This is the practical version: how to get Brawl Stars running on two phones with the two of you in the same session, and what to do when you cannot see each other in the friend list.
Before you start
You each need your own copy on your own phone. Brawl Stars is on both the App Store and Google Play, so it does not matter which of you is on iPhone and which is on Android.
It is free to download, so there is no reason for one of you to hold off and watch over the other's shoulder.
Step by step
- Install it on both phones. Do this before you sit down to play — first-launch downloads are always bigger than you expect.
- Add each other as friends in-game. This is the step that connects the two of you rather than putting you in a public lobby.
- Party up and drop into the same match.
- Stay on a call while you set up the first time. Working out one game's friend system together takes five minutes; doing it over text takes half an hour.
When you cannot find each other
- Make sure you are both fully signed in, not playing as a guest — guest accounts are the most common reason a friend request never arrives.
- Check you have both got the app updated. A version gap can hide one of you from the other.
- Have the person creating the session send the invite rather than both of you searching at once.
- Restart the app on both phones before assuming something is broken.
Making Brawl Stars work as a couple thing
Once the setup is done, the question becomes whether you keep playing. Brawl Stars is built around playing with someone rather than beside them, and that shapes how to fit it into a week.
- Squad up and watch each other’s back in every match.
- Coordinating as a duo is where the real fun begins.
- Cross-platform play keeps you together on any device.
Agree on how long a session is before you start. "One more round" is how a ten-minute game eats an evening.
Similar games worth having installed
- PUBG MOBILE — PUBG MOBILE is a 100-player battle royale where you drop onto an island and fight to be the last squad standing.
- Call of Duty: Mobile — Call of Duty: Mobile packs fast multiplayer modes and a full battle royale into one polished shooter.
- Free Fire — Free Fire is a fast, lightweight battle royale with ten-minute matches designed to run on almost any phone.
More of the same kind on our category page.
Where to go next
If you are here because you want something the two of you can keep coming back to, our top couple pick is Our Flower Garden — one shared garden, no timers, nothing to lose if you skip a day.
- Is Brawl Stars Multiplayer? How to Play It Together
- How to Play 2 Player Games: The Challenge With Friends
- How to Play 8 Ball Pool With Friends
- How to Play Among Us With Friends
- Our full list of the best mobile couple games
Frequently asked questions
- How do I play Brawl Stars with my partner?
- Install Brawl Stars on both phones, add each other as friends in-game, then start a session together. The friend step is what keeps you out of a public lobby.
- Can you play Brawl Stars with friends as well as your partner?
- Yes — the same friend system that connects the two of you works for a wider group, so Brawl Stars scales up on the nights you want company.
- Why can't my partner see me in Brawl Stars?
- Usually one of you is signed in as a guest, or one copy of the app is out of date. Sign in properly on both phones, update both, then send the invite from one side rather than searching from both.
- Do we need to be in the same room to play Brawl Stars?
- No. Brawl Stars plays online, so the two of you can be anywhere as long as you both have a connection.
