Apex Legends Mobile is here! Respawn Entertainment has brought its battle royale multiplayer experience to phones and tablets, meaning there's a whole new way for players to fight using their favorite Legends. If you're looking to up your game and get an edge in the arena, you might want to consider using a controller.
Does Apex Legends Mobile support controllers on iOS?
Apex Legends Mobile doesn't explicitly support controllers. That's not to say you can't use them. You can pair a Bluetooth controller and use it to play the game, but Apex Legends Mobile was optimized around touch controls. As a result, the controller you use may have issues with specific functions, depending on the exact model.
Our gaming editor Carli Velocci didn't have too many issues with her Xbox controller when she reviewed the game on iOS, so don't be discouraged by the lack of guaranteed support. In our experience, controllers with Bluetooth support work well in-game, especially if you have trouble aiming. The menus of the game however, aren't compatible with controllers right now, so you'll still have to use the touch controls for that part of the game.
So, if you're playing Apex Legends Mobile through one of the great gaming iPhones or iPads, you might want to hook up a controller instead of relying on the touch controls. Anyone who takes playing mobile games fairly seriously — or also plays games across multiple platforms — likely already owns some of the best controllers, so try them out!
How to use a controller with Apex Legends Mobile on iOS
If you want to use a controller with your iPad and iPhone while playing Apex Legends Mobile, it's a fairly simple process. Any controller that can be paired to an iOS device will work, so if you want to use an Xbox Series X|S controller or PS5 DualSense controller, you're good to go.
- Activate the Bluetooth pairing on your controller. This process will vary depending on the controller you're using.
- Once your controller pairing is activated, go to your iOS device's Settings.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Choose the controller in question. If everything is working correctly, it should be detected and named.
From there, you're good to go! Bear in mind what we said above — you'll need to use touch controls to start the game and navigate menus. Once you're actually in the game, your controller will be usable.
Further support?
Apex Legends Mobile is still fairly recent as far as big mobile games go, so it's possible that developer Respawn Entertainment will work to provide increased controller support in the future. While your controller is perfectly adequate for in-game combat and navigation, maybe in the future it'll be usable in menus as well.
Squad up!
Apex Legends Mobile, like its mainline namesake, is completely free to play, so check it out with some friends. You can use a controller, but be aware that it's not officially supported.
Useful with almost everything
Xbox controllers are popular for good reason. If you want to go ahead and try playing Apex Legends Mobile with a controller right now, this is a good choice.
