Inkay: Use Pokémon GO apps or tools to monitor Inkay spawns in your area. This helps you collect Candy faster and identify the best time to evolve.
Check IVs: If you have multiple Inkay, consider evolving the one with the highest IVs. A higher IV Inkay will result in a stronger Malamar for battles, raids, or PvP.
Save Special Items: Some evolutions are tied to in-game mechanics like this one. Holding off on evolution until you’re fully prepared ensures you won’t waste Candy or miss out on bonuses.

5. Conclusion

Evolving Inkay in Pokémon GO is a fun and unique experience that requires more than just collecting Candy. To successfully evolve Inkay into Malamar:

Collect 50 Inkay Candy using wild catches, Pinap Berries, buddy walks, and transfers.
Use the device orientation trick by holding your phone upside down before tapping the evolve button.
Optimize evolution timing with Lucky Eggs, special events, and field research tasks to maximize XP and rewards.

By following these tips, you’ll add Malamar to your Pokémon GO team, boost your XP gains, and enjoy one of the game’s most memorable evolution mechanics. Remember, Pokémon GO is not just about power—it’s about strategy, timing, and making the most of the app’s unique features.

With practice and careful planning, evolving Inkay becomes simple, rewarding, and a fun part of your mobile gaming experience.