How to Play NextBall on Your Phone: Touch Controls, Settings and Tips

Open nextballz.com in your phone's browser (Chrome on Android, Safari on iPhone) and tap Play. There is nothing to download and you can play as a guest. First-time players get a short interactive tutorial that teaches curve, soft touch and lob with hands-on drills.

Turn your phone sideways for the best view of the pitch. If your phone keeps the page upright, the game turns itself so the pitch still fills the screen.

The left side of the screen is a joystick for movement. In Settings > Touch controls you can keep it fixed in the corner or make it free, so the spot where your thumb lands on the left half becomes its centre. The right side has the action buttons: kick, curve left and right, lob and soft touch, plus sprint and the lunge in Real Match.

Curve and lob work exactly as on a computer: tap the button to arm it, and your next kick bends or lifts. The arrow on your player shows what is armed.

Every hand is different, so the buttons can be moved and resized. Open Settings > Touch controls and edit the layout: drag a button where your thumb falls naturally and make the kick button bigger than the rest.

Settings also has Controls opacity. Lower it to make the joystick and buttons more see-through so you can see the pitch under your thumbs, or raise it if you lose track of the buttons in bright light.

Adding the game to your home screen gives it its own icon and opens it without the browser bar, which leaves more room for the pitch.

• Android (Chrome): tap the menu (three dots), then Add to Home screen or Install app.
• iPhone and iPad (Safari): tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.

Tap the chat button to open the chat sheet and type a message. To get back to the match, tap the close button at the top of the sheet, tap the bar above the messages, or simply touch the pitch. Recent messages also float briefly over the game while the chat is closed, so you never miss what your team says.

• Use Wi-Fi when you can. Rooms connect players directly to the host, and a stable connection matters more than raw speed.
• Close other apps that use the network, such as video streams or downloads.
• If other players look jumpy, type /extrapolation auto in chat; it smooths movement using half your ping.
• Keep your phone charged or plugged in for long sessions: a phone in battery-saving mode can slow the game down.

Ready for more? Learn the basics in How to play, then try the mode that suits you.