How to Play Subway Surfers

Last Updated: January 26, 2022

Subway Surfers is a fun endless runner game available for Android, iPhone, and iPad. This tutorial will show you the basics of playing the game, how to add friends from Facebook, and how to get high scores and lots of gold coins!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Playing the Game

1
Swipe up to jump. This lets you jump over obstacles and collect coins in the air. You can't jump high enough to get on the top of a train unless you have the Super Sneakers powerup.
2
Swipe down to roll. You'll need to roll to get under low obstacles.

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3
Swipe left and right to switch lanes. Switch lanes to avoid trains, walls, and other obstacles.
4
Double-tap the screen to hop your hoverboard. Your hoverboard allows you to collect more coins and will protect you from a crash.
5
Collect coins to purchase hoverboards and upgrades. Coins are scattered throughout the levels, and you'll need to move quickly to collect as many as possible.
6
Collect glowing powerups for boosts. There are four different powerups that you'll come across while playing:
- Jetpack - Makes you fly above the train track and lets you grab additional coins.
- Super Sneakers - Makes you jump higher.
- Coin Magnet - You'll attract any nearby coins without having to touch them.
- 2x Multiplier - Doubles your current score multiplier (e.g. x3 now becomes x6).

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Surviving a Run

1
Use ramps to reach the top of trains. You'll see ramps on the ends of some train cars. Use these to reach the top of the trains, where you can collect more coins and avoid obstacles.
2
Time your movements. When you swipe to move, your character will still take a moment to get over. Make sure you're leaving enough time to get out of the way of approaching obstacles.
3
Switch lanes while in midair or mid-roll. You can swipe to change lanes at any time, even if you're in midair. Try to plan ahead so that you end up exactly where you want.
- If you're on the left or right lane, you can swipe twice in midair to move across both lanes in one jump.
4
Jump and then immediately roll. Rolling during a jump will cancel the jump animation and keep you on the ground. This can be very helpful for getting coins on the top of trains and to keep you from jumping too far with Super Sneakers.
5
Use a hoverboard to avoid a crash. A hoverboard will prevent you from any crash, so it's best top save them until right before you need one. If you're about to hit a train or a wall, double-tap the screen to use one of your hoverboards.
- Hoverboards cost 300 coins each, but you'll often get them as rewards as well.
- Save your hoverboards for your really good runs to maximize your score. Don't waste them to avoid a crash at the start of a run when you can just start over for free instead.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Getting Lots of Coins

1
Tap the Shop button on the main menu. The key to getting a lot of coins is to upgrade a few important powerups. You can do this from the Shop menu.
2
Scroll down to the Upgrades section.
3
Spend your coins to upgrade the Coin Magnet and Jetpack powerups. Improving these two powerups will lead to many more coins in the long run.
4
Complete the Daily Challenge. Each time you complete a daily challenge, you'll receive a reward. Oftentimes this is a significant number of coins.
- To view the Daily Challenge, tap the Daily Challenge button at the top of the main menu.
- You only have until the timer runs out to complete the Daily Challenge and earn the reward.
5
Complete the Daily Challenge on consecutive days. Each day in a row that you complete the Daily Challenge, you'll get a more impressive reward. By completing five days in a row, you'll earn a Super Mystery box, which can contain a whole lot of coins. You'll get a new Super Mystery Box for each Daily Challenge you continue to complete in a row.
6
Complete Missions. While completing a mission will not directly result in coins, reaching Multiplier 30 will result in Super Mystery Boxes as mission rewards. These can contain a lot of coins, so try to complete as many missions as possible.
- To view your current missions, tap the Missions button on the main menu.
7
Consider purchasing the Double Coins boost. This costs $4.99, but is a one-time purchase that will permanently double all of the coins you earn. You can find this at the top of the Shop menu.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Adding Friends

1
Open Subway Surfers. This app icon looks like a stylized version of "Subway Surfers."
2
Tap the Friends tab. It's at the bottom of your screen and looks like shadows of multiple people.
3
Tap Connect to Facebook to collect friend bonuses. The app will link to your Facebook account and connect with your FB friends that also play the game, giving you 5,000 coins.
- You can revisit this "Friends" tab to check their progress; for every 50 runs they complete, you get 350 coins.
- From this screen you can also see your Friends' stats, so you can try to beat their high score.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I start this?

Community Answer

When you start this game it will say "press anywhere to start" and then it will start.
Question

How do I go under in Subway Surfers?

Community Answer

Just slide your finger down on the screen and the character will slide under/go down.
Question

Sometimes there are gold balls on the tracks - what are they?

Community Answer

Just a few coins. They look like a gold ball, because there are more coins at the place. If you grab them, you'll get coins as usual.