Using Game Center

Summary

Learn about using Game Center with your iOS device, or with OS X Mountain Lion on a Mac.

Products Affected

Game Center, OS X Mountain Lion, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

Game Center lets you play and share games with your friends, track your progress using leaderboards, and much more. This article explains how to get ready to use Game Center, how to resolve login and connection issues, and where to find out more information about Game Center.

Notes

Game Center may not be available in all countries or regions, and the available games may vary by country or region.
Certain Game Center features require the latest version of iOS or OS X.
For detailed information about using Game Center on iOS and its features, see the iPhone User Guide, iPod touch User Guide, or iPad User Guide.

Verify system requirements

To use Game Center on an iOS device, you need the following:

iPhone 3GS or later, iPad (all models), iPod touch (2nd generation) or later
iOS 4.1 or later
An Internet connection

To use Game Center on your Mac, you need:

OS X Mountain Lion
An Internet connection

Sign in to your Game Center account

When you open Game Center, you can sign in to your Game Center account using your Apple ID. If you don't have an Apple ID or another Apple account, tap or click Create New Account to create an account to use with Game Center.

Note: Please note each Apple ID has its own associated scores, achievements, and friends. If you have multiple Apple IDs, you can verify which Apple ID is in use by tapping or clicking the Me icon.

You can change the account by tapping or clicking Account and then signing out of the current account and into the correct one.

Get Game Center games

Game Center works with games that are designed to take advantage of Game Center features. From the Game Center app, here's how you can find Game Center games:

Game Center recommends games you may like, just tap or click on Games to see the recommendations.
Scroll down to the bottom of the games list in Games, then tap or click on Find Game Center Games.
To see what Game Center games your friends play, tap or click on Friends.

Note: If you download or sync a Game Center game from the App Store or your computer, you may need to open it once before it appears in the Game Center > Games list.

Additional Information

Troubleshooting your connection and other issues

If you are having difficulty logging in to Game Center or staying connected

Verify that you are connected to the Internet.
If you are unable to create or sign in to your Game Center account from within a game, try creating or signing in to your account using the Game Center app.
Try signing out of your Game Center account, and then sign back in.
- If you can't sign in to your Game Center account with an Apple ID, try resetting your password or using another email address. To manage your Apple ID account, go to My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com).
When using a Wi-Fi connection, verify that your Wi-Fi router is configured for Game Center.
When using a Cellular Data connection on iOS, incoming calls will interrupt your game session. If your Cellular Data network does not support simultaneous voice and data, answering the call may end the current game session.

If you are having an issue with a particular Game Center game

Ensure that you have the latest version of the game.
- Check for updates by opening App Store and tapping or clicking "Updates".
Test your connection using a different game. If you can't connect with a specific friend or player in multiple games, they may need to check their Wi-Fi connection and router settings.
On iOS, try opening the game from the Home screen, rather than from within Game Center.
- If you have issues opening the game from the Home screen, see this article for more information.
If you are unable to create or sign in to your Game Center account from within a game, try creating or signing in to your account using the Game Center app.

If the issue persists, or certain features of a game aren't working as expected (leaderboards, achievements, and so on), use the App Store to report the problem to the developer:

Report an issue with a Game Center game

Tap or click the app support link, located on the right of the application's information page in the App Store, beside the app name and description.
Use the developer-provided support website and resources to investigate known app issues or report your app experience.

Report an issue with a Game Center user

If you encounter an issue with another user, including invite spam, inappropriate avatars, or other offensive behavior, tap or click their Game Center nickname to view their profile and select "Report a Problem".

Disabling your Game Center Account

You can disable your Game Center account and remove all friends and disassociate yourself from scores by doing the following:

Remove everyone from your Friends list by tapping or clicking their profiles and selecting Unfriend.
Disable your public profile, remove email addresses, and change your nickname by tapping or clicking Me > Account: > View Account.
- Turn off your Public Profile.
- Remove all emails from your email list by tapping or clicking "Remove Email from Account".
- Change your Nickname to something that cannot identify you (for example, 0ji59A).
Sign out of Game Center on all iOS devices and/or Macs.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

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