What's next for Dex in 2025?

Reflecting on an Extraordinary 2024

Hey folks 👋, Pedro here! This past year has been nothing short of extraordinary, not just for Dex but for me personally as well. In 2024 alone, I left my full-time job to dedicate myself entirely to Dex, qualified for and competed at the Pokémon World Championships in Hawaii, and — most exciting of all — my wife and I are expecting our first child, a baby girl named Eva.

I know this is a bit of a personal update, but so many of you have had a profound impact on my life through your unwavering support that I feel I owe you this level of trust and openness. Thanks to you, I was able to leave what I once considered my dream job at a company I loved to take the leap and focus entirely on building my own small company, dedicating myself full-time to Dex. If you had asked me five years ago if this was something I’d ever do, I would’ve laughed and said, “Nice joke!”

But we’re not here to talk about me — we’re here to talk about Dex. In 2024, we rolled out a host of innovative features, and we’re thrilled that thousands have joined the Dex+ community, with more signing up every day. Our journey doesn’t stop here. The horizon ahead is vast, and we’re more determined than ever to enhance and expand Dex even further.

Let’s dive into the most impactful features we introduced in 2024.

A New Database, A New Era

We’ve talked about this extensively over the last quarter, but it truly was a game-changer. We no longer rely on a clunky iCloud integration to sync your data across devices tied to your Apple ID. Instead, we now fully own our database, allowing you to sign in using multiple authentication methods — Apple, Google, or Email — and even manage multiple accounts if needed.

This was, without a doubt, our top priority for the year, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional technical prowess and expertise of Ruben. His contributions have been nothing short of extraordinary, and this is just the beginning. Our new database opens up a world of possibilities, and we’ll share more about what it enables later in this post.

Scanning Reinvented: Fast, Interactive, and Offline

Our Legacy Scanner was groundbreaking when it first launched, introducing a feature that wasn’t possible before. However, its performance limitations and restrictions meant it never quite reached the level we aspired to.

Earlier this year, we introduced a brand-new scanner, built completely from scratch. It operates in real-time directly from your video feed instead of static photos, making it significantly faster, more interactive, and fully capable of working offline — features our Legacy Scanner could only dream of.

Just a few days ago, we officially removed the Legacy Scanner, which was still being used on older devices. You can learn more about this change here.

Decks: Build, Test, and Optimize

We know, we know… Most of you probably don’t realize you can actually play with all those cards you collect. Seriously, you should give the game a try—it’s an incredible experience! Of course, I might be a little biased as a Pokémon World Championships 2024 competitor.

That gentle nudge aside, as a player myself, we wanted to cater to our fellow players—even if they’re in the minority. So, alongside tracking their collections, we introduced a space to build and store decks, test opening hands, optimize based on cards owned, calculate the cost of assembling a deck, and much more.

If you don’t know how to get started, you can try our Folder Gallery—it’s packed with decks across all formats and eras!

There are still plenty of features we’d love to implement in the future, but we’re excited about how this has started.

Reprints: Find Every Version, Every Time

While it wasn’t very common in the old days, card reprints are now a regular occurrence. Whether it’s the same artwork in a different expansion or a much cooler version—like those Special Art Illustrations you’ve been chasing all year—reprints are everywhere.

In 2024, we introduced a seamless way to view all printings of a card directly in the Card Details section. This feature is especially handy when building decks. For instance, while some players might use an expensive Charizard ex, you might not need to splurge.

This is also tightly integrated with Decks. We’ll scan your collection, identify if you already own a more affordable print of the same card, and seamlessly swap it in for you.

First Found In: Trace Every Card’s Origin

First Found In is a feature we’re incredibly proud of. It allows you to pinpoint exactly where and in which product a specific card or its variant was first released. Whether you’re hunting down a rare promo or tracking the origins of a variant, this feature makes it easier than ever to explore card history.

