How to Use GBA Cheats on Android: Easy Tutorials for Every Major Emulator

QUICK ANSWER
Using GBA cheats on Android involves finding a reliable cheat database, such as PokeCoders, identifying the correct cheat type, and locating the cheat settings in your chosen emulator. Within the Cheats settings, you can add codes, select their type, and activate them along with any additional instructions required for them to work properly.

As one of the simplest and most popular gaming consoles, the GBA has plenty of emulators available, especially on Android. While these emulators may organize their options differently, most support cheat codes.

If you want to activate cheat codes for your GBA games on Android, this guide provides simple instructions to help you get started.

How to Add and Enable Cheats on GBA Emulators for Android

Before you can use GBA cheats on Android, you need an emulator for the said platform first. The process for using GBA cheats may slightly vary across various GBA emulators.

For this post, we will feature tutorials for My Boy!, Linkboy, Pizza Boy, John GBA, and RetroArch.

For the following screenshots, we used the same cheat while running Pokemon FireRed: The infinite money cheat! If you want to try a different cheat code, make sure to follow any additional instructions provided by your source because some cheats might require adding a master code first.

My Boy!

My Boy! is a paid app, but you can also settle for My Boy! Lite if you don’t want to spend money on an emulator. To use cheats, load your game, and click on the following:

Pause (the three horizontal lines at the upper middle) -> Cheats

Within the Cheats section, press the plus sign at the lower right corner to add a cheat. You must set it up first by giving it a name, cheat type, and the actual cheat code.

The cheat code section is the actual part where you paste the cheats. For the cheat type, you’re free to leave it on auto-detect, but identifying the correct type is usually easy since most cheat sources, especially PokeCoders, specify the code type in their posts.

Once you fill up all the necessary information, click on the three vertical dots at the upper right corner to save it. To activate a cheat, check the box next to it or use the specific button combination provided by the cheat source. 

Linkboy

Linkboy had a much simpler interface compared to My Boy!. Load your game and press on the menu button on the upper right corner of your screen. You will find four options: Load, Save, Cheats, and Link.

Click on Cheats to find the warning section and press the plus button to add a cheat. Add your desired cheat’s name and the code, then save. Ensure the cheat’s box is checked, apply additional instructions from the source if needed, go back to the game, and you’re good to go.

Pizza Boy A

Run your game and press the menu button on the lower left corner. In the long list of options, look for Cheats. A small window will appear, and inside you have to add the following information:

• Cheat type
• Cheat Code
• Master code box (check it only if you’re entering a master code)
• Cheat description (basically the name)

To save the cheat, press on Add/Update Cheat, and the emulator will add it to your cheat list. Don’t forget to check the box to enable it.

Unlike My Boy! And Link Boy, you must know the type of cheat code you’re using since it doesn’t have an auto-detect option. The good thing about Pizza Boy, however, is that it has a built-in tutorial button that links you to a YouTube video where you can learn the entire cheating process.

John GBA

Keep in mind that John GBA is also a paid app like My Boy!, but you can also go for the free lite version. We also experienced some difficulties in setting up the game folders, but just keep on following the instructions until you can load your game.

Open the game’s menu and press on Cheats. To use a cheat, click the plus button on the upper right corner.

Like most GBA emulators, use the window to enter your desired cheat’s name, cheat type, and the actual code. Hit OK, check the cheat box, and go back to your game to test it.

RetroArch

RetroArch is perhaps the most complicated emulator we have on this list. It’s not a standalone GBA emulator like the others, and you need to install the mGBA core first if you want to play GBA games and use cheats more frequently.

Read our beginner’s tutorial for RetroArch first, and once you have installed the mGBA core, follow these instructions carefully:

1. Load the core and click on Online Updater. Wait for it to download and extract the files.
2. Boot up your game and click on the RetroArch logo at the center of your screen to open the quick menu. Scroll down and find the Cheats option.
3. Inside the Cheats section, turn on the auto-apply cheats and apply after toggler options.
4. Still in the Cheats section, click on Load Cheat File (Replace) and select the Nintendo – Game Boy Advance folder, and inside this folder, find and click on the name of the game you’re playing.
5. After clicking the correct game folder, the emulator will bring you back to the Cheats section. Scroll down to see that all popular cheats for your game are already listed at the bottom.
6. Select a cheat you want to activate, and inside its menu, turn on the Enabled option. Make sure to also read all other text you’ll see here, as you might need to do some in-game actions after activating turning the cheat on.
7. In the Cheats section, click on Apply Changes.
8. Go back to your game, and the cheat should take effect.

