connect game controller to Android phone

How to connect a game controller to your phone (Android and iPhone)

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Connecting a game controller to your phone will improve your gameplay. You will be able to navigate around easily and dodge objects in the game, or change the game features with a few taps. It makes gaming on mobile devices easy.

In this article, I will show you how to connect your android devices and iOS devices to both PS4 controllers and Xbox One controllers.

connect a game controller to your phone

Connecting an Android device to a PS4 controller

It is very easy to connect these two devices. With this controller, you will be able to play games, and you will also be able to navigate around your Android device, such as making calls or sending text messages.

Steps to follow

1. Unpair your controller from the console

It’s important you first unpair your controller from the console so it can pair to new devices.

To unpair, press and hold the “Share” button and also the “PS” button for a few seconds. When a white light starts blinking on the controller, let go of the buttons, because it has successfully unpaired.

2. Switch on Bluetooth and pair

Next, you will switch on the Bluetooth of your Android device. Go to settings, you’ll see the Bluetooth options there. Switch it on.

Tap on the “pair new device”. Wait for a few seconds or minutes, until it sees your PS4 controller. When the controller appears, tap on it.

When the white light on your controller stops blinking, it means your Android device has been paired to it.

3. Start navigating around

You can start using the controller to navigate around your phone’s interface, or launch a game and start playing it.

Connecting an iPhone to a PS4 controller

Apart from an iPhone, you can connect the controller to your iPad as well, and it is easy and straightforward like how you do it on an Android device. There is just one difference, and it is the supported iOS. Unlike on Android that doesn’t need the latest Android OS for it to work, on iPhones you need to be on iOS 13 upwards.

If you’re not yet on this iOS, you’ll have to go to your settings and navigate to Software Update to get your iOS device updated to the latest version.

The same steps used in connecting to an Android device are the same steps you’ll follow until your iPhone connects to the PS4 controller.

How to fix unresponsive controls on the PS4 controller

There is an issue you might face if you connect your mobile devices to a PS4 controller, and the issue is an interrupted connection between the PS4 controller and your mobile device, but I will show you how you can fix this inconvenience easily.

There is an app you will need to download, and this app is called Bluetooth Auto Connect. This app is designed to fix different issues related to Bluetooth connectivity, and for this issue, the option we will be using is known as “Continuous Connect”.

Steps to follow

• Download and install the app

• Launch it and make sure your phone is connected to the PS4 controller

• Go to “advanced options” then tap on “continuous connect”.

• Type in the number between 2 – 10 and tap on “OK”. If the numbers don’t work you can always change them.

Now, the connection between the PS4 controller and your mobile device will stop getting interrupted.

Connecting your iPhone or iPad to an Xbox One controller

With recent iPhone updates, you can now use different Xbox One controllers with your devices. You will have to update to iOS 14 if you want to enjoy varieties of features, such as the inclusion of more controllers like the Adaptive controller and Xbox elite controller.

However, not all games can be used with Xbox one controllers, but the majority of the popular games on the app store supports it, and games in the Apple Arcade too. A quick search online will let you know if a game supports the controller or not.

Steps to follow

1. Go to Settings and then Bluetooth

2. Turn on the Bluetooth and turn on the controller by holding the Xbox logo button.

3. Check the back of the controller, you’ll see a “wireless enrollment button”. Tap and hold it for a few seconds until a light starts blinking, which means you have unpaired it from the Xbox console. However, if it has been unpaired before now, then skip this step.

4. Check your iPhone or iPad Bluetooth options and tap on “Xbox wireless controller” among the available devices.

5. Once the light stops blinking, it means you have successfully paired to the Xbox One controller.

Connecting your Android device to an Xbox One controller

The way you connect your iPhone to an Xbox One controller is the same way you’ll connect it to an android device. Follow the steps above on how to go about the pairing.

It is worth mentioning that there have been some accessibility settings that often interfere with the functionality of the controller, especially on Android 11. Navigate to “Settings” on your phone, then “Accessibility”, now turn off “Magnification”. This should resolve the issue.

However, if the issue isn’t resolved, you’ll have to switch off all the accessibility settings, until you find the one causing the issue. This can be a bit time-consuming.

How to remap controllers buttons

PS4

If you have started gaming on your phone with the PS4 controller, you’ll notice that some of the controls aren’t well optimized, and it is making you not enjoy the game to the fullest. The cause of this is because the game you are playing hasn’t yet gotten full support for external controllers.

Thankfully, there is an app that can solve this issue. Download and install “Octopus“. It is a remapping app that lets you change what a particular key does on your phone. With this, you’ll be able to customize the controls in a way that aligns with the PS4 controller.

Xbox

If this issue is also occurring after connecting your Xbox One controller to your phone, what you first have to do is update the Xbox One controller firmware. You will need a computer to do this. Plug the controller into the computer and start downloading the Xbox Accessories app.

You’ll see a three-dot menu in the Xbox Accessories app, click on it. To know if it needs a firmware update, check the info at the top left corner. If an update is required, click on the button there to start downloading it. After the firmware update, you might have to reconnect your phone to the controller.

Conclusion

The wireless connection of game controllers to mobile devices tends to get interrupted and this can be annoying, so I made sure to include fixes in this article that you can follow easily. Whenever you face such issues, you can always refer to this article to help you out.

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