Buyer's guide
MyNBA on mobile: what NBA 2K will not give you, and what will
NBA 2K27 keeps MyNBA and MyGM on console and PC, and the mobile companion app has been switched off. The one 2K front-office mode that runs on a phone, and ten games that do it without 2K.
If you have ever finished a MyNBA season on a console and then wondered what you are supposed to do on a train, this is the answer. It has changed recently, and most pages that rank for this question are describing an app 2K deleted in August.
The short answer
NBA 2K's franchise modes are not on phones. NBA 2K27 arrived on 4 September 2026 and 2K's own FAQ lists exactly four platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam. MyNBA, MyGM, MyNBA Eras and the new MyNBA Legacy all sit inside that release. MyLeague is not coming back either — it was folded into MyNBA years ago and no current 2K version contains it.
What 2K does publish on mobile is a different genre entirely:
- NBA 2K Mobile and NBA 2K26 MyTEAM Mobile — card-collection games. Packs, tourneys, PvP. No roster to run, no cap, no draft.
- The MyNBA 2K companion app — sunset on 21 August 2026 and pulled from the stores three days before that, per 2K's own notice.
- NBA 2K HQ — the replacement, and a companion app only: builder, face scan, rewards.
The one real exception. NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition on Apple Arcade contains The Association, a genuine front-office mode where you act as GM and head coach, with trades, free agency, scouting and finances. The catch is a long one: Apple devices only, an Apple Arcade subscription, a title behind the console release, and shallower than MyNBA. No 2K27 Arcade Edition has been announced.
What actually runs a franchise on a phone
The good news is that this genre is healthy on mobile — far healthier than the "there's nothing on phones" complaint suggests. Two titles are past a million Android installs, and several were updated this month. Prices and dates below were checked in September 2026.
| Game | Where | Price | Last updated | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backcourt Basketball Manager | iOS, Android, Mac, AppGallery | Free | Sept 2026 | GM and coach, live match view, offline career plus an online league |
| Hoop Land | iOS, Android, Steam, Mac | Free + premium | Jun 2026 | Franchise and commissioner modes with playable retro action, college and pro |
| Astonishing Basketball Manager | iOS, Android, Steam | Free | Sept 2026 | Deep manager sim: draft, trades, contracts, scouting, in-game tactics |
| Franchise Basketball: Pro GM | iOS, Android | Free + IAP | May 2026 | Long-running pure front-office sim |
| Basketball Legacy Manager 27 | iOS, Android | Free + IAP | Sept 2026 | Annual solo-developer manager sim |
| iBasketball Manager 26 | iOS, Android | $6.99 | Apr 2026 | Offline manager across many licensed leagues |
| iBasket Manager 3 | Android (iOS build frozen since 2024) | Free + IAP | Jul 2026 | Online manager with promotion and relegation |
| Basketball Sim: Dynasty GM | iOS, Android | $4.99 | Sept 2026 | Paid, no ads, no timers, small but tidy |
| Hoop League Tactics | iOS, Android | Free + IAP | Oct 2025 | Turn-based tactical team management |
| Ultimate Pro Basketball GM | iOS, Android | Free + IAP | Nov 2025 | Offline GM with coaches and facilities |
| Pocket GM: Basketball Sim | iPhone | $2.99 | Jul 2025 | Paid, no in-app purchases, front office only |
Two of those dates matter more than they look. A manager sim lives or dies on maintenance, because rosters age and save files break. Anything last touched in 2025 is worth checking before you invest forty seasons in it.
Off the phone: browser and PC
- Basketball GM (ZenGM) — the deepest free single-player sim in the genre and the most actively developed, with commits landing constantly. It runs in a browser, has an Android wrapper and a Microsoft Store build, and no native iOS app: on iPhone you add it to your home screen from Safari. Ad-supported, with an optional subscription to remove ads.
- BuzzerBeater — the long-distance runner. Browser plus native apps, real human opponents, and currently in its 73rd season, which is roughly eighteen years of continuous play.
- PowerPlay Manager Basketball — browser-based multi-sport manager with ten-week seasons.
- Pro Basketball Manager 2026 and Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 2026 — the two serious PC text sims, both around $30, both aimed at managers who want spreadsheets rather than a live court.
And the question that comes up every time: no, there is no Out of the Park Baseball for basketball. OOTP Developments has only ever made baseball and hockey games. Their own mobile release proves the appetite exists; nobody has built that exact game for basketball.
Why console players keep asking
2K itself framed 2K27's franchise update as answering the community, with a long list of requested fixes. On PC the reception has been mixed at best — Steam's review summary for NBA 2K27 sat at roughly half positive when we checked. That combination, a mode people care about and a release they argue about, is exactly why "MyGM alternative" gets typed into search boxes every September.
What to check before you install anything
- Was it updated this year? The single best predictor of whether a save will survive.
- Does it work offline? Many mobile managers need a connection for no good reason.
- Can you buy results? If packs make your team better, it is a collection game wearing a manager's jacket — see what to check for pay-to-win.
- Do you want to watch, or to read? Text sims simulate and report. Others put you on the sideline for the fourth quarter.
If the last one is what you are after, that is the part Backcourt is built around: you divide 240 minutes, hand out roles, and then watch the match play out possession by possession with the option to intervene. The wider comparison of basketball manager games covers where each one sits, and the Football Manager question has its own answer.
Frequently asked
Can I play MyNBA or MyGM on my phone?
No. NBA 2K27 shipped on 4 September 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam, and 2K's own FAQ lists no mobile platform. MyNBA, MyGM, MyNBA Eras and MyNBA Legacy all live there. The only 2K front-office mode on any mobile device is The Association in NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition, which needs an Apple device and an Apple Arcade subscription.
Is there an NBA 2K franchise mode on Android?
None at all. NBA 2K Mobile and NBA 2K26 MyTEAM Mobile are card-collection games, and the Apple Arcade edition that does contain a GM mode is not on Android. For a franchise-style career on an Android phone you need a different game.
What happened to the MyNBA 2K companion app?
2K sunset it on 21 August 2026 and delisted it three days earlier. Its replacement, NBA 2K HQ, is a companion app only — MyPLAYER builder, face scan, rewards — with no playable modes. Pages that still describe the old app as a way to play on mobile are out of date.
Which basketball GM game is best on mobile?
It depends on what you want. Hoop Land and Astonishing Basketball Manager are the biggest free franchise-style games; Pocket GM and iBasketball Manager are paid and ad-free; Basketball GM is the deepest long-run sim but runs in a browser on iPhone. Backcourt is free, plays offline and has a live match view with an online league on top.
Is Basketball GM available on iOS?
Not as a native app. ZenGM's own FAQ points iPhone users at Safari and Add to Home Screen; there is an Android wrapper app and a Microsoft Store build, but no App Store release.
Is there an Out of the Park Baseball for basketball?
No. OOTP Developments has only ever shipped baseball and hockey management games. The closest thing to its formula on a phone is its own OOTP Baseball Go, which is why a deep basketball GM sim on mobile has to come from somewhere else.
Try it on your own club tonight
Backcourt is free on iOS and Android. Career mode works offline, and there is nothing to buy that makes your squad stronger.
