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iGBA

How to save a state and load it back in a GBA emulator

Open the pause menu in iGBA and tap Save Game. It freezes that exact moment into a save state and shows State saved, which is worth doing right before a boss fight. To go back, open Save States from the same menu and tap the one you want.

4 min read · Updated 2026-09-26

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Save state or in-game save: what is the difference?

A cartridge game only saves where it lets you — usually its own menu — writing progress to battery save memory. An emulator reproduces that same memory as a .sav file.

A save state is a different thing entirely. It's a snapshot of the whole emulated console at that exact instant: every enemy's position, the music mid-note, all of it. Make one mid-boss-fight, in a cutscene, right before a jump you're not sure you'll land.

In-game save vs. save state in iGBA
In-game save (.sav)Save state (.sgm)
Where you can saveOnly where the game allowsAnywhere, any moment
How you saveThe game's own menuSave Game in the pause menu
How manyWhatever slots the game has10 per game free, unlimited with Pro
Picture of the momentNoYes, a screenshot thumbnail
Needed for trading or linkingYesNo, avoid states while linked

Neither replaces the other, so relying on just one is not enough. iGBA keeps save states in their own folder per game, sitting next to the battery save, so use both.

How to save a state in iGBA

  1. Start the game and play to the point you want to keep.
  2. Open the pause menu.
  3. Tap Save Game. A State saved message confirms it, and the state is stored with a screenshot, the date and your play time.
  4. Tap Resume to keep playing.

You can also open Save States from the pause menu and tap the + button to create a state from that screen.

How to load a save state

  1. Open the pause menu and tap Save States.
  2. Find the state by its screenshot and date.
  3. Tap it. iGBA asks Load Save State?; tap Load.
  4. The game jumps straight back to that moment.

How many save states can you keep for free?

The free version keeps up to 10 save states per game, and the count is per game, not shared across your library. When you reach 10, iGBA shows the Save State Limit alert with two options: Watch Ad to Unlock gives unlimited states for 24 hours, and Unlock iGBA Pro removes the limit for good.

You can also stay free by deleting states you no longer need: long-press a state and choose delete. States marked as protected can only be removed that way, so you do not wipe one by accident.

How to turn off autosave and auto-load

Out of the box iGBA makes save states on its own: it keeps a few rotating autosaves (every minute, every 30 minutes and every 2 hours by default, plus one when you leave the game or switch apps), and when you open a game it loads the latest one. If you'd rather decide for yourself when to save, switch both off.

  1. In the game library, tap the gear icon at the top left to open Settings.
  2. Open Saving.
  3. Turn off 🔄 Autosave. iGBA stops making save states on its own.
  4. Turn off ⏪ Auto-load last autosave. Games now start from their own in-game save instead of the last autosave.

The game's own save (.sav) keeps working exactly as on a cartridge: it is written only when you save inside the game. Save states then exist only when you tap Save Game.

Why is my GBA emulator not saving games?

  • You used the game's own save, then loaded an older state — that rolls the battery save back with it. Save in-game again after loading.
  • You hit the 10-state limit: the Save State Limit alert shows up instead of a new state.
  • The device is out of space. The app says so plainly: Could not save state. Check available storage and try again.
  • A state from an older app version won't load. The app calls it corrupted or incompatible — annoying, but your in-game save survives.

How to load a save file you already have

If you have a .sav battery save from elsewhere, go to Settings, open Game library, then the ⋯ menu and Import .sav. iGBA applies it to the matching game right away. To send a save to another device, the save list offers Export .sav and Share as .igbasave.

Questions and answers

How do I save on a GBA emulator?
In iGBA you have two ways: the game's own save menu, which writes the battery save, or Save Game in the pause menu, which creates a save state at any moment. Using both gives you the most safety.
Does iGBA save automatically?
Yes, by default. 🔄 Autosave keeps rotating save states in the background and ⏪ Auto-load last autosave loads the latest one when you open a game. You can turn both off in Settings → Saving; then only the game's own save and the states you make with Save Game remain.
Can I rename a save state?
Yes. Long-press a state in Save States and choose Rename Save State, so you can tell your states apart without relying on the date.

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