How Tos

How to download App Store games on your iPhone (and iPod touch)

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How to download App Store games on your iPhone (and iPod touch)
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So, Apple's iPhone 3G went on sale last Friday, alongside the release of the iPhone 2.0 software for existing handsets (and iPod touch), and the launch of the official App Store.

There are already loads of games available to download, from big publishers and small developers alike. What's more, there's an App Store application on the iPhone, allowing you to browse, buy and download on the device itself.

We're assuming you've got either an iPhone 3G or an updated 2G iPhone for the purposes of this How To, which explains the ins and outs of the iPhone App Store.


Start by browsing the Games category, by tapping on the 'Categories' icon at the bottom of the screen, then the 'Games' button. You'll see a big list of all the iPhone games, with their publishers, prices and (where applicable) their average review from other users. Scroll down the list by dragging your finger down the screen, until you find something you like the look of, then tap on it to go through to the game page.

Each game's product page has text about its gameplay and features – the same stuff you'd see on the PC-based App Store in iTunes. However, you can also scroll down the screen to see a screenshot, which should give you a good idea of what the game's about. Ready to buy? Click on the price box at the top right, which will change to 'BUY NOW'. Tap again, and you'll be prompted to enter your iTunes password. You'll now be sent back to the main iPhone menu, with a greyed-out icon showing the game's loading and installation process. When it's done, you can play!

Now let's explore some of the other ways to browse games on the iPhone App Store. Check the icons at the bottom again. 'Featured' offers two lists: new apps and 'What's Hot'. These cover all applications, not just games, and work in the same way as the Games category listing. Meanwhile, tapping on 'Top 25' at the bottom brings up a choice of two charts: the most popular paid apps, and the most popular free apps. Again, you scroll down and tap through to product pages as normal.

What if you know the name of the game you're looking for, and want to find it quickly without scrolling through a long list? That's where the 'Search' option comes in handy. Tap on its icon at the bottom of the screen, and start entering a title using the pop-up keyboard. As you type, a list of games/apps will appear, allowing you to tap through to their product pages.

One really cool feature in the iPhone App Store is the ability to recommend games to friends via email. You do it by going to a game's product page, and tapping on the 'Tell A Friend' button at the top right. You'll be whisked off to the iPhone's email client (assuming you've set this up), with a readymade email with the direct link to the App Store in the body. All you have to do is type in which friend(s) you want to send it to, and then tap 'Send'. When they receive the email, clicking on the link will take them to that game in the App Store – whether they're on an iPhone or an iTunes-equipped computer.

There's a final icon at the bottom of the App Store application, called 'Updates'. That's where you'll be able to download updated versions of the games and apps on your iPhone. Yep, sorry folks, this means patches – although on the bright side, it could mean new features and game content, too, depending how publishers use it. Anyway, for now it's too early for any updates to be available, but it's worth tapping on this icon every so often just to check.

Stuart Dredge
Stuart Dredge
Stuart is a freelance journalist and blogger who's been getting paid to write stuff since 1998. In that time, he's focused on topics ranging from Sega's Dreamcast console to robots. That's what you call versatility. (Or a short attention span.)