PolyTrack on mobile: touch buttons and landscape driving
Use the buttons on either side of the game to drive PolyTrack on a phone. Find a comfortable grip, divide acceleration and steering between your hands, then add braking and nitro. Landscape or fullscreen gives more viewing space; smoothness depends on your device and browser.
PolyTrack driving guide editors · Updated
Recognise the buttons on each side
The left arrows steer. On the right, Up accelerates, Down brakes and lightning activates nitro. The touch nitro button also provides accelerator input, so use it after getting moving. Holding the brake prevents nitro from activating.
Begin with an easy track such as Forest Passage or Snowfield Sprint. Learn acceleration and steering first, then release the accelerator before bends. You do not need to press every button continuously. Brake to slow down and accelerate again once your direction is steady.
Use landscape and fullscreen
The home-page driving area has “Fullscreen driving”, and the game also has a fullscreen control. Supported browsers fill the screen; some devices use a fullscreen area within the page. If the display does not rotate, check rotation lock and hold the phone horizontally.
Exit with the onscreen button or a supported system control. After rotating, pause and check where the controls are. Changing orientation changes what you can see: settle into the new layout before restarting a timed lap for a fair comparison.
Start with short steering presses
You can hold the accelerator, but begin with short presses for steering corrections. Release acceleration as the road bends, turn, release steering and look at the next section. If you repeatedly correct from side to side, try slowing earlier and shortening each steering press.
If your fingers cover the mini-map, prioritise the road ahead and checkpoint count. Learn the route at a lower speed when exits are hard to see. Fullscreen gives more room but does not steer for you or make every device perform alike.
Check pause when returning from another app
Leaving the page or sending the browser to the background pauses the game. Press Resume when you return. If driving does not resume, check the pause panel and whether your finger is actually on a control; a stationary car is not necessarily a fault.
Use the game’s Restart button for a fresh lap. If acceleration seems stuck, pause and resume to start touch input again. Avoid switching apps during a timed attempt; compare laps you actually drove from beginning to end.
Make your mobile practice easier to compare
Choose an easy track and finish a solo lap. Repeat on the same track in the same orientation to spot steering presses that last too long or nitro used too early. Recording where you return to the track is more useful than continually changing routes.
If graphics fail to load or feel very slow, reopen the page, close unused tabs and try another easy track. If the issue continues, send support the device model, browser, track and what happened. Browser 3D support is required, and performance varies between devices.
Read next: How to play PolyTrack: from your first lap to consistent finishes →
Read the obstacle, then choose a clear side
On a phone, use short steering presses to reach the clear lane. Accelerate or boost once the car is steady. Avoid holding a steering button while approaching an obstacle at high speed.
The same track has the same number of obstacles in the same positions on every attempt. Solo driving and every system strength level use this layout, so routes and lap times can be compared fairly. system strength changes the opponent’s driving speed.
Return to the track and practise one skill
Keep the same track and mode, change one action, and see whether your next lap is steadier. If you need help, describe the bend and your controls in the driver comments.