If your Nintendo Switch console is dead, and you’d still like to continue playing games, then would amount you want to know how to connect Joycons to your iPhone?
Then you are in the right place as we will explain the steps necessary to take to connect your JoyCons to your iPhone even when your Nintendo Switch console battery is dead.
While mobile gaming might not offer the full features of gaming that you might get when playing games using your console or your PC, it is still a great option to have as you can enjoy a bit more flexibility, and if your console or PC is dead, you do not have to stop gaming.
iPhone has made provisions for how you can connect Joycons to iPhone, although this support is only made available for iOS 16 and other newer versions.
If you own an iPhone running on at least the iOS 16 version, you can easily connect Joycons to iPhone by following the instructions in the next section of the article.
How to Connect Joycons to iPhone
Before you connect Joycons to iPhone, you need to ensure that your iPhone is compatible for use with Joycon, as only iPhones running on the iOS 16 version and above are compatible with Joycon.
If you have confirmed that your iPhone is compatible with connecting with Joycons, you can connect both devices by following the steps highlighted below.
- Ensure that your Joycons are charged and ready to use; if they are not fully charged, you can connect them to your Nintendo Switch while it is charging.
- Then press and hold down the black pairing button at the top of your Joycon for some minutes or till the green light starts flashing rapidly.
- Then go to the settings menu on your iPhone and select Bluetooth.
- Then check the list of available Bluetooth devices on your screen and select Joycon (L) or Joycon (R), depending on which of the Joycons you are pairing.
Once you have successfully paired, you can begin to use the Joycon with your iPhone.
You can also repeat the same procedure for the other half of the Joycon if you’d like to use both Joycons with your iPhone.
You might also be interested in checking out How to Disable Nintendo Switch Firmware Automatic Update.
How to Connect Joycons to Android
You can not only connect Joycons to iPhone; if you do not own an iPhone, you can also still connect your Joycons to an android device, as long as it has a functional Bluetooth capability.
You can connect your Joycons to your android device by following the steps below.
- Confirm that your Joycon is charged and ready to use, and if it isn’t, you can connect it to the Nintendo Switch to charge while the Switch is docked.
- Then press and hold down the Sync button, which is the black pairing button on your Joycon, and once the indicator light starts flashing green, it signifies the Joycon is ready for pairing.
- Then navigate to your Android device setting’s menu and enable the device Bluetooth.
- Now select Joycon(L) or Joycon(R), depending on which pair of Joycons you are pairing, from the list of available devices on the Android device screen.
If you’d like to pair both of the Joycons to your android device, you can repeat the procedure listed above to pair the second Joycon to your android device.
How to Connect Joycons to iPhone iOS 15
iOS 15 is not compatible with Joycons, as Joycons are not officially supported in iPhone iOS 15.
You can only connect Joycons to iPhone running on iOS 16 and above, and it is pretty easy to update your iPhone iOS from 15 to 16.
You can update your iPhone iOS 15 software to iOS 16 by following the steps below.
- Either ensure your iPhone is fully charged or is plugged into a power source when the update is ongoing because you would not like your phone to be switched off while the update is still ongoing.
- Then go to your iPhone settings menu and select general.
- Then select software update, and click on download and install once the update appears on your screen.
- Input your Password if prompted, and wait for the installation to complete.
Once you have upgraded your iPhone from iOS 15 to 16, you can connect Joycons to iPhone by following the instructions below.
- Press the black pairing button(sync button) at the top of your Joycon until the green indicator light begins to flash rapidly.
- Then navigate to the settings menu on your iPhone and select Bluetooth.
- Then check the list of available Bluetooth devices on your screen and select Joycon (L) or Joycon (R), depending on which of the Joycons you are pairing.
You can then repeat the procedure for the other pair of your Joycon if you’d like to pair both of the Joycons with your iPhone.
Once you have done this, you can enjoy your mobile gaming experience using the Joycons on your iPhone.
How to Connect Joycons to PC
The Joycons are compatible with your Windows PC as long as your PC has a functional Bluetooth capability.
You can connect your Joycons to your PC by following the steps below.
- Turn on your Computer, go to the settings menu, and turn on the Bluetooth.
- Then press the sync button, which is the black button on the Joycon, till the indicator light on the Joycon starts blinking rapidly.
- Then go to your Computer and from the list of available Bluetooth devices, select either the Joycon(L) or Joycon(R), depending on which pair of the Joycons you are paring.
You can also repeat the process for the other pair of Joycon if you’d like to have both of them connected to your PC.
How to Connect Joycons to iPad
If you own an iPad running on at least the iPadOS16, then it is compatible to be connected with the Joycons.
You can follow the steps below if you’d like to connect your Joycons to your iPad.
- Make sure your Joycons are charged; if not, you can connect them to your Nintendo Switch while it is charging if they are not fully charged.
- Then press and hold the black button, which is the sync button located at the top of your Joycon, till the green indicator light begins to flash rapidly.
- Then enable Bluetooth from the settings menu on your iPad.
- Then, depending on which Joycon you’re pairing, choose Joycon (L) or Joycon (R) from the Bluetooth devices on your iPad screen.
You can also repeat the same process to pair the other pair of the Joycon to your iPad if you’d like to have both Joycons connected to the iPad.
Once you have followed the instructions above, you can use the Joycons with the iPad as you desire.
How to Connect the Nintendo Switch Controller to iPhone 11
You can connect the Nintendo Switch controller, also known as the Joycons, to your iPhone 11 if your iPhone 11 is using at least an iOS 16 version.
You can achieve this by following the instructions given below.
- Confirm that your Controller is charged and ready for use.
- Then go to your iPhone settings menu and enable Bluetooth.
- Then press the black pairing button at the top of the Controller until the green indicator light starts blinking, indicating that it is ready for pairing.
- Then go to your iPhone 11 and select Joycon(L) or Joycon(R), depending on which Controller you are pairing.
Once both devices have paired, you can begin to use the Switch controller with your iPhone 11.
You can also repeat the procedure to have the other pair of controllers paired to the iPhone 11.
How to Connect Nintendo Switch Controller to iPhone 12
You can connect Nintendo Switch controllers to iPhone 12 using at least the iOS 16 version.
You can do this by following the instructions below.
- Ensure that the Controller is charged and ready for use.
- Then go to your iPhone settings menu and turn on Bluetooth.
- Then press and hold the black pairing button at the top of the Controller until the green indicator light starts blinking, indicating that it is ready for pairing.
- Then navigate to your iPhone 12 and select the Joycon(L) or Joycon(R), depending on which Controller you are pairing.
You can also repeat the process above if you want to pair the other Controller to your iPhone 12.
Once you are done pairing, you can begin to enjoy your mobile gaming experience using one or both of the controllers with your iPhone 12.
Conclusion
This article has given a detailed explanation of how to connect Joycons to iPhone, and also explained how you can connect it to your PC and iPad.