There are few things more frustrating than sinking hundreds of hours into a game only to lose all your progress when you switch devices. If you’re an Apex Legends player considering moving from PC to console, upgrading to a new generation of hardware, or even just playing on a friend’s system for the weekend, you’ve probably asked: does apex legends progress carry over between accounts or platforms? I went through this exact process last year when I switched from a PS4 to a custom gaming PC, and I’m breaking down everything you need to know to avoid losing your hard-earned skins, heirlooms, and ranked progress.
Does Apex Legends Progress Carry Over Across All Platforms?
The short answer is yes, for most supported platforms, as long as you have EA’s cross-save feature enabled. The main version of Apex Legends supports cross-progression for PC (both Steam and the EA App), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. All you need to do is link all of these platform accounts to the same central EA account, and your progress will sync automatically every time you log in on any of these devices. All core progression for the main desktop/console version of Apex Legends is synced via EA’s cross-save feature, as long as you link the same EA account to all your platforms. The one big exception is Apex Legends Mobile, which is a standalone separate version of the game developed for touchscreen devices. There is no cross-progression between Apex Legends Mobile and the main desktop/console version, even if you use the same EA account to log in to both. Respawn has not announced any plans to change this, so you’ll have to treat your mobile progress as entirely separate from your main account.
What Apex Legends Progress Does and Doesn’t Transfer
Before you link your accounts, it’s important to know exactly what will move with you and what will stay tied to a specific platform. I was relieved to find that almost all of my most valued unlocks transferred without a hitch when I switched platforms, but there are a few small exceptions you should plan for. First, here’s what you can expect to carry over 100% of the time:
- All unlocked legends, legend skins, banner frames, poses, and finisher animations you’ve earned or purchased
- Heirlooms, prestige skins, and limited-time event unlocks, even from events that ran years ago
- Your full in-game currency balance, including Crafting Metals and Legend Tokens
- Account level, current and past battle pass progress, ranked match history, and competitive rank
That covers almost everything most players care about, but there are a handful of items that won’t transfer between different platform families. Platform-exclusive purchases, including console-specific skins and Apex Coins bought directly through PlayStation or Xbox storefronts, will not carry over to other platform families. For example, if you bought 10,000 Apex Coins through the PlayStation Store on your PS5, those coins will only be usable when you’re playing on a PlayStation device. They’ll still show up in your balance on other platforms, but you won’t be able to spend them anywhere else. You also won’t be able to transfer any platform-exclusive promotional skins, like the rare PlayStation-exclusive Bloodhound skin that was available at launch, to Xbox or PC.
How to Sync Your Apex Legends Progress Between Devices
Syncing your progress is a straightforward process, but it’s important to follow the steps correctly to avoid accidentally losing progress from one of your accounts. First, you’ll need to make sure you know the login details for all platform accounts you want to link, and that none of them are already linked to a different EA account. If you’ve played Apex on PlayStation for years and have a separate EA account linked to that PSN ID, you’ll need to either unlink it first or use that account as your primary. Always double-check which account you set as your primary before confirming cross-save, as you cannot reverse this choice for 180 days. The steps to enable cross-save are simple: head to the official EA cross-save page, log in with the EA account you want to use as your primary, then follow the prompts to link your PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and Switch accounts. Once you confirm your primary account, all other linked accounts will pull their progression from that primary account going forward. Never enter your account details on third-party sites claiming to help you merge Apex progress, as these are almost always phishing scams designed to steal your account. Only use the official EA website to manage your cross-save settings.
Common Apex Legends Progress Transfer Issues to Avoid
Most players won’t run into any issues when syncing their progress, but there are a few common pitfalls I see people fall into all the time. First, don’t panic if you don’t see all your unlocks immediately after linking your accounts. It can take up to 24 hours for all your skins and progress to sync across all platforms, especially if you have a lot of limited-time event unlocks. If it’s been more than 48 hours and you’re still missing items, you can contact EA support for help, but give it at least a day first. Another common issue is regional syncing. If you move from North America to Europe, your progress will still carry over fully, but your ranked MMR may be adjusted slightly to match the average skill level of your new region. Any unclaimed battle pass rewards from past seasons will carry over as soon as you link your accounts, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on limited items you earned but forgot to claim. One last thing to note: if one of your linked accounts gets banned for cheating or violating EA’s terms of service, that ban will apply to all linked accounts across all platforms. So don’t cheat on your smurf account if it’s linked to your main, or you’ll lose access to all your progress everywhere.
At the end of the day, if you’re wondering does apex legends progress carry over, the answer is almost always yes, as long as you’re playing the main desktop/console version of the game and have cross-save set up correctly. Take 10 minutes to double-check your account links before you switch platforms, and you won’t have to worry about losing your heirlooms, ranked progress, or favorite skins. I’ve been playing across my PC and Switch for over a year now with no sync issues, and it’s made hopping between devices when I’m traveling or want to play with friends on different platforms way easier. If you run into any snags during the process, EA’s official help center has step-by-step guides for almost every cross-save issue you might encounter.