Control Your iPad & Launch Apps with a Game Controller

Many people think of game controllers on iPad as something only used inside games, but modern versions of iPadOS allow you to use a Bluetooth controller to navigate the system interface itself, including the Home Screen. This allows you to launch apps and games directly with the controller, right from the iPad, and is a particularly great trick for anyone who uses an iPad to play games, or as a media player.

You can use any Bluetooth controller for this, as long as it’s connected to the iPad. Whether that’s a Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, or Nintendo Switch Controller, they all will work the same in this regard. You will be able to move between app icons, open apps, and control basic navigation on an iPad, all from the controller. For gamers, this can make the iPad feel much more like a console experience.

Using this feature is really quite simple.

How to Use a Bluetooth Controller to Navigate iPad and Open Apps & Games

First, you will need to make sure a compatible Bluetooth controller is paired to your iPad. We have instructions for Xbox One controllers, Playstation 4, and Playstation 5, but again you can use any Bluetooth controller you connect to the iPad. If you have not done that already, the process of connecting a Bluetooth controller to iPad is typically like so:

1. Open the “Settings” app on iPad and go to “Bluetooth”
2. Place your Bluetooth controller into pairing mode, this is usually done by holding the pairing button or a PS/Xbox/center button
3. Select the controller from the list of Bluetooth devices to connect to

Once connected, the controller will work in supported games immediately. But not only that, it will also now be able to navigate the Home Screen of iPad and launch apps or games.

1. From iPad Home Screen, use the left directional joypad to navigate the app icons on screen, the app icons will highlight as you select them



2. Once you navigate and select the app or game you wish to launch, press “A” on Xbox controllers, or the “X” button on Playstation controllers, to open that app or game



3. Use the bluetooth gaming controller as normal in the app or game

Using a controller to navigate iPad can be surprisingly useful in certain situations, especially for gamers who rely on a controller, since the iPad is now providing a more console-like experience.

Since this allows you to launch games without touching the iPad screen, you can use the iPad and stay fully in controller mode, letting the iPad behave sort of like a portable gaming console.

This is also extra useful when you’re using the iPad connected to an external display, whether that’s by AirPlay to a TV, or HDMI, USB-C to an external monitor, or any other larger display. Using a controller can make navigating from a distance a lot easier.

This is not a replacement for touch and the made-for-touch iPadOS interface, but it’s a useful option that can make the iPad more flexible depending on how you use it.

Note this does not use the same mouse cursor that using a trackpad on iPad does, though that would be a great feature and it should probably be implemented – why can’t we use the Bluetooth game controllers to control a mouse cursor on the screen? Seems like a neat feature. Anyway, this is a different navigation system, more like how using an Apple TV remote is with a TV in that you’re highlighting something on screen and then accessing it.

Do you use an iPad with a game controller, and did you know you can navigate the home screen and launch apps with it? Do you have any other relevant fascinating tips, ideas, thoughts, or suggestions? Share in the comments!