FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions and important information for using JoyCon Droid.
Last updated
Frequently Asked Questions and important information for using JoyCon Droid.
Last updated
Bluetooth HID Profiles were introduced in Android 9 which allow your device to function as a gamepad, mouse, keyboard, etc. You cannot do this on lower Android versions. Use the app to check if you have it.
Switch firmware version 12.0.0 and up has changed the functionality behind controller connection and input. It now has a Bluetooth Device Class check for initial pairing requests which checks if your device is a Gamepad or others. You need to be rooted with Magisk to use the and change your device class to 002508 or to change your device’s Bluetooth MAC address to a real controller you have already paired with the Switch. . Root is also needed if you want to try to .
Magisk is not necessarily required. You can be rooted with something such as SuperSU as well and would just have to manually install or edit your files by accessing them with root privileges. Magisk is recommended and usually easier though since you can just install a module and it will install those files automatically.
The JoyCon Droid app itself does not need root, but the workarounds needed to get paired with the Switch need root.
Every device is different and may use a different set of instructions with unique files to gain root access. Some phones have a difficult process to unlock the bootloader which is needed to flash a custom recovery and install custom ROMs or root with Magisk. Some phones might also be impossible to unlock or root. The best thing to do is search your device’s exact model on . Some more information can be found .
This process usually erases everything on your phone, may cause issues with certain apps due to , etc. so make sure to backup everything important or just use a spare Android device. You can end up with a non-functioning brick if you do not follow the instructions for your specific Android device carefully.
Yes, you can try using the . This still requires Android 9+ and a rooted phone with Magisk to install modules. This module can help for devices that usually have it disabled such as OnePlus, Motorola, Huawei, LG, Sony, and Xiaomi. Restart your device after installing and enabling the module, then try the Tester app again.
There is always some risk to rooting your phone and modifying system settings. Bluetooth++ will save your default Device Class so you can always reselect it after you're done playing with your Switch. It is however encouraged to make backups before doing any of this as a good practice of safety.
It's also possible you have a Samsung Galaxy A50/A51 which is known to give problems with connecting after a Samsung system update.
Yes. It does not matter if your phone has NFC or not. amiibos are being sent through Bluetooth.
There are certain amiibos which will not work because they require writing data and JoyCon Droid does not yet support this feature. Some examples of this are Wolf Link in Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, and many other games that register amiibos.
Yes, you can Select and Edit a Custom UI from the menu options of JoyCon Droid. You will also find other custom UI options created by members of the community such as Macros and TAS UI here. You must have an Internet connection to access these Custom UI options.
You can connect a gamepad to your phone using USB. You may need a USB OTG adapter. You can’t connect it through Bluetooth due to the way JoyCon Droid utilizes the Bluetooth connection to pair with the Switch. To avoid connection issues, you must also disconnect other devices such as wireless speakers, smartwatches, etc. To Remap Buttons/keys, find Map Buttons in the menu options of JoyCon Droid.
JoyCon Droid has been available from the Play Store for over 2 years and has millions of downloads from users. No one has ever gotten banned yet. There's currently no way that your Switch can tell the difference between JoyCon Droid and a real Switch controller. You should be safe, but there could still be some risk such as if you use Macros or Turbo Controller to cheat in online multiplayer games and someone reports you.
Yes.
Some devices like above are blacklisted since they normally lack support for Bluetooth HID Profiles. If you actually pass using the Tester app, you can install the APK from
Disconnect any other Bluetooth devices that are connected to your phone such as headphones, speakers, smartwatches, etc. Try the and make sure to . Retry connection by Disconnecting Controller using the status bar notifcation on Android and leaving the Change Grip/Order screen or Restart both your Switch and Android.
Bluetooth HID_DEV_MTU_SIZE 512. Most Samsung devices will have this already. LineageOS 16.0 or higher based custom ROMs built after 7th of September 2020 are likely to have this. Make sure to Enable NFC in JoyCon Droid Settings. You can select and change an amiibo .bin file in Settings where it says NFC Binary Path. . [The Patch introduced on 7th of September 2020 is only for the AOSP Bluetooth Stack. If an Android device uses the Qualcomm Bluetooth Stack, HID_DEV_MTU_SIZE is still set to 64. Qualcomm however forked the AOSP Bluetooth Stack.]
Since amiibos are copyrighted content, JoyCon Droid cannot help you obtain amiibo .bin files for legal reasons. It is assumed that you are using personal dumped copies of your own amiibos such as from .
Once again, amiibos only work with Samsung devices or with a custom ROM such as LineageOS 16.0 or higher, and the custom ROM needs to be built after 2020-07-September because they have a Bluetooth HID_DEV_MTU_SIZE of 512 bytes. If you have this, try other amiibos and and also try lowering Packet Rate to 10 pps in JoyCon Droid settings. Please be aware that the app can be unstable and it can take you multiple tries to get connected properly and "scan" amiibos.
If your Switch for a controller from JoyCon Droid, DO NOT do it. It will get stuck. Press Later to skip that popup. If you accidentally pressed Update, simply disconnect the controller by using the Status Bar notification on your phone.
If you have a spare Android phone or a friend with one, you can try the method . If the Device Class check is ever removed in future Switch updates, that will probably help again but it's not likely that they will remove it.