If you’ve ever logged into Mobile Legends only to be locked out of a new limited-time event or stuck with a glitchy hero skill that hasn’t been patched yet, you already know how critical it is to stay on top of game updates. A lot of players run into unnecessary headaches when they try to update the game, from painfully slow download speeds to corrupted files that force a full reinstall of the 4GB+ game. We’ve put together this guide based on hundreds of hours of playing and troubleshooting MLBB across every common device type, so you can skip the frustration and get straight to the new content. First, we’ll walk you through exactly how to update Mobile Legends on every type of device you might use to play.
How to Update Mobile Legends on Android, iOS, and Emulators
The process varies slightly depending on what device you use, but none of the steps are complicated if you follow them closely. For Android users, open the Google Play Store, search for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and tap the “Update” button right below the game name. If you don’t see the update button immediately, pull down on the Play Store home screen to refresh your pending updates, or clear the Play Store cache if the update still doesn’t show up. Always make sure you have at least 3GB of free storage on your device before starting an update to avoid incomplete or corrupted files that break the game.
For iOS users, open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, and scroll down to the “Pending Updates” section. Find Mobile Legends in the list and tap the update button next to it. Keep in mind that iOS rolls out updates in regional batches, so if you don’t see the update right away, wait 24 hours before trying other fixes, it will usually show up on its own. If you play on a PC emulator like BlueStacks or LDPlayer, open the emulator’s built-in app store and follow the same steps as Android users. You can also download the official APK directly from the Moonton website if the emulator store hasn’t updated the game yet, as long as you confirm you’re on the official site first.
If you have auto-update enabled on your device, the game will usually update on its own when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, but it’s a good idea to manually check for updates a day before a big ranked season reset or event launch, so you don’t miss out on the first day rewards.
Common Update Errors and How to Fix Them Fast
Even if you follow all the basic steps, you might run into a few common errors that stop your update from completing. The most frequent issue is the update getting stuck at 0% or 99% for 10+ minutes. This is almost always caused by an unstable internet connection, so switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi if you can, or move closer to your router to get a stronger signal. You can also pause and resume the download, or restart your router to fix the issue.
Another common error is the “update failed” pop-up that appears right before the install finishes. First, try closing all other running apps on your device to free up RAM and processing power, then restart the update. If that doesn’t work, clear the Mobile Legends cache (don’t clear full app data!) and try again. Never clear your Mobile Legends app data if you haven’t linked your account to Moonton, Facebook, or Google Play, you could lose all your skins, rank progress, and in-game purchases permanently with no way to get them back.
Before you start any update, run through these quick pre-checks to avoid almost all common issues:
- Link your MLBB account to at least two different platforms (Moonton + Google, for example) to avoid losing progress if something goes wrong
- Close all other running apps on your device to free up RAM and storage bandwidth for the update
- Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network to avoid extra data charges and interrupted downloads
- Charge your device to at least 50% or plug it in, so it doesn’t shut down mid-update and corrupt the game files
If you get an “incompatible device” error, check the latest patch notes to see if the minimum OS requirements have changed. If your device is running an older OS that’s no longer supported, you can either update your device’s operating system if possible, or switch to playing on a PC emulator if your phone is too old to support the latest version.
What to Do After Updating Mobile Legends
The work isn’t done once the app store update finishes, because the initial download only installs the base game files. When you open Mobile Legends for the first time after an update, you’ll be prompted to download additional in-game resources like new hero skins, event assets, sound effects, and balance change files. This download can be anywhere from 500MB to 2GB depending on the size of the patch, so make sure you still have enough storage space and a stable connection before you start.
If you have a slow internet connection or limited storage, you can select the “low resource” download option to skip high-definition skin effects and extra voice lines, which cuts the download size in half. The only downside is you won’t see full special effects for new limited skins, but the game will run smoother on older devices either way. Take 2 minutes to read the official patch notes after every update, you’ll learn about hero balance changes, new event rewards, and hidden quality of life updates you might otherwise miss for weeks.
After the in-game download finishes, take 30 seconds to confirm your account progress is still intact: check your rank, skin collection, and in-game currency like diamonds and battle points. If anything is missing, contact Moonton support immediately through the in-game help center with your account ID and any purchase receipts for items you’re missing, they can usually restore lost items within 24 hours. If you play ranked regularly, test any adjusted heroes in classic mode first before you use them in ranked, so you don’t lose stars because you don’t know how their new skill changes work.
Is It Safe to Use Third-Party APKs to Update Early?
A lot of players want to get access to new updates a few days before they roll out in their region, so they turn to third-party APK sites that host pre-release versions of the game. It might seem like a harmless way to test new heroes early, but the risks far outweigh the small benefit of getting the update a few days ahead of everyone else. Most unregulated APK sites host files that are injected with malware designed to steal your account credentials, or corrupted files that force you to reinstall the entire game from scratch.
Moonton actively bans accounts that use modified or unofficially sourced APK files, even if you only used it to get the update a few days early. I’ve seen dozens of players in my local MLBB community lose accounts worth hundreds of dollars in skins and limited items because they downloaded a fake APK from a random forum, and Moonton rarely reverses these bans. There are a small number of trusted official APK mirrors run by Moonton for regions where updates are rolled out especially late, but you have to confirm the link is shared on the official MLBB social media accounts before you download anything.
If you really want to access the update early, you can temporarily change your App Store or Play Store region to a country where the update is already live, but this can cause issues with your existing app purchases and subscription services linked to your account. The only safe way to update Mobile Legends is through official app stores or the official Moonton website, any other source puts your account and device at risk.
Updating your game doesn’t have to be a frustrating process, and following the steps we’ve laid out will help you avoid almost all common issues. Whether you’re playing on a budget Android phone, a latest-generation iPhone, or a PC emulator, taking a few extra minutes to prepare before you start will save you hours of troubleshooting later. If you do run into a problem we didn’t cover, you can always reach out to the official Mobile Legends support team through the in-game help center for personalized help. Now that you know how to update Mobile Legends safely, you can jump straight into all the new heroes, events, and balance changes the latest patch has to offer.