How to Set Up Google Stadia on iOS if There’s No ‘App’

As you may remember, Apple handled its App Store with an iron fist. It will be a cold day for Cupertino until the company allows game streaming services to have old regular apps-unless the service submits every streaming game to Apple for review, but it won’t. And you can bet that Apple will want to get a share of all the fees users pay for streaming subscriptions. So, How to Set Up Google Stadia on iOS if There’s No ‘App’ ?

To avoid this situation, all local streaming services are redirected to your web browser. This is how you can stream Google Stadia on iOS and iPadOS today: via Safari. Well, technically speaking, through a progressive web app running on your device, there is no Safari UI to mess it up, giving the illusion that you are running a native iOS or iPadOS app, and indeed, Stadia does not exist.

How easy is to configure? Painfully, there is a quirk. In fact, you can download Google Stadia on IOS from the App Store now. You can install and use it to access your Stadia account (including the Stadia store), and the app even gives the illusion that you can use it to stream games. Of course this is wrong, because if you try the following, you will see this screen:

Instead, you need to start Safari, and you can only start Safari, because you cannot install PWA on other browsers, such as Chrome. Open the Google Stadia website and log in (if necessary). Click the share button at the bottom of the browser, and then click Add to home screen.

Related: How to Back Up iCloud Photos and Videos to Google

You’ll then drop an app-like Stadia icon right onto, well, your Home Screen. It’ll look like this:

I recommend deleting the original Stadia app or remembering the color of this icon so that you won’t be confused when you search for “Stadia” on your device and see two options:

From there, all you have to do is click on your Stadia PWA to launch it into your Safari browser experience (this is not complete). After that, you can play games on Stadia just like any normal application.

If you have any problems with Stadia on your iPhone or iPad, please know that you need to run iOS / iPadOS 14.3 for the PWA creation process to work properly, so please update your iPhone and/or iPad accordingly. And make sure your wifi connection is secure. I will not play Stadia over a cellular connection (if I can), because if you play for too long, your data plan will not satisfy you.

In addition, I strongly recommend that you pair your Xbox or PlayStation controller with your iPhone (via Bluetooth) for gaming. Trying to do anything with a virtual interface will be a pointless exercise. If you are stuck on a deserted island with great Wi-Fi and no controller, you might use this setup, but nothing more.

Fortunately, this is easy. Just set your Xbox or PlayStation controller to pairing mode, open “Settings”> “Bluetooth” on your iPhone or iPad, wait a moment, and then tap on it when the controller appears. Once paired, Google Stadia on iOS should recognize it immediately and you will play well.

And, yes, if you don’t want to buy a game or sign up for a subscription right away, or if you’re not sure if your network or internet connection can handle all streaming media, Stadia has two free games. Get your feet wet with Destiny 2 or Super Bomberman R Online, and then see if it makes sense to use game streaming services in more depth.