How To Connect An Xbox Controller To A Phone

If you own any wireless Xbox controller from the electric current or previous generation, you already have a great choice for playing controller-based games on a PC or smartphone. The key to the adaptability of these controllers is their support for both the Xbox Wireless protocol and Bluetooth. Subsequently Apple rolled out iOS xiv.5 with support for wireless Xbox controllers and Microsoft tested and rolled out firmware updates for the older Bluetooth-equipped Xbox One controllers and the Elite two (matching the functionality of newer Series 10 models), these controllers went from being the only de facto option for Xbox or PC gamers to one of the nearly versatile options for use across consoles, phones, tablets, and Windows PCs.

Connecting to all these devices is simple, and even swapping back and forth between an Xbox console and a Bluetooth device is nice and easy.

Hither's how you set everything upwardly:

First, you take to pair your Xbox Serial X, Xbox One, or Elite 2 controller with your phone or PC. You can always play wired on a PC via a USB cable, but nosotros're hither to apply the full capabilities of your wireless controller. Actuate wireless pairing on your controller by pressing and property the sync push on the dorsum, which is just to a higher place the USB-C port on the Serial X gamepad. After a couple seconds, the Xbox logo on the front of the controller will flash rapidly.

*Press and hold the sync push on the back of your controller to pair information technology with your telephone or PC.*

And then, follow the usual Bluetooth pairing process on the device yous're trying to sync with the controller and expect for the controller in the Bluetooth settings carte du jour. For example, on iOS xv, my Xbox Series X controller instantly appeared as "Xbox Wireless Controller," followed by a four-digit number. One time I tapped it, the name auto-filled with a longer sequence of numbers and letters, and it prompted me to pair it. I then selected the controller to pair it. Over on Windows x / xi PCs, exist sure to click on "Add together new device" nether Bluetooth and Devices.

*Pairing the Xbox Serial X controller with an iPhone on iOS fifteen.*

Once the controller is connected to your new device via Bluetooth, the white Xbox logo should go solid, and you can jump right into some games!
To swap your controller back to your Xbox Series X / Due south console again, double-tap the sync button. The Xbox logo volition flash slowly, and the controller should reconnect with your console.
To switch the controller back from the Xbox to the Bluetooth device, double-tap the sync button over again. The Xbox logo again flashes slowly, and so it reconnects to your device.

That'due south it! It's now really simple to connect a Bluetooth-enabled Xbox I, Aristocracy two, or Xbox Series X controller to different devices and swap between that device and your Xbox. With remote play and a growing number of titles available via the Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta, in that location are more reasons to play Xbox games away from your panel — as well as, of course, PC games.

1 matter you should be enlightened of: this quick-bandy functionality only works with the last mobile device or PC that the controller continued to via Bluetooth. When you double-tap the sync button, the controller is switching between its Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth protocols. It tin can just be synced with one Xbox console and one Bluetooth device at a time. So if y'all want to quickly swap between your Xbox Series X / S and a dissimilar device, you lot'll need to manually ready your controller with that new device first.

Also, since the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows uses the same wireless tech as Xbox consoles, information technology won't allow you quick-bandy betwixt those two.

Update March quaternary, 2022, 2:55PM ET: This article was originally published on February 9th, 2021; all the directions have been updated.