GeForce NOW Android App FAQ

Q:How do I get the android App?

Q: What are the system requirements for using GeForce NOW on my mobile device?

A: An Android phone with 2GB of memory, OpenGL ES 3.2, and Android 5.0 (L) support or later, and one of the following gamepads:

You must own a supported game from a digital store to play it on GeForce NOW.

Q: Why does the GeForce NOW Android mobile app have different games than the PC or macOS apps?

A: For the best experience on Android mobile, we recommend games that support a gamepad - like the NVIDIA SHIELD controller, Razer Junglecat or Steelseries Stratus Duo – and a clip to attach the gamepad to your phone. Visit our knowledge base for a full list of supported gamepads. We have added the games that work great with gamepads. If the game you want to play isn’t listed, just search for it.

There are a small number of games which are not available on all platforms. Our Android mobile app is optimized for games that support gamepads. We do offer you to try keyboard and mouse games on your mobile device, but we do not recommend it for long term gaming. Please note: games that require a keyboard and mouse may not be ideal to play on a phone.

Q: Does the GeForce NOW Android app work with tablets and Chromebooks?

A: Our app has not been widely tested on tablets and Chromebooks, and you may encounter compatibility issues with the app on tablets and Chromebooks when using mouse and keyboard mode. Our Android app is optimized for phones with a gamepad.

Q: Does the GeForce NOW Android app work with external mice and keyboards?

A: Our Android app is optimized for use with gamepads. You can use an external mouse and keyboard, however: you might encounter compatibility issues such as a double mouse cursor, erratic mouse movement, or incorrect keyboard mappings.

Q: Where can I find the games I play frequently on GeForce NOW when using the Android app?

A: You can browse the My Library section on Android to see all the games you have played on GeForce NOW. The list of recently played games only includes games you have played on your Android device. This is to prevent you from accidentally playing a game that requires a keyboard and mouse that you may have accessed on another device. For the best experience on Android, we want to ensure you are playing games that play great with a gamepad.

Q: I play games on GeForce NOW on PC or Mac and they appear under Library > Recently Played. Why do they not appear on the Recently Played section of the Android app?

A: On Android, the list of recently played games only includes games you have played on your Android device. We want to ensure you are playing games that are optimized for gamepad. You can browse the My Library section on Android to see all the games you have played on GeForce NOW.

Q: Why is default GeForce NOW streaming at resolution 720p to my mobile device?

A: In our testing we have found that if you stream higher than 720p to phones, menu, text and other in-game items become unreadable because the screen size is so small. You are free to test other streaming resolutions and see if you prefer a higher or lower resolution.

Q: Why are there black bars on the sides of the screen when I use GeForce NOW on my Android device?

A: GeForce NOW streams at many resolutions, including 1280x720 and 1920x1080 which have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Most newer phones have a wider resolution, such as 3040x1400, which has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. On these phones, people will see black bars on the sides of the screen. We are looking into supporting additional aspect ratios to eliminate these bars in future software updates.

Q: I don’t have a gamepad, can I still play my games on my Android mobile device?

A: Yes, the app does have an onscreen virtual gamepad, but we do not recommend it for long term gameplay. View our Quick Start Guide to learn how to access the virtual gamepad. For the best experience we recommend a bluetooth physical gamepad.

Q: I don’t have a bluetooth mouse/keyboard, can I still play my games on my Android mobile device?

A: The Android mobile app is not optimized for games that require a keyboard and mouse. The app does have an onscreen virtual mouse and keyboard, but we do not recommend it for long term gameplay.

Q: Does the GeForce NOW Android app support touch screen?

A: You can use touch to interact with games using our virtual mouse. However, this does not work like a typical touch-based game. The virtual mouse moves in relative position to your finger. We recommend using the virtual mouse only for games that require you to log in to a launcher, or to interact with some game menus.

Q: How do I change my GeForce NOW Android mobile app streaming settings?

A: Click the gear icon to access Settings > GeForce NOW > Stream Quality.

Q: Do the in-game settings that I configured on PC or macOS carry over to my Android phone?

A: In-game settings are stored on our cloud servers. Game settings for controller mappings and gameplay settings will carry over and work the same on your phone. However, not all graphics settings will be carried over as games may be streamed at a resolution that is different than what your phone supports.

Q: Do the GeForce Now app settings that I made on PC and macOS carry over to my Android phone?

A: No, each device is different and there are custom settings in each app that are tailored to specific devices.

Q: Can I play GeForce NOW using my phone’s 4G or 5G connection?

A: The GeForce NOW Android app is a companion app to our PC and macOS apps. We recommend using an in-home 5GHz Wi-Fi connection for the optimal gaming experience on your Android mobile device. With 4G and 5G connections, the quality of service you experience depends on your providers network quality. We have worked with partners on optimizing for 4G and 5G connectivity with some GeForce NOW Alliance partners, but we do not recommend it for all users. GeForce NOW streams with high bandwidth, and therefore, users should be mindful of any data caps when on cellular networks.