5 Next-Level Fortnite Mobile Tips

Drop in like a pro on the go with this Fortnite guide to mobile gameplay.

A Fortnite Samsung gamer plays on the Samsung Galaxy Note9

Most players are dropping in while on a console, but is there any help for Fortnite mobile gameplay? If you’re the only one in your pack playing on an Android, here are five battle-tested Fortnite mobile tips to help you stay out of your opponents’ crosshairs.

Create a landmark, then blow it up

One of the most unique aspects of Fortnite is the players’ ability to build their own cover. While it can help in the middle of a vicious firefight, it can also attract far-away players who otherwise wouldn’t have seen you.

Here’s a Fortnite gameplay hack: turn the tables on console players by using a small fort as bait. Build a structure big enough to be spotted from afar but small enough that you can evacuate it quickly, then throw every remote detonator on it that you can.

Next, find nearby natural cover (a tree or a rock will suffice—they’ll be focused on the structure) and wait for someone to enter your fort looking for you. Blowing your detonators then following up with a high-DPS weapon (Rare or higher machine guns do quick work) can land an easy score for Fortnite Android players.

Using a simple structure as bait is an easy Fortnite mobile trick

Infinity Display

The Note9’s Infinity Display is great for Fortnite mobile visibility—essential when skydiving.

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Where you land can mean the difference between 89th place or Victory Royale

Don’t drop right away

Every round is packed with a hundred players of varying abilities. Fortnite Android players need to filter out the pros, and quickly.

Don’t jump until the last ten seconds of the Battle Bus’s trip across the map, then aim for a non-named area of interest with buildings far from the bus’s path. You’ll land with little competition and lots of loot, and by the time you run back to the action, most of the players in your round will have already taken care of each other.

Granted, you stand a higher chance of being overcome by the storm this way, but if you keep an eye on your map and keep moving inland, you’ll be fine.

Infinity Display

The Note9’s Infinity Display is great for Fortnite mobile visibility—essential when skydiving.

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Listen for opponents

Fortnite might not have a mini-radar in the HUD like other shooters, but you can learn a lot about your immediate situation with in-game audio cues—a simple yet effective Fortnite mobile trick.

You can get the jump on players (or keep others from getting the jump on you) if you hear the sound of their footsteps. And with Season 6’s updates, those footsteps can tell you more than ever. Players who are above you, like the upper floor of a house, have higher-pitched footsteps, while the footsteps of players beneath you have a lower pitch. Other audio cues, like opening doors and nearby pickaxes, can give away another player’s position.

If you’re playing on mute or with bargain bin headphones, you’re starting the game at a disadvantage. Investing in a solid pair of headphones like the AKG N700 from Samsung is almost like setting up your own mini-radar.

You can learn a lot about your immediate situation with in-game audio cues.

Know the difference between score and XP

Winning a shootout with another player feels great and might get you to the /r/FortnightBR front page, but it doesn’t advance you through the tiers the way big XP gains do, and nothing gets you XP like placing higher in a round does.

A 7th place finish with 2 kills gets you more XP than a 22nd place finish with 10 kills does. If you’re looking to earn some tier rewards, starting in a remote area of the island and letting the pros pick themselves off will move you up the ranks much faster than lots of quick drops into early game firefights.

Tip

Finishing higher up in the round will net you more XP than going for quick scores will.

Tip

Finishing higher up in the round will net you more XP than going for quick scores will.

Go for the gold

This might be obvious if you’ve played more than three times, but it always, always, always pays off to sweep an area for golden chests before picking your spot to fall. Circle the area as your glider deploys, check out the surrounding buildings, and take your time in choosing your drop. It doesn’t slow your descent down, and you’re stuck up there anyway.

If you don’t see any chests, pick a rooftop with a weapon on it, drop on the weapon, then run across the roof listening for a chest’s telltale hum. Break apart the floor where you hear the hum and you’ll drop right onto your very own arsenal.

If you still can’t find a chest, work your way through the building you’re in quickly and quietly. Don’t stop for gray weapons, keep an ear out for a chest’s hum, and move onto another building as fast as you can. Dropping into a poorly-spawned structure is a great way to get picked off early in the round.

When it comes to hearing chests in Fortnite, Samsung’s AKG headphones are almost a cheat code

When in doubt, take a break

Sometimes, it pays to take a break and come back fresh. Game Launcher on Samsung devices is full of new games to try, from the fun of Fortnite gameplay to puzzle games like 2048. If you’re hitting a wall, put down the Port-A-Fort and pick up something new to give your mind a break.