You’ll find answers to common questions and a list of known issues about the Second Life Mobile app, which is now in Public Beta and accessible to all Premium and Premium Plus subscribers!
Common Questions
1. What is the Second Life app?
It is our first official mobile app that lets you enjoy the world of Second Life on the mobile device of your choosing. You won’t find all the features you expect in the desktop app, but we plan a steady stream of updates. There are known issues, which we are working to address.
2. How can I participate in the Second Life Mobile Private Alpha?
Our Private Alpha — which still exists for testing forthcoming updates to the mobile app — is not currently accepting new applications. Thank you for your interest!
3. Which devices are supported?
The mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices. For iOS, we recommend a minimum of an iPhone X running iOS 16.6.1. For Android, we recommend a mid- to high-end device, comparable to Pixel 6 or later running Android 13 or later.
4. How do I download the Second Life app?
If you have an active Premium or Premium Plus membership, you can download & try out the Public Beta right now! To do so, go to Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store:
• Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/second-life/id6499226173
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lindenlab.secondlife
5. Which features are supported?
As of June 2024:
- Choose starting location at login, including last location, home, favorites, and a curated list of mobile-friendly locations, the Mobile Showcase. The first time you ever log in to the app, your favorites will not be shown, but they will on subsequent logins. At this time, Adult regions cannot be visited on iOS devices.
- Auto-login after initial login
- Teleporting, including sending and receiving teleport offers
- Places: Home, Favorites, and Destination Guide. At this time, Adult regions cannot be visited on iOS devices.
- Friend and unfriend
- Direct messages
- Nearby chat
- Group chat
- Group notices appear in group chats, even if they were not sent as chats
- In-app Notifications: Alert dot for incoming chats, teleport offers, and more
- Block or unblock a resident
- Report abuse
- Context menu on inworld avatars (long press)
- Context menu on inworld objects (long press)
- Resident profiles
- Wear a saved outfit
- Parcel streaming audio controls
- Settings -- Name tags, draw distance, LOD, and more
- Improved avatar movement
- Two-finger camera movement (strafe)
- Performance improvements
- Avatar rendering improvements
- Environment rendering improvements
- Avatars appear in outline as they load (no fog!)
- MFA support
6. Which features are not supported?
As of June 2024, these features are not yet supported:
- Inventory
- Marketplace
- Voice
- Building
- HUDs
- L$ balance or transactions
- Menus displayed by inworld objects (LLDialog)
9. How do I sign in to the mobile app?
Enter your login and password, choose a location from the dropdown menu, and tap ‘Sign in’. A Premium or Premium Plus membership subscription is required at this time.
10. Can I use the Second Life app without an internet connection?
Because Second Life is an always on, simultaneously connected virtual world, the Second Life app requires a strong internet connection to function, whether wi-fi or cellular. Residents using the mobile app connect to the same Second Life world as desktop users, so a strong Internet connection is required.
11. How do I report a bug or issue?
- Within the app:
- Menu button > Settings > Give Feedback or file a bug
- Enter your user’s email, describe the issue, and tap “Submit report"
- Through our feedback portal:
12. Is my account information safe?
Your information is encrypted and protected as per our privacy policy. We always encourage Residents to use strong account protections like a unique password, an up-to-date email address, and enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) if possible. These techniques help protect your account regardless of whether you use the desktop viewer, the website, or the mobile app to log in to Second Life.
13. Are there tutorials on how to use the app?
A very brief tutorial on mobile-specific controls will appear upon your first login.
14. How can I provide feedback?
Feedback can be provided in 2 different ways:
- Within the app:
- Menu button > Settings > Give Feedback or file a bug
- Enter your user’s email, description, and tap SUBMIT REPORT
- Through our feedback portal:
- Feature requests: https://feedback.secondlife.com/mobile-public-beta-features
15. Can I use the app on multiple devices?
Yes, you can use the app on supported iOS and Android devices, including tablets. Only one session per account is possible at a time, regardless of device.
16. How do I update to the latest version?
Please check your device’s app store for updates.
- For help with manually updating apps on Apple devices: https://support.apple.com/es-lamr/102629
- For help with manually updating apps via the Google Play store: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/113412?hl=en
17. Is the app available in other languages?
While you're welcome to chat in any language you prefer to use, for the time being the app’s UI is available in English only. We're sorry for the inconvenience!
18. What happens to my data if I delete the app?
Deleting the app
- Does not delete your Second Life account
- Does not affect your inventory, friends list, or landmarks
If you choose to reinstall the app later, you may not see your Favorites on the first login (the same as the first time you installed the app before), and you may need to log in with a Premium or Premium Plus account before logging in with other alternate accounts. Essentially, reinstalling the app may mean that your experience is like the first time you used the app, as it may not remember your previous settings.
Known Issues and Troubleshooting
The best part of a beta test is getting feedback from Residents on issues and concerns they encounter while they're using the app, but there are some issues that we're already aware of and are currently working on. Please review this list before submitting a new issue or bug report. Many issues can also be resolved by quitting the app and logging in again as a first troubleshooting step
Long delay when signing in
- iOS: From the Home Screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle of the screen. Swipe right or left to find the app that you want to close. Swipe up on the app to close the app. Please see Apple's Quit and reopen an app on iPhone article for more assistance with quitting an app.
- Android: Please see Find, open & close apps on Android on Google's Android Help site for instructions on how to close and reopen apps on Android.
The scene or avatar does not finish rendering
Please wait a minute or two for the scene and avatar to fully render. Other steps to try include:
- Sign out and sign back in
- Teleport to another location and come back
- Close the app by swiping up and log back in.
Network disconnections
When disconnected, you will see a red icon in the top right of the screen. If your avatar appears to be in-world, but you cannot move around, that means re-connection attempts have failed and you have been disconnected. Please close the app fully and relaunch.
My tail is in my ear! (Avatar attachments)
Sometimes attachments do not appear properly (or at all) or are not placed correctly. Sorry! We’re working on it! You may want to try detaching and then reattaching your attachment, or to use an outfit or appearance that doesn't use the particular attachment that isn't rendering correctly.
My avatar looks weird! (Avatar deformers)
Some avatars using deformers (attachments which use animations to create custom shape-like appearances) may experience problems. Some deformers may not render correctly. We’re working on it, sorry! In the meantime, you may want to remove any deformers currently in use on your avatar.
Direct Messages
Direct message history does not appear as it would on the desktop viewer. Only messages received while connected via the mobile app are displayed.
Inworld object interactions
After long-press on an object to display the object’s context menu, the object name should appear, but sometimes does not. Sometimes the touch action does nothing. Please try again.
Region Crossing Issues
Walking or flying across region boundaries may produce unexpected results (your avatar may continue moving).
I can't log in after multiple tries
Please confirm that your username and password are correct by logging into secondlife.com or the desktop app. You may also try resetting your password.
My screen is blank or unresponsive
Please be sure that your device OS is up to date. Restart your device, relaunch the app, and log in again.
The scene is gray and I only see the outline of the avatar
If the initial login or teleport does not resolve after several minutes, close the app fully and relaunch.
I can't see my avatar at all
If your avatar is not visible after a minute, try to teleport to another location or log out and log back in.
I can take actions on my own avatar from my profile that are usually only used on other avatars
Sorry! This is a known bug and we're working on it!