How to connect ps4 controller to phone?

PS4 controllers are either connected to PS4 through the USB port or Bluetooth. You can connect your PS4 controller to your phone in both ways. Connecting through Bluetooth is pretty easy and has a few simple steps. While for a wired connection, you have to have a USB adapter.

Note that you cannot play all games via the controller on your phone. There are some games you have played on-screen on your phone. But they may not accept the controller input. You can download the games that the controller support to try it.

Connect PS4 controller to Phone (Wireless)

For the wireless connection, make sure the Bluetooth on your phone is enabled and is searching for nearby devices after your controller starts flashing.

  • Grab your PS4 Dualshock controller and press the ‘PS’ button in the middle and the ‘SHARE’ button in the upper left corner at the same time. Keep it like that for a few seconds over 3. That white light bar at the top will flash which means it is in pairing mode.
  • Go to your phone settings and navigate to Bluetooth. You will see ‘Wireless controller’ on available devices. Click on it and it will be connected.

This method can be used for both iPhones and android devices. However, not all phones can connect wirelessly. Since not all phones can support the wireless controller, you can use the wired method that requires a USB adapter.

Connect PS4 controller to Phone (Wired)

For the wired method, your device’s chagrin port makes a huge difference. Your USB adapter can be USB C or micro USB depending on your charging port. The PlayStation controller comes in USB A. 

  • Connect the USB A of your controller on its port at the top and another side to a USB adapter. And then connect the USB C/ micro USB to your charging port. 
  • Since your phone and the controller are both passive, they need a medium to an active thing to connect. And the USB adapter is the medium here.

Most phones can be connected to a Dualshock PS4 controller through the wired way.

Disconnect the PS4 controller from the Phone

Disconnecting is as easy as the way you have connected them. For Bluetooth disconnecting, press the ‘PS’ button of the controller or disable the Bluetooth option on your phone.

For the Wired connection, disconnect the end of the controller’s USB wire and connect it to the Playstation’s USB port.

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How to fix the PS4 controller not connecting to Phone?

If your PS4 controller is not connecting to your phone, there may be a few problems underlying. 

First, make sure that your controller is okay and has enough charge. To check that, connect the controller to your PS4 first. If it runs well without any problem, that means your phone is at fault here.

Keep your controller near your phone so that it is inside the Bluetooth connection zone. Sometimes your phone fails to acquire your controller pairing due to being too far away.

If the problem still remains, reset is the next option. First, reset your phone network settings. Go to your phone settings and search reset. There will be multiple options. Click on ‘Reset network setting’ which only resets your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile data. Don’t go clicking around other ones like ‘Factory reset’ or else your whole phone will lose everything. Resetting the network connection will only reboot them, and you just have to save your wi-fi password and mobile data operator again. Now grab your controller upside down and you will see a small hole in the upper left corner. Push a pin inside it and hold for 5 seconds. It will reset your controller. Now do the whole process of connecting to see if it works.

After all these processes, if your controller still fails to connect to your phone, it may be due to your phone not being compatible. Or maybe due to other issues that need the manufacturer’s assistance.


Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How To Connect A PS4 Controller To iPhone?

    Press the ‘PS’ and ‘SHARE’ buttons altogether of your controller till the light bar at the top starts flashing. Go to your iPhone’s settings and navigate to Bluetooth. After Enabling it, please wait for a moment to let it search nearby devices. When you see ‘wireless controller’ on the available lists, click on it, and done.

  2. How To Connect A PS4 Controller To an android phone?

    Take your controller and press its ‘PS’ and ‘SHARE’ at the same time for a few seconds. Once the bar at its top starts flashing a light, release it. Go to your phone settings and enable Bluetooth connection. Wait a few seconds till you see the controller’s name on the nearby devices list and click on it.

  3. Can I Connect A wireless PS4 Controller To my phone?

    Yes, you can connect a wired PS4 controller to your phone via Bluetooth. Get your controller to pairing mode by pressing the ‘PS’ and ‘SHARE’ buttons at a time. Enable Bluetooth on your phone settings and wait until the available devices list shows your controller’s name. Click on it and they will be connected.

  4. How To Connect A wired PS4 Controller To a Phone?

    To connect a wired PS4 controller to a phone, you will need a medium as in a USB adapter. Make sure to get an adapter the same as your phone charging port. Connect the USB A that the controller came with to your controller and its end to the adapter.  Then connect the adapter’s USB to your Phone’s charging port. This should connect your PS4 controller and phone.


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Frintz Rodel

Frintz is a tech maniac and has been handling tech products for a long time which helped him gain experience.