FAQ / BEFORE YOU PRESS START
Frequently Asked Questions
Short, honest answers about the app, grouped by topic. Search, or pick a category.
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01 / GETTING STARTED
Getting Started
The basics: what the app is, what you need, and how to add games.
What is GBA Emulator?
GBA Emulator is an Android app for playing Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and Game Boy game files that you already own. Everything lives in one library, with on-screen touch controls, saves and cheats. Start with the GBA emulator overview.
Does the app include games?
No. It does not include, download or link to commercial games. You add your own compatible game files with the Add Games button.
How do I add my games?
Tap Add Games on the Home tab, then choose a single game file or a whole folder from your device. The app accepts .gba, .gbc and .gb files, works out the system automatically and labels each game GBA, GBC or GB.
Is GBA Emulator only for Android?
Yes, for now. The app is built for Android, so there are no PC, iOS or Mac versions.
What do I need to run it?
The current build needs Android 8.0 or later on a 64-bit (arm64) device, which covers most phones made in the last several years.
02 / GAME COMPATIBILITY
Game Compatibility
Which systems, files and games work.
Which systems are supported?
Game Boy Advance (GBA), Game Boy Color (GBC) and the original Game Boy (GB), all in one library.
Can I play GBC games on a GBA emulator?
In this app, yes. GBC and GB game files are supported directly alongside GBA, so you do not need a separate app for each system. See the GBC emulator page, the original GB emulator page and GB vs GBC vs GBA for how the systems differ.
Which file types can I add?
Only .gba, .gbc and .gb files. Compressed archives such as .zip are not accepted, so extract the game first.
Will every game work?
Not every file is guaranteed to work, and features can vary by game. Damaged files, or files that are not real games, will not load.
03 / SAVES
Saves
Quick Save, Auto Resume, and moving your progress.
How do saves work?
Quick Save keeps one checkpoint you can load or replace. Your latest session is saved automatically when you leave a game, so you can continue later. Import Save and Export Save handle the game's own save file. The full story is in save, import & export.
How many Quick Saves can I keep?
One per game. Replace it any time from the pause menu.
Does Auto Resume replace my Quick Save?
No. Automatic saves never replace your Quick Save.
How do I move my progress to another device?
Use Export Save on the old device and Import Save on the new one. Keep a copy of the exported file somewhere safe. Step-by-step guide.
Will I lose my saves if I uninstall the app?
Saves are kept in the app's private storage, which Android clears when an app is uninstalled, and the app is excluded from Android's automatic backups. Use Export Save first if you want to keep a copy.
04 / CONTROLS
Controls
Touch layouts, orientation and controllers.
Can I move and resize the touch controls?
Yes. Go to Settings → Touch controls → Customize controls, or tap Controls on the gameplay bar. Portrait and landscape have separate layouts. See the controls guide.
Can I play in portrait and landscape?
Yes. Orientation can be automatic, or locked to portrait or landscape for each game in Game Settings.
Can I use a controller?
Yes. The app supports controller input. Settings → Controller shows whether one is connected and the button mapping the app uses. The touch buttons can hide while a controller is connected.
Do L and R appear for every game?
No. Only Game Boy Advance games have shoulder buttons, so L and R only appear for GBA games.
Can I hide the touch buttons?
Yes. Under Settings → Touch controls you can choose Automatic (hidden only while a controller is connected), Always or Never, and you can override it per game.
05 / CHEATS
Cheats
Adding codes, code types and what to expect.
Does the app support cheats?
Yes. Open Cheats from the gameplay bar or the pause menu, then add a cheat with a name, a code and a type. See using cheats & Gameshark codes.
Which code types are available?
For GBA games: Auto Detect, GameShark, Action Replay and CodeBreaker. For GB and GBC games: Auto Detect, GameShark and Game Genie.
Are cheats saved per game?
Yes. Each game has its own list. Cheats can be switched on and off, edited or deleted, and are not stored inside Quick Saves.
Why does it say a code could not be recognized?
The emulation core checks every line when you save. Try Auto Detect or the matching code type, check for typos, and make sure the code is for the right system.
Do you provide cheat codes?
No. We do not provide or host codes for specific commercial games.
06 / DISPLAY & SPEED
Display & Speed
Speed, image styles and picture size.
Can I speed a game up?
Yes. The Fast button on the gameplay bar toggles between normal speed and 2x. If you want 4x, choose it under Speed in Game Settings, and the app remembers it for that game.
What do Pixel Perfect and Smooth do?
They are the two image styles, chosen per game in Game Settings. Pixel Perfect keeps the original pixels sharp and is the default. Smooth uses softer image scaling.
What is Picture size?
A per-game option that switches between Fit and Original pixels.
Where do these options live?
Press Menu during play and choose Game Settings. Restore defaults clears the overrides for that game.
07 / PRIVACY
Privacy
What stays on your device, and how ads work.
Does the app collect my data or need an account?
No account or sign-in is needed. Your game files, saves and settings stay on your device, and the app does not upload your library to our servers. Playing works offline once your games are on the device. The app shows ads through Google AdMob, which needs a network connection and may process advertising-related data such as your advertising ID and IP address; where required, Google's consent form lets you choose. There is no Firebase Analytics or Crashlytics. Details are in the privacy policy.
What permissions does it need?
No storage permission: you add files through Android's own file picker. The app declares network access so it can show ads, the advertising ID permission used by Google's ads SDK, and a few technical permissions its libraries need. It does not use location, contacts, camera, microphone or notifications.
What does the Share feature send?
A short fixed message, a link to gbaemulator.app and an image card with the app logo, through Android's share sheet. Nothing about your games or library.
Is this affiliated with Nintendo?
No. GBA Emulator is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo or any game publisher. See the disclaimer.
08 / TROUBLESHOOTING
Troubleshooting
When something does not behave.
A game will not load. What should I check?
Make sure the file is a compatible GBA, GBC or GB game file and that it is not damaged. Try adding it again with Add Games. Not every file is guaranteed to work.
Auto Resume did not restore my session.
If the game's own save changed after the automatic snapshot, for example because you imported a save, the app skips the older snapshot and starts from the game's save instead.
The touch buttons disappeared.
Touch controls set to Automatic hide only while a controller is connected. Check Settings → Touch controls, or the Touch controls option in Game Settings.
How do I leave a game?
Tap the Menu button to open the pause menu, then choose Exit Game. Your progress resumes automatically next time.
The picture looks too sharp or too soft.
Change Image style (Pixel Perfect or Smooth) and Picture size (Fit or Original pixels) in Game Settings for that game.
STILL CURIOUS?See it for yourself.
Everything above, in one Android app for your own GBA, GBC and GB games.
Bring your own compatible game files. Games are not included.