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How to add your games to Retro Pal (iPhone)

Updated: July 14, 2026

Retro Pal reads your Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS game files. There are three ways to import them, each under a minute. And if you're coming from another emulator, your saves can come with you.

What you need

A game file, that’s all: a .gb, .gbc, .gba or .nds, or a .zip containing one. Get it onto your iPhone like any other file, through Safari, AirDrop, iCloud Drive or a cable; it lands in the Files app.

One honest note before we start: Retro Pal doesn’t provide any games and doesn’t point to places that do. The legal way is copying the cartridges you own.

Method 1: the + button in the app

  1. Open Retro Pal, library tab.
  2. Tap the + button.
  3. The Files app opens: browse to your game file and select it.
  4. The game appears in your library, ready to play.

Method 2: from the Files app

You can also start from the file itself, without opening Retro Pal first:

  1. In the Files app, long-press your game file.
  2. Choose Share, then Retro Pal in the list.
  3. The app opens and imports the game directly.

This is the fastest route when you’ve just received a file over AirDrop or downloaded it with Safari.

Method 3: a .zip file

No need to unzip anything: import the .zip through either method above and Retro Pal extracts the game by itself. If the archive doesn’t contain a supported file, the app tells you exactly what went wrong instead of failing silently.

Coming from another emulator? Bring your saves

This is what usually keeps people from switching: dozens of hours of progress stuck in another app. Retro Pal imports standard saves, whatever emulator they come from:

  1. Export the save from your old emulator: a .sav file (Game Boy, GBC, GBA) or .srm file (DS).
  2. In Retro Pal, import the matching game first, then open its detail page from the library.
  3. Import the save file from the game’s detail page.

Two safeguards watch over the process: if a save already exists, a backup copy is made before anything is replaced, and if the file name doesn’t match the game, the app warns you before doing anything.

What’s next?

Launch the game and play. Your progress is saved automatically, and in-game saves (the ones made inside the game itself) survive app updates. Bluetooth controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, MFi) work as soon as they’re connected. And if you want to see more, the app is free, ad-free and available in fifteen languages.

FAQ

Which file formats are supported?

.gb (Game Boy), .gbc (Game Boy Color), .gba (Game Boy Advance) and .nds (Nintendo DS) files, plus .zip archives containing one of those.

Where do I find game files?

Retro Pal doesn't provide any, and we can't help you find them. The legal way is dumping the cartridges you own.

Can I bring my saves over from another emulator?

Yes. Retro Pal imports standard .sav saves (Game Boy, GBC, GBA) and .srm saves (DS) from any emulator, with an automatic backup before anything is replaced.

Is emulation legal?

The emulator is legal. It's the game files that you need to own legally.

Download Retro Pal on the App Store