Read This Before Adding Any Cheat

Cheats alter important in-game data or programs, so using them always carries some risk of causing minor or major issues. GBA games are no exception.

Fortunately, you can minimize the odds of you having problems when using cheats by observing the following practices.

• Keep a backup of your save file. Find your game’s .sav file and make a copy of it so you can restore your progress if a cheat code corrupts the original save.
• Save both in-game and through your emulator. Same with backing up your save file, you can quickly go back to your last save if you have a save state along with your in-game save file.
• Follow any instructions and requirements needed to enable a specific cheat. Some cheats can cause glitches and bugs if you use them incorrectly.
• If a cheat has a master code, enter it first. Master codes act like a digital key that opens a game memory so that various cheat types can take effect.
• Avoid enabling multiple cheats at a time. A single cheat can ruin a save file, and the risk of running into problems increases as you enable more cheats at once.
• Turn off a cheat code if you’re not using it. Leaving a cheat active after you no longer need it can also cause bugs or glitches when you interact with something the game cannot properly process due to the alterations made to its data.

GBA Cheat Types Explained

Many GBA cheats originated from hardware devices such as GameShark, Action Replay, and Code Breaker. These devices connected to the GBA cartridge and intercepted or modified the game’s memory while it was running, allowing players to alter values such as health, items, money, or other in-game data.

Over time, players and researchers documented and shared codes from these devices, with different code formats becoming associated with their respective cheat systems. This is why GBA cheats are often labeled as GameShark, Action Replay, or Code Breaker.

Most GBA emulators can only read and apply cheats if they understand the type of cheat the user wants to activate. Each cheat type also features a different format of code, so it’s always important to read all notes about every cheat that you want to use.

What to Do If a GBA Cheat Won’t Work

There are a couple of potential reasons if you discovered that a cheat code you’re using doesn’t trigger its effect in the game. These are:

• Not pressing the required button combination. Some cheats, such as Pokemon FireRed’s GameShark code for catching another Trainer’s Pokemon, require pressing the L and R buttons before using the Poke Ball.
• Labeling a cheat with the wrong type. Since cheat types use different code formats, selecting the wrong type can cause the emulator to misinterpret the code, preventing the cheat from working properly.
• Incorrect copy-pasting of the code. Each cheat only works when you enter the correct code exactly as provided. Even a single incorrect character can cause the cheat to malfunction and, in some cases, lead to bugs or save-file corruption.
• Wrong game version. Some games and ROM hacks have multiple versions, each with their own compatible set of cheat codes. Using a cheat designed for version 1.2 on a 1.0 ROM may cause the code to fail or produce unexpected results.
• Forgetting to enable the cheat’s master code. As already mentioned, a master code is just as important as a specific code. It’s like a key to a gate that you want to unlock.
• Wrong emulator for ROM hacks. ROM hacks have the tendency to only work on specific emulators, and the cheat codes may also behave the same way.
• Not applying any additional actions. Several codes exist where you have to do things first, such as visiting a Pokemon Center, walking into the tall grass, going to a specific location, etc.

Final Thoughts

With this guide, you should be able to activate cheats on all the GBA emulators that we mentioned right at the comfort of your Android device. Based on our testing, the most beginner-friendly is Linkboy, while the hardest one to use cheats on is RetroArch.

RetroArch is only recommended for players who want to use a single emulator to play games from other systems apart from GBA and are willing to learn its intricate interface.

Most dedicated GBA emulators for Android offer built-in cheat support, which you can usually access through the quick access or pause menu. Open the menu while playing, and you should find the emulator’s cheat section among its available options.

Check out more of our guides:

• How to Use Cheats on melonDS for Android
• 5 Best GBA Emulators for Cheating

GBA Cheats on Android FAQ