How to Use the Game Center on Your iPad
The iPad's Game Center allows you to connect with friends, participate in leaderboards, track achievements within your favorite games and even challenge your friends to see who can get the highest score. It also keeps track of your turns in many turn-based multiplayer games.
The best thing about the Game Center is that you don't need to do anything special to use its most popular features. Games that support leaderboards and achievements will automatically sign you into the Game Center when you launch the game.
And if you've never signed into the Game Center, they will prompt you to sign in.
The Game Center uses the same Apple ID as the App Store and iTunes. The email address used in your Apple ID should already be filled into the login screen when asked to log into Game Center, and the password will be the same password you use when purchasing apps or books or music.
Most games will allow you to track your standing on leaderboards and your achievements within the game, but you can also track these things in the Game Center app itself. The app is also useful for adding new friends and challenging friends to a game. The Game Center app is broken down into five categories: Me, Friends, Games, Challenges and Turns.
The Best Action Games
Me is your profile page. It will let you know how many Game Center compatible games you have installed, how many friends you have, if it is your turn in a game or if you have any friend requests. It will also display a list of the top Game Center games. You can add a username different from your Apple Id, a slogan and a photo to your profile.
Friends is a list of your current friends. You can look at each friends profile, including some of the games they've played. This is a great way to find new games and to connect with friends via a game you have in common. This page will also show you friend recommendations based on your current friends.
Games is a list of your current games and the games recommended to you based on other games you play or games your friends are playing. You can use the Games page to drill into a certain game to get a look at the leaderboards, achievements and other players. All leaderboards are split between all players playing the game and just your friends, so you basically have a separate leaderboard to see how you stack up against people on your friends list. You can also challenge friends to a game by tapping the friend in the leaderboard list and choosing "Send Challenge".
Challenges is where you can see all of the challenges you've been issued. Unfortunately, you can't challenge a player to game from this area, which makes it a little confusing. But if you've been issued a challenge, you can keep track of it on this screen.
Turns is the last section of the Game Center and displays all the multiplayer turn-based games you are involved in and whether or not it is your turn to play. It is important to note that not all turn-based games will be listed here. The game must support the Game Center's turn-based mode to be listed on this screen. Some games like Draw Something keep track of turns outside of the Game Center.
The Best Free Games for the iPad
Find Out: How to Log Out of the Game Center
It's extraordinarily easy to sign into the Game Center. Simply launch any game that supports it and the iPad will prompt you for your password. It'll even fill in the Apple ID email address for you. Want to log out of the Game Center? Not so easy. In fact, you can't even log out of the Game Center while in the Game Center app.
So how do you do it?
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Find Out: How to Change Your Profile Name
It's very easy to set your Game Center's profile name the first time, but after it is set, the Game Center is a bit stingy about changing it. But that doesn't mean you are stuck with your original nickname forever. It just means that the Game Center doesn't offer you the full scope of settings for customizing your experience. Here's how to change your profile's name:
The Best Card Battle Games on the iPad
The iPad's Game Center allows you to connect with friends, participate in leaderboards, track achievements within your favorite games and even challenge your friends to see who can get the highest score. It also keeps track of your turns in many turn-based multiplayer games.
The best thing about the Game Center is that you don't need to do anything special to use its most popular features. Games that support leaderboards and achievements will automatically sign you into the Game Center when you launch the game.
And if you've never signed into the Game Center, they will prompt you to sign in.
The Game Center uses the same Apple ID as the App Store and iTunes. The email address used in your Apple ID should already be filled into the login screen when asked to log into Game Center, and the password will be the same password you use when purchasing apps or books or music.
Most games will allow you to track your standing on leaderboards and your achievements within the game, but you can also track these things in the Game Center app itself. The app is also useful for adding new friends and challenging friends to a game. The Game Center app is broken down into five categories: Me, Friends, Games, Challenges and Turns.
The Best Action Games
Me is your profile page. It will let you know how many Game Center compatible games you have installed, how many friends you have, if it is your turn in a game or if you have any friend requests. It will also display a list of the top Game Center games. You can add a username different from your Apple Id, a slogan and a photo to your profile.
Friends is a list of your current friends. You can look at each friends profile, including some of the games they've played. This is a great way to find new games and to connect with friends via a game you have in common. This page will also show you friend recommendations based on your current friends.
Games is a list of your current games and the games recommended to you based on other games you play or games your friends are playing. You can use the Games page to drill into a certain game to get a look at the leaderboards, achievements and other players. All leaderboards are split between all players playing the game and just your friends, so you basically have a separate leaderboard to see how you stack up against people on your friends list. You can also challenge friends to a game by tapping the friend in the leaderboard list and choosing "Send Challenge".
Challenges is where you can see all of the challenges you've been issued. Unfortunately, you can't challenge a player to game from this area, which makes it a little confusing. But if you've been issued a challenge, you can keep track of it on this screen.
Turns is the last section of the Game Center and displays all the multiplayer turn-based games you are involved in and whether or not it is your turn to play. It is important to note that not all turn-based games will be listed here. The game must support the Game Center's turn-based mode to be listed on this screen. Some games like Draw Something keep track of turns outside of the Game Center.
The Best Free Games for the iPad
Find Out: How to Log Out of the Game Center
It's extraordinarily easy to sign into the Game Center. Simply launch any game that supports it and the iPad will prompt you for your password. It'll even fill in the Apple ID email address for you. Want to log out of the Game Center? Not so easy. In fact, you can't even log out of the Game Center while in the Game Center app.
So how do you do it?
- First, you need to go into the iPad's settings. It's the app icon with the gears turning. And yes, you need to go out of the Game Center app and into another app in order to log out of it. Find out how to get into the iPad's settings
- Next, scroll down the left-side menu and tap "Game Center". It's in the block of options that starts with the iTunes and App Store.
- In the Game Center settings, tap the "Apple ID:" box at the top. This will prompt you on if you want to Sign Out or if you have forgotten your Apple ID or Password. Tapping "Sign Out" will log you out of the Game Center.
The Best Classic Arcade Games on the iPad
Find Out: How to Change Your Profile Name
It's very easy to set your Game Center's profile name the first time, but after it is set, the Game Center is a bit stingy about changing it. But that doesn't mean you are stuck with your original nickname forever. It just means that the Game Center doesn't offer you the full scope of settings for customizing your experience. Here's how to change your profile's name:
- Go into the iPad's Settings. It's the icon with the gears turning. Find out how to open the iPad's settings
- Scroll down the left side menu and find "Game Center". Once you tap this menu item, the settings will appear on the right.
- Your profile is listed in the middle of the Game Center settings. Simply tap your profile name to make modifications.
- On the profile screen you can change your nickname by tapping it.
- You can also make your profile private, add an email address to your Game Center profile or edit information about your Apple ID.
The Best Card Battle Games on the iPad
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