How to connect a PS4 controller to your iPhone, iPad or Android phone | TechRadar

for those lucky gamers who bought a ps5 and are trading in their ps4, please consider keeping your old controllers. You can connect a Dualshock 4 to your iPhone or Android phone via Bluetooth and get a great free upgrade on touch controls.

More and more mobile games are adding controller support, not to mention mobile game streaming services like stadia or game pass ultimate. Third-party controllers may not work with all of them, but Dualshock 4 is almost always on the list of compatible accessories.

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Finding out how to connect a ps4 controller to an iphone or android can be finicky and frustrating without help. but follow our steps below, and it won’t take more than a couple of minutes to sync your favorite controller with your favorite mobile games.

how to connect ps4 controller to iphone or ipad

Please confirm your apple device is updated to ios 13/ipados 13 or higher, otherwise the dualshock 4 will not connect properly. once it’s up to date, open your settings app and tap on the bluetooth menu option.

grab your dualshock and hold down the ps button (the middle button with the playstation logo) and the share button (the small button to the right of the d-pad and to the left of the touchpad) simultaneously.

Don’t release those buttons until the light on the back of the controller starts blinking twice, then stops at regular intervals. this should only take about five seconds. if you release it earlier, the controller will flash slowly without pause, but your iphone or ipad will not detect it.

once the controller starts to flash, check the ios/ipados bluetooth settings menu under ‘other devices’. ‘dualshock 4 wireless controller’ should appear immediately once the controller enters pairing mode.

tap the dualshock option and the controller should connect and appear in “my devices” in just a few seconds. once paired, the light on the controller will turn a solid pinkish red.

If the controller flashes successfully but failed to pair, you probably waited too long and the dualshock exited pairing mode. press and hold the buttons again, then quickly tap the selection again under ‘other devices’. should work this time.

how to connect ps4 controller to android phone

To connect your Dualshock 4 via Bluetooth, your phone must be able to run Android 10 or later. if you can’t, you’ll need to use a wired connection (see below) or buy a new android phone.

opens the settings. the steps here may vary from phone to phone, but on stock android, you need to choose connected devices > + pair new device.

on your controller, press and hold the ps button (the middle button with the playstation logo) and the share button (the small button to the right of the d-pad and to the left of the trackpad) at the same time.

as we mentioned before, you need to hold them down until the back led lights up in a double flash pattern; don’t release the buttons too soon or your phone won’t be able to detect it.

once the dualshock 4 is in pairing mode, it will appear as ‘wireless controller’ under ‘available devices’ for you to select. tap it, then tap ‘pair’ to confirm the connection. the led should become a solid color: blue, in our case.

dualshock 4 bluetooth troubleshooting

If your phone can’t detect the dualshock 4 constantly, try plugging it in for a few minutes before trying to pair it again. the controller may have trouble connecting because it doesn’t have the necessary juice.

If all else fails, there could be a problem with the controller firmware. use a paper clip and insert it into the small hole on the back of the controller, at the bottom left of the l2 trigger. hold it down for about five seconds and the controller will factory reset, making it (hypothetically) more likely to pair successfully.

If you’re using an android phone running 9.0 or earlier, or don’t want to use bluetooth, your only option is a wired connection. You will need your Dualshock 4 charging cable (USB to Micro-USB) and an adapter that will allow you to connect the USB end to your phone. for android, it is usb-c male to usb female adapter; for iphones, it is a lightning male to usb female adapter.

• Are you looking for something to play with your dualshock? check out the best iphone games