Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The best online multiplayer games for Android and iOS

When you’re trying to connect with your friends or family from a distance, online multiplayer games are one of the best ways to do it. A number of great mobile games are available on Android and iOS, many of which are cross-platform. We’re taking a look at some of the best online multiplayer games available for your Android and iOS smartphones. Dive into a world of racing, fantasy, or classic challenges as you connect with fellow gamers nearby or on the other side of the globe. If you want to really supercharge your mobile gaming experience, check out the best gaming phones, our picks of the best Android games, or the best iPhone games.

PUBG Mobile

PUBG Mobile

There’s just one mission in this free-to-play battle royale game: Survival. Battle it out with 99 other players, challenge your friends in 4v4 Team Deathmatch mode, or take on terrifying hordes of the undead in zombie mode. There’s loads to keep you entertained in PUBG Mobile, from the arsenal of cool weapons to the enormous, detailed battlegrounds with their own unique day/night cycles and dynamic weather. Choose between first-person shooter (FPS) and third-person shooter (TPS) gameplay, and enjoy monthly updates delivering new maps, modes, and features — all for free.

Android iOS

Shadowgun Legends

Shadowgun Legends

Love first-person shooters? Can’t get enough epic space battles? Then Shadowgun Legends is the shooter for you. You play as a Shadowgun Legend, an epic warrior fighting against an alien invasion. There’s an immersive story campaign set over three diverse planets with hundreds of missions — each one playable in co-op mode. The game offers plenty of opportunities to meet new friends, too, as you can join or create a guild or hang out in Brno, the fallout town, and socialize in the bar. You get all this, plus PvP multiplayer battles, over 700 out-of-this-world futuristic guns, and support for gamepads (if you prefer to play with a controller).

Android iOS

Clash of Clans

Clash of Clans

If you prefer an RPG element to your online gaming, Clash of Clans is the game for you. Build and grow your village, raise a clan, and battle in epic Clan Wars. You can join a Clan or set up your own with friends, fighting as a team and battling your way to the top of the Clan War Leagues. Along the way, forge new alliances, plan your battle strategy, and collect resources — or steal loot from other players — to turn your village into a stronghold. You can create your own custom PvP experiences and even watch your Clanmates battle in real-time as a spectator or catch up on what you’ve missed with video replays. Clash of Clans is free to play, but it does have in-app purchases, which can easily be disabled for younger players.

Android iOS

Mario Kart Tour

Mario Kart Tour on your smartphone is about as much fun as you can have without firing up your Nintendo Switch. Dash around as your favorite Nintendo characters with that classic Mario Kart feel while competing against your friends no matter where they are on the planet. There are loads of different karts and drivers to collect, and you can race up to seven other players, customizing the rules to suit. The kart courses are inspired by real-world cities, with tours rotating every fortnight, so there’s always a new city to discover. You’ll need a Nintendo account to play — which can be a bit cumbersome to set up if you don’t already have one — but the game itself is free, with optional in-app purchases.

Android iOS

Words with Friends

No list of multiplayer mobile games is complete without Words with Friends. For many, this game serves as an early memory of the connected world of mobile apps. It’s an absolute classic that is still going strong. Connect with friends near and far in a game of word prowess, and no cheating! The goal is to score as many points as possible by creating words using your letters — just like Scrabble — and this is a strangely addictive little game once you get started. Can’t find anybody online to play with or want to practice your skills? Solo Challenge mode has loads of fun mini-games to test your vocabulary and win rewards to spend on power-ups in the store.

Android iOS

Houseparty

Houseparty isn’t just a great distanced hangout app for you and your friends; it also features a great repository of games you can play while hanging out in the Houseparty room. It’s perfect for hanging out with friends and family if you can’t hang out in person. Games include Uno, Chips & Guac, and loads of others to keep you entertained when you’re stuck at home.

Android iOS

Minecraft ($7)

One of the best desktop and console games of the last decade is also available on mobile for both iOS and Android. The pocket edition of Minecraft is cross-platform enabled for Xbox and PC, giving you an expanded possible friends list with which to play. Build your world and share it with others — you can even set up your own private server with your friends for a monthly fee, depending on how many friends you want to invite.

Android iOS

Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go came on the scene in 2016 and challenged millions of users to catch ’em all. Since then, the app has added online battle functionality to let you compete remotely against other trainers. Train hard, catch them all, and take your talents on the road across nations. Team up with your friends and other trainers online for thrilling Raid battles, complete your Pokédex, and discover Pokémon in the world around you.

