What it is
GamepadOS is two small programs that work as a pair. The Android app draws a controller on your phone's screen and reads its touchscreen and motion sensor. The PC server runs on Windows, receives what the phone sends and presents it to your games as an ordinary Xbox 360 controller. Because games already know how to use that kind of controller, most PC games and emulators that support a gamepad simply work.
Why it exists
Plenty of people have a phone and a PC but no gamepad, and a good controller is not a small purchase. GamepadOS is for them: a way to play controller games with the hardware already in your pocket, free to start and with nothing to buy to try it. It is also for people who simply like having a second controller within reach, or who want a layout, tilt steering or a wheel that a plastic pad cannot give them.
How it works, in three steps
- Install both parts. Get the Android app from Google Play or the direct download, and the PC server from this site. The setup guide walks through it.
- Pair once. Scan the QR code shown by the PC server with the app. After that the phone knows where your PC is.
- Play. Pick a layout and start a game. Your input travels from the phone to the PC over your Wi-Fi network or a USB cable, and nothing in that path goes through the internet.
If you want the deeper explanations, the guides cover the connection, latency, tilt steering, wheel mode and the layout builder, and one of them explains how the link is protected.
What you can do with it
- Use a standard layout straight away, or build your own with buttons, sticks, triggers and a D-pad, and share it with a short code. See the layout builder guide.
- Steer racing games by tilting the phone, or mount it and use wheel mode for truck and bus simulators.
- Feel your game: rumble from the game comes back to the phone.
- Connect over Wi-Fi, or plug in a cable for the steadiest link. See Wi-Fi or USB.
What it costs
The apps are free to download. Every install starts with 30 minutes of free play and no account. You can earn 30 more minutes by watching a short optional ad, and Lifetime removes the limit for good. The full details are in how free play time works, and our refund policy says what happens if something goes wrong with a purchase.
What it needs
- An Android phone running Android 9 or newer.
- A Windows 10 or 11 PC (64-bit).
- The same Wi-Fi network for both, or a USB cable.
macOS and Linux are not supported, and the phone side is Android only. See choosing a phone if you are unsure whether yours is a good fit.
Your data
Controller input stays on your own network. The apps contain no analytics, and an account is optional. When you do make one, we store only what is needed to run it, and you can delete it yourself whenever you like. The privacy policy lists everything, and the account guide explains sign-in, recovery and deletion in plain language.
Getting help
Start with the support center, which has a troubleshooting checklist and answers to common questions, and the guides. If you are still stuck, use the contact form or email support@gamepad.space. We read every message and reply to every ticket. When you write, tell us your phone model, your Windows version and what you see on screen, and we can usually get to the cause quickly.
A note on names
GamepadOS is an independent project. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of Microsoft, Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google, and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft. We mention them only to describe what GamepadOS works with, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by those companies. Open-source components we use are listed under attributions.