Welcome everyone! In this post I’ll teach you how to connect an Xbox Series controller to an Android device.
Things to Consider
One thing to mention is that when you get to the steps on an Android device, the steps I cover might be different compared to what you see on your Android device. The reason is due to manufacturers (like in my example Samsung) have their own custom skin overlay. It’s not a big deal as the main options to choose should be easy to find.
Another thing to keep in mind is if you’re looking to make this work with a certain game or app on your Android device, there’s no guarantee it’s going to work. So even if the controller pairs with your Android device, if the developers didn’t make it compatible with an Xbox series controller, well, you’re kind of out of luck.
Pairing to Android
- The first thing we are going to do is power on the controller itself. Do this by pressing and holding the Xbox controller logo button on the controller itself.
Note: If you do have a console and it powers on, turn off the console by pressing and holding the Xbox power button on the console. The power light will flash a few times and eventually power down.
- To get the controller into pairing mode is super easy. Press and hold the sync button on the top of the controller for a few seconds until the Xbox logo button on the controller starts to flash. When it starts to flash, that’s when you know it’s in pairing mode.
- Now you’ll want to jump over to your Android device. Open the main “System” settings menu.
- What you see here might be slightly different from you because I’m using a Samsung device. But again, the basic functions are relatively the same. You want to look for something like “Bluetooth” or “Connections” depending on your menu.
- Make sure Bluetooth is on and then go into Bluetooth options itself.
- Then you want to look for newly available devices. You might have to scroll down the list to see your device.
- The controller might be listed as “Xbox Wireless controller”. Once found, tap on it. Wait for it to get a warning about pairing, go ahead and accept it. In my situation, because I’m using a Samsung device, I got an Xbox app pop up. Just ignore it if you get that, too.
- If for any reason it fails give it another shot. A quick way to quickly test if it is compatible and working with your Android device is to start navigating the System settings menu with the controller.
Connecting Back to Xbox
- If you want to connect it back to the Xbox console, ensure the controller is powered on along with your console.
- Double tap the pairing button at the top of the controller, the Xbox logo will flash and immediately pair back to my console and you’re done!
