How to configure on-screen controls in Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile has some of the better virtual controls we’ve seen in a shooter. They’re fairly easy to use, support multiple types of playstyles, and translate well in both third-person and first-person views. They also change depending on what type of weapon you’re holding and what Legend you use. That said, nothing is perfect and the developers know that. They give you the option to change your controls and we’ll show you how to do that here.

Read next: Does Apex Legends Mobile have controller support?

How to configure on-screen controls in Apex Legends Mobile

Configuring on-screen controls is a fairly easy task in Apex Legends Mobile.

• Open Settings, then click on the Controls tab on the right side.
• Select the Controls Interface you like better. You may need to test each one to see which one suits you.
• Also, select the Control Mode that best suits you. The Control Modes let you decide if your fire and movement controls are floating or fixed.
• Once you’re happy with your defaults, tap the Custom Layout button.
• Before you do anything further, select the Layout option at the top of the screen and pick the layout you want to edit.
• From there, you can move, resize, and fine-tune your layout. It looks complicated at first, but you’ll get it over time.
• There are also extra layouts available in this menu for 3-finger and 4-finger controls. Tap the 3&4 Fingers button to select those.
• When you’re done, hit the Save button. It will save the layout that you selected in the earlier step.
• If you make a bunch of edits and then try to select the layout so you can save it there, the game will overwrite your changes with the layout you selected.

A large percentage of finding success with virtual keyboard custom layouts is picking what you’re comfortable with. After all, we all have different skill levels, different hand sizes, and different likes and dislikes. The method above gives you a bunch of freedom to make it look how you want.

How to create and save multiple layouts in Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile has six total layouts that you can configure. There are three for Controls Interface 1 and three more for Controls Interface 2. Here’s how to create and save multiple layouts.

• Tap the Custom Layout button as shown above.
• Tap the Layout button to select Layout 1, 2, or 3.
• Customize the controller as you see fit.
• Hit the Save button. Repeat this process for all three layouts.
• Once back in the Controls menu, tap the Sync to Cloud. Tap the Save next to the profile you want.

How to load Layouts in-game

• When in the game, hit the Settings cogwheel button in the top left corner.
• Tap Custom Layout. It should be on the first screen you see
• Tap the Layout button and select the one you want.
• Exit the menu and continue playing.

The game will save the last layout you worked on as the active layout, so you can select the proper one before the game in the settings menu before you start playing.

Two, three, and four-finger control options in Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile has virtual controller layouts for two, three, and four-finger control schemes. These are popular layouts across the mobile FPS world. The two-finger layout is pretty standard. Your left thumb controls movement, the right thumb controls the camera, and there are buttons around the bottom half of the screen to interact with the game or fire your gun. It’s the easiest layout for beginners, but it’s difficult to compete eventually since you do have to give up a movement thumb in order to fire unless you use auto-fire.

Three-finger puts the fire button above the left movement stick. The player curls their index finger around the front of the screen and uses it to tap the fire button. This lets you tap the fire button with a non-movement finger and dramatically increases the skill ceiling when you start to play better. It’s a natural progression from two-finger mode if you intend to play for a long time.

Finally, the four-finger controls are just like the three-finger controls, except with the other index finger. This gives players a thumb and bumper level of control that you would typically see on a hardware controller. Admittedly, this one is a bit rough to learn as it does require some dexterity, but it gives near console-level control once you get it right.

There are presets for three and four-finger controls in the Custom Layout editor in Apex Legends Mobile. Experiment with them to see which one works best for you.

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