Android iOS

Call of Duty: Mobile

Call of Duty: Mobile

If you’re an avid gamer, then you probably grew up with Call of Duty as an integral part of your gaming education. Call of Duty: Mobile brings what the franchise has to offer to your Android or iOS smartphone. The app offers iconic maps from the Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare era, with numerous online game modes, including a 100-player battle royale free-for-all. Unlock numerous weapons, outfits, and characters, and battle to the top in competitive Ranked mode, or enjoy a frantic 5v5 team deathmatch.

Android iOS

Clue ($4)

If you’re looking to kick it old school with some friends from far away, then look no further than Clue for iOS and Android. That’s right — the classic board game is available on your smartphone with all the same rooms, murder weapons, intrigue, and mystery you’re used to. There are also some new characters thrown in for you and your friends to enjoy. We’re thinking it’s Clue, in the living room, with the iPhone.

Android iOS

Asphalt 9: Legends

It’s hard to beat racing games when it comes to multiplayer fun, and Asphalt 9: Legends is the best mobile multiplayer racer we’ve seen. This game offers gamers an impressive and immersive street racing feel, and it’s available on both iOS and Android.

Participants go head to head against up to seven other players while also collecting famous real-life cars for their virtual garage along the way, from Ferraris and Porsches to Lamborghinis. If you prefer to play alone, that’s OK, too. There are hundreds of single-player races to keep you entertained.

Android iOS

Hearthstone

Hearthstone

For a classic-feeling card game, check out Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone. This particular game utilizes characters and objects from World of Warcraft and a few other Blizzard favorites. While some of Blizzard’s other games, like Overwatch, tend to use more modern-day gaming aspects, Hearthstone relies on its classic vibes. It’s a memorable deck-building adventure that perfectly blends the traditional gameplay feel with an engaging modern video game.

Hearthstone’s massive following is due in part to the high-quality features in the game and its recognizable cast of characters. The game morphs a bit of art with strategy and luck to provide a fascinating landscape to play in. The game is cross-platform and links to your Blizzard account, so you can play with friends on desktop or mobile. Each card represents a specific ability you can wield to win PvE and PvP battles, whether that’s a hero, minion, or spell. Choose from 10 hero classes — all free to play — and battle favorite heroes from Warcraft, like Illidan Stomrage, as you explore iconic locations from the Warcraft universe. One of the best aspects of the game is the Battlegrounds, PvP auto-battles with up to seven of your friends. Hearthstone is completely free to play.

Android iOS

Editors' Recommendations

Andre Revilla
Andre Revilla is an entrepreneur and writer from Austin, TX that has been working in and covering the consumer tech space for…
The best parental control apps for iPhone and Android
best parental control apps

One big new aspect of parenting in the 21st century is keeping an eye on your child in both physical space and cyberspace. Children now are more online than any other generation before, and while that offers a lot of benefits, there are dangers and problems with that too. Controlling what your child does on the internet isn’t always easy, but there are a variety of tools you can use to make the task less difficult. Parental control apps are the best way to make sure your child is safe while they spend time online, and most also come with ways to track and limit the amount of time your children spend on screens and online.

There are lots of parental control apps available on Android and the iPhone, so how do you know which one to trust? That's why we've put together this list that includes both in-built options and powerful subscription-based services, so you can make the choice that is right for you and for your kids.

Read more
One iPhone 14 feature just saved three people’s lives
Person holding iPhone 14 searching for Emergency SOS satellite.

Apple launched its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature with the launch of the iPhone 14, and we're already seeing it save lives. This weekend, three Brigham Young University students were left stranded while exploring the canyons of the San Rafael Swell Recreation area in Utah and used the feature to call for help.

According to KUTV, the students became stranded in deep water during their time canyoneering and were unable to get out for several hours resulting in hypothermic shock to begin setting in. Due to the rural area they were in, the group wasn't able to call for help using regular cellular data. Luckily, Stephen Watts, one of the students, had an iPhone 14 and was able to use the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature to text authorities and share their location with them.

Read more
iPhone Lockdown Mode: how to use the security feature (and why you should)
Lockdown mode for iPhone

Apple takes pride in selling a promise of privacy to its customers, and to a large extent, it lives up to that promise. As cyber criminals devise new ways to target phones, with tools as sophisticated and virtually undetectable as the Pegasus spyware, Apple also keeps fortifying its devices.

One step in that direction is Lockdown Mode, an “extreme” safety measure that was introduced with iOS 16 last year. The feature blocks a lot of vectors through which a zero-click, zero-day spyware like Pegasus finds its way inside a phone. From phone calls and message attachments to shared albums and network profiles, Lockdown Mode limits those risk routes.

Read more