How to Save and Load States in My Boy GBA Emulator (Complete Guide)

Save states are one of the most powerful features in any emulator, and My Boy! implements them cleanly and reliably. Whether you want a quick checkpoint before a tough boss, a way to retry a difficult jump, or just extra security on top of your normal save file, save states give you total control over your gaming experience.

This guide explains everything: how save states work, how to use them in My Boy!, the difference between save states and in-game saves, and how to manage your slots effectively.

What Is a Save State?

A save state is a complete snapshot of the game’s memory at a specific moment. When you create one, the emulator freezes everything — your position, health, items, active dialogue, battle state — and stores it. You can reload that state at any time and the game picks up from exactly that point.

This is different from the game’s own save system. An in-game save (using a PokéCenter, a save point, or a save menu) writes to the game’s .sav file and persists permanently. A save state is stored by the emulator and captures a more precise moment, but it is also more fragile — it can become invalid if you update the emulator or switch ROMs.

Best practice: use both. Save states for quick checkpoints during a session, and in-game saves at proper save points for long-term progress.

How to Create a Save State in My Boy!

Method 1: Using the In-Game Menu

1. While a game is running, tap the screen to bring up the overlay controls, then tap the menu icon (three dots ⋮) in the top-right corner.
2. Select Save State.
3. You will see a grid of save state slots (typically up to 9 in the paid version).
4. Tap any empty slot — or an existing one to overwrite it.
5. The state is saved instantly. A thumbnail of the current screen will appear in the slot.

Method 2: Using a Hardware Button Shortcut

If you have configured a physical controller or hardware button mapping, you can assign save and load state to specific buttons. Go to Settings → Input → Key mapping and assign your preferred buttons. This lets you save states without opening the menu, which is much faster during gameplay.

Method 3: Swipe Gestures (if configured)

My Boy! supports screen swipe gestures for common actions. You can configure a swipe direction to trigger a save state from the Settings → On-screen controls or gesture settings area. See our full breakdown in My Boy settings explained — every option broken down.

How to Load a Save State in My Boy!

1. While a game is running, open the menu (three dots ⋮).
2. Select Load State.
3. Tap the slot you want to load from.
4. The game will immediately jump to that saved moment.

You can also load states from the same slot selector screen where you created them. Slots with saved data will show a thumbnail so you can identify them visually.

How Many Save State Slots Do You Get?

My Boy! (paid version): Up to 9 save state slots per game, sometimes more depending on the version.

My Boy! Free: Limited save state slots — typically just 1 or 2. If you need more slots, the paid version is the upgrade worth making. Read our My Boy vs My Boy Free comparison for a full feature breakdown.

Each ROM gets its own independent set of save slots, so your Pokémon Emerald states will not interfere with your Metroid Fusion states.

Save States vs In-Game Saves — Key Differences

The key rule: never rely solely on save states for long-term progress. If you update My Boy! or your phone is reset, save state files can become unreadable. Always maintain a proper in-game save alongside your states.

Where Are Save State Files Stored?

Save state files are stored on your Android device’s internal storage, typically at:

/storage/emulated/0/MyBoy/states/

Each save state has a filename that corresponds to your ROM name plus the slot number. For example:

Pokemon - Fire Red Version (U).sg1
Pokemon - Fire Red Version (U).sg2

Knowing this location is important if you want to back up your states, copy them to another device, or manage storage. For help moving these files, see our guide on how to transfer GBA saves between Android devices.

How to Back Up Your Save States

Backing up save states before any major change (new phone, emulator update, ROM replacement) is strongly recommended.

1. Open a file manager app on your Android device (Files by Google works well).
2. Navigate to /storage/emulated/0/MyBoy/states/.
3. Select all .sg1, .sg2, etc. files for the games you want to back up.
4. Copy them to Google Drive, a USB drive, or another location.

To restore them, copy the files back to the same directory.

Common Save State Problems and Fixes

Save state is greyed out or missing after updating My Boy!
State files from older versions of My Boy! may not be compatible with newer versions. This is one reason to always keep an in-game save. If this happens, you cannot recover the state, but your .sav file (in-game save) should still be intact.

Game freezes or crashes when loading a state
This can happen if the ROM you are using is different from the one used to create the state (different region or patch version), or if the state file is corrupted. Delete the problematic state and reload from your most recent in-game save.

Save states disappear after clearing app data
Clearing app data in Android Settings will wipe My Boy!’s save states. Your .sav files may survive if stored in a general folder, but state files are often cleared. Back up regularly.

Cannot find the save state menu
If you are running My Boy! Free and the option appears greyed out, you may have reached your slot limit. Upgrade to the full version or delete an existing state to free a slot.

If you are having broader issues with ROM loading or app stability, check our guide on how to fix My Boy APK not loading ROM files.

Pro Tips for Using Save States Effectively

Use different slots for different situations. Dedicate slot 1 to “before a boss”, slot 2 to “beginning of a dungeon”, slot 3 to “before an important story choice”. This gives you flexibility without overwriting useful states.

Do not save state during loading screens or transitions. The game’s memory is in an unstable state during transitions between areas or scenes. Always save after the screen has fully loaded.

Combine save states with fast forward. My Boy!’s fast forward feature lets you speed through repetitive sections. Create a save state before a long cutscene, fast forward through it, then return to normal speed. See our full guide on how to use fast forward in My Boy without audio glitches.

Disable active cheats before saving in-game. If you use cheat codes alongside save states, always disable cheats before using a real in-game save point. Cheats affecting item counts or flags can corrupt the save data if left active. Learn safe cheat usage in our cheats setup guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use My Boy! save states on a PC emulator?
My Boy! save state files use a proprietary format and are generally not compatible with desktop GBA emulators like VisualBoyAdvance. Your .sav file (in-game save) is the universally compatible format.

How do I delete a save state I no longer need?
Long-press the save state slot in the save/load menu. A delete option will appear. You can also manually delete the .sg files from your device’s file manager.

Do save states count against my internal storage?
Yes, but each save state file is typically very small — a few hundred kilobytes. Unless you are creating hundreds of states, storage impact is minimal.

Related Guides

• How to Set Up Cheats in My Boy (GameShark, CodeBreaker)
• How to Use Fast Forward in My Boy Without Audio Glitches
• How to Transfer GBA Saves Between Android Devices
• My Boy vs My Boy Free — What’s the Difference?
• My Boy Settings Explained — Every Option Broken Down
• Setup & Installation Guides