New Pokémon GO feature allows for friends to be added directly from your device's contacts list

An update to Pokémon GO this week has enabled a new feature to the Add Friends screen, enabling players to send friend requests directly from their device's contacts list for contacts already playing Pokémon GO, as well as send invitations to other contacts to start playing.

How to add friends from your Contacts:

1. In Map View, navigate to your Trainer Profile.
2. Tap the Friends tab at the top of the screen to open your Friend List.
3. Tap Contacts to learn more. Tapping Add Friends from Contacts will prompt you to confirm your name and sync your Contacts with Pokémon GO.
   Note that you can change your name at any time from Niantic Profile account settings. Only 2,000 contacts are able to sync with Pokémon GO. If your Contacts list is larger than this, you may not see your entire list.
4. Once your Contacts have synced with Pokémon GO, you can browse your contacts within Pokémon GO and either add them to your Friend List or invite them to play Pokémon GO.

To invite a friend to play Pokémon GO:
Tap Invite to Play and select how you would like to send an invitation (SMS or email). Note that your personal referral code will be shared along with your invitation.

To add a contact who already plays Pokémon GO as a Friend:
Tap Send Friend Request to send a friend request to another Trainer. Your name will be attached to your request along with your Trainer name, so Friends can recognize your Trainer profile.

Once you have synced your Contacts with Pokémon GO, any new additions to your contacts will be periodically re-synced when you start the app. You can revoke access to your Contacts at any time through your device contacts permissions settings. Trainers with child accounts will not be able to add friends from Contacts.

Niantic has stated that Synced Contacts are stored securely on their servers. Contact names are not uploaded, and raw contact information is not stored. Contacts are not stored permanently in Pokémon GO and will expire if you revoke access.

Existing methods to add and invite friends, including through their 12-digit Trainer Code, their QR Code, or through Facebook, continue to also be available. If you do not want to receive Friend invites from Trainers who may have you in their Contacts, you can opt out through your Niantic Profile Settings. If you opt out, other Trainers can still send you invitations to play Pokémon GO through the existing alternatives.