On top of that, we’ve also managed to build the most complete Pokémon TCG database out there for both International and Japanese cards. This was no small feat. The Pokémon TCG spans decades, regions, and countless releases, but thanks to Rick’s dedication and countless hours of meticulous work, every card, every set, and every product release has been carefully cataloged.

We couldn’t have done this without Rick, who’s been instrumental in ensuring our data is as accurate and thorough as possible and these initiatives raise the bar for what a Pokémon TCG database can achieve, and we’re excited to keep improving. Go ahead — explore First Found In or dive into our expansive database — and see the difference for yourself!

Badge Bonanza: Collect, Achieve, and Celebrate

Who doesn’t love earning badges while collecting cards? We sure do, and we know you do too!

In 2023, we introduced badges and released 20 badges to kick things off. But in 2024, we took things to the next level, releasing 46 new badges for you to chase and earn.

Don’t believe us? Go check them all out!

2025: Mapping Dex’s Bright Future

As we bask in the glow of a successful 2024, it's time to cast our eyes forward and unveil what we have in store for the year ahead. We're not just fine-tuning Dex, we're gearing up to revolutionize the way you engage with your favorite platform making sure you can use Dex everywhere with everyone. Here's a sneak peek at the major milestones we aim to achieve in 2025.

Friends: Connect and Trade with Ease

Everything is better with friends, right? That’s why we’re excited to introduce a friend system to Dex!

But don’t worry — Dex is not, and will never be, one of those pesky social platforms designed for bragging or keeping you hooked on an endless news feed. Instead, we’re focused on providing a reliable, privacy-friendly way to see if any of your friends have that chase card you’ve been searching for and to make trading easier than ever.

This feature is only possible thanks to the powerful new database we mentioned earlier, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. We’re aiming to launch friends in January, and we hope it’ll make your trading experience smoother and more enjoyable.

If you’re as thrilled as we are and can’t wait to see it in action, here’s a sneak peek of how it will work!

Web & Android Are Coming!

Ever since 2021, this has been the most asked question—by far: “When is Dex coming to Web or Android?”

We hear you loud and clear! Thanks to the tremendous effort put in over the last two quarters of 2023 and the power of our new database, we’re now ready to expand Dex to Web and Android. Work has already begun, and while we’re keeping things straightforward, we plan to release an early access version — without support for folders — by the end of March.

That’s all we can share for now, but rest assured, you’ll be hearing from us again very soon!

Sharing Made Smarter

You thought we’d stop at friends? Think again!

Alongside the Early Access release for Web, we’re introducing a way to share your entire account with someone — just by sharing your username. Don’t worry, they won’t be able to make any changes to your data. Instead, they’ll be able to view your collection in real time and browse through it as if it were their own.

And it gets even better. Once we implement Folders on Web, we’ll be replacing our current static share links—which don’t update based on your changes—with dynamic links that update in real time.

If everything’s better with friends, then sharing is definitely caring. Am I right?

Polishing the Best: Small Changes, Big Impact

Those three are our major building blocks for 2025, but there’s room for a fourth—one that’s a little more open-ended.

Since its release, Dex has been the best at what it does (well, maybe not at marketing, but we'll let do it for us on your own!), and we’re not stopping there. In 2025, we’re committed to refining every feature and pushing the bar even higher. Whether it’s a faster way to add cards to folders, an even quicker scanner, or something completely new — anything is on the table as long as it makes Dex even better!

…and a Little Something Extra

There’s still one more thing we’re keeping under wraps — trust us, we really want to share it — but for now, it’ll stay a surprise. What we can say is that we’ve prepared a small, fun Christmas gift for all of you, and we can’t wait for you to see it! Make sure to open Dex between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to unwrap it.

But now, we’d love to hear from you! What do you think we should focus on in 2025? Did we miss something? What features would you like to see the most? Let us know by reaching out to us on Twitter, Instagram, or via email.

With all these new features on the horizon, we’re confident Dex will continue to be the ultimate companion for every Pokémon TCG enthusiast. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of Dex, and we’re excited to bring these features to life.

Here’s to a groundbreaking 2025! 🥂