Gaming on your smartphone has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Whether you’re playing a dedicated mobile game, or gaming on the cloud with Google Stadia or Xbox Cloud Gaming, a controller eases the experience. Depending on your preference, you might be looking to use the Xbox controller you own for more than just gaming on your Xbox One or Xbox Series console. Our guide will walk you through the steps you can take to connect your Xbox controller to Android devices (tablets & smartphones).
Connect your Xbox controller to Android devices in 3 simple steps!
The tutorial works for wireless Xbox One and Xbox Series controllers, and after you are done using the controller with your Android device, you can sync the controller back to your console in a few simple taps too.
Keep in mind that not all games support controller input, but the best use case for the controller will be cloud gaming and compatible games such as Rocket League Sideswipe or Dead Cells.
To start, grab your Xbox controller and hold down the sync button at the top of the controller (located near the charging port).
The Xbox button at the top center of the controller will begin flashing rapidly. This means the device is in pairing mode. Open your phone’s Bluetooth menu and pair it like a normal Bluetooth device by tapping on Pair new device.
Select the controller in Available devices. You will be prompted to tap on Pair to complete the process. Doing so will immediately connect your controller to your Android device.
Once paired, you will see the controller connected to your phone. Now you are free to use the controller on your phone and use it with compatible games.
When you want to stop using the controller, go back to your Bluetooth menu, tap on the controller, and tap on disconnect. This will immediately power off the controller.
When you want to connect to the controller again, just press the Xbox button and it will automatically sync to the last connected device, but you need to select it from the Bluetooth menu.
Quick Tip: If you want to reconnect the controller to your Xbox console, simply double-tap the sync button again. Double-tap again will make it connect with your controller too. Double tapping the sync button will automatically switch between connected devices!
