This is the practical version: how to get Honkai: Star Rail 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. Honkai: Star Rail 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.
- Reach the co-op unlock, then add each other. This is the step that connects the two of you rather than putting you in a public lobby.
- Join the same world or party.
- 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 Honkai: Star Rail work as a couple thing
Once the setup is done, the question becomes whether you keep playing. Honkai: Star Rail is built around playing with someone rather than beside them, and that shapes how to fit it into a week.
- Explore a massive world together as a party.
- Share the journey, the loot and the story beats.
- A great long-term game to progress through as a couple.
The couples who keep a game going are almost always the ones who attached it to something — after dinner, on the commute, before bed. The game matters less than the slot.
Similar games worth having installed
- Sky: Children of the Light — Sky: Children of the Light, from the makers of Journey, is a serene social adventure about flying through beautiful realms and sharing light with others.
- Genshin Impact — Genshin Impact is a gorgeous open-world action RPG with a vast world to explore and a huge cast of characters to collect.
- Spaceteam — Spaceteam is a frantic co-op party game where you shout absurd technobabble instructions at each other to keep your ship from falling apart.
More of the same kind on our category page.
Where to go next
A tip from running this list: pair a competitive game with a calm one. Our Flower Garden is the calm half of ours — a shared garden that waits for you.
- Is Honkai: Star Rail Cross-Platform? iPhone & Android
- Is Honkai: Star Rail Multiplayer? How to Play It Together
- How to Play 2 Player Games: The Challenge With Friends
- How to Play 8 Ball Pool With Friends
- Our full list of the best mobile couple games
Frequently asked questions
- How do I play Honkai: Star Rail with my partner?
- Install Honkai: Star Rail on both phones, reach the co-op unlock, then add each other, then start a session together. The friend step is what keeps you out of a public lobby.
- Can you play Honkai: Star Rail with friends as well as your partner?
- Yes — the same friend system that connects the two of you works for a wider group, so Honkai: Star Rail scales up on the nights you want company.
- Why can't my partner see me in Honkai: Star Rail?
- 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 Honkai: Star Rail?
- No. Honkai: Star Rail plays online, so the two of you can be anywhere as long as you both have a connection.
