How to use Game Center on iPhone & Mac

By Amber Neely

Apple has a system where you can earn achievements in games and compete with friends. Here's how to set up and use Apple's Game Center on iOS, iPadOS, and Mac.

Game Center allows you to create a friends list, manage your Game Center profile, earn achievements, and even compete on global leaderboards on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

It's easy enough to do, though you'll need to set up a Game Center profile first.

While you can use Game Center features on Mac, in order to properly set up your Game Center profile, you need to have an iPhone or iPad.

How to create a Game Center profile on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open Settings
  2. Scroll down and tap on Game Center
  3. Tap the Nickname field and enter a nickname
  4. Add a picture by tapping on the picture that shows your nickname -- you can use a Memoji you have previously created or create a new Memoji to use

Once you've created your profile, you can immediately start earning achievements and competing on leaderboards. However, you can add friends to your Game Center profile, too.

How to add friends in Game Center on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open Settings
  2. Scroll down and tap on Game Center
  3. Tap Add Friends
  4. Enter the phone number, email, or select one of your contacts to add

You can also add friends to Game Center from your Mac.

How to add friends in Game Center on macOS

  1. Click on the Apple Menu
  2. Click System Preferences
  3. Click Internet Accounts
  4. Click Game Center
  5. Click Add Friends
  6. Enter the phone number, email, or select one of your contacts to add

If you've decided that you no longer want to be friends with a Game Center contact, you can remove them by following the steps below.

How to remove friends from Game Center on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open Settings
  2. Scroll down and tap on Game Center
  3. Tap Friends
  4. Swipe left over the user's name
  5. Tap Remove. You can also choose to report problematic behavior, such as cheating or inappropriate content

How to remove friends from Game Center on macOS

  1. Click on the Apple Menu
  2. Click System Preferences
  3. Click Internet Accounts
  4. Click Game Center
  5. Click the name of the user you wish to remove
  6. Click Remove. You can also choose to report problematic behavior, such as cheating or inappropriate content