Fast forward is one of the most useful features in My Boy!. It lets you cut through long cutscenes, speed up grinding sessions, and breeze past slow dialogue — all without skipping any actual gameplay. But many users notice an unpleasant side effect: audio glitches, crackling, static, or complete audio dropout when fast forwarding at high speeds.
This guide explains why this happens and how to fix it, so you can use fast forward without ruining your ears.
- How Fast Forward Works in My Boy!
- How to Activate Fast Forward
- Method 1: On-Screen Button
- Method 2: Hardware Button Mapping
- Method 3: Toggle Mode
- Fixing Audio Glitches During Fast Forward
- Fix 1: Mute Audio While Fast Forwarding (Most Effective)
- Fix 2: Lower the Fast Forward Speed Cap
- Fix 3: Increase the Audio Buffer Size
- Fix 4: Enable Frame Skip During Fast Forward
- Fix 5: Close Background Apps
- Fast Forward Speed Settings — What to Use
- Why You Should Not Use Unlimited Fast Forward All the Time
- Best Fast Forward Settings for Common Scenarios
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Guides
How Fast Forward Works in My Boy!
When you activate fast forward, My Boy! runs the game simulation faster than real time. The video output speeds up to match. Audio, however, is tied to the system’s audio buffer — and when the game runs faster than the buffer can handle, you get audio artifacts.
At moderate speeds (2x–4x), most phones can keep up. At very high speeds (8x–16x), audio degrades noticeably. The good news is that My Boy! gives you several options to manage this.
How to Activate Fast Forward
Method 1: On-Screen Button
By default, My Boy! shows a fast forward button (often a >> icon) on the virtual controller overlay. Tapping and holding it activates fast forward. Releasing it returns to normal speed.
If you do not see the button, go to Settings → On-screen controls and make sure the fast forward button is enabled.
Method 2: Hardware Button Mapping
If you use a Bluetooth controller or have physical buttons on your device, you can map fast forward to a button. Go to Settings → Input → Key mapping and assign a key to Fast Forward. This is the most comfortable way to use the feature during long sessions.
Method 3: Toggle Mode
Instead of holding the button down, you can set fast forward to toggle mode — tap once to enable, tap again to disable. Check Settings → Misc or your emulator preferences for a fast forward toggle option.
Fixing Audio Glitches During Fast Forward
Fix 1: Mute Audio While Fast Forwarding (Most Effective)
The simplest and most reliable fix is to mute the game audio while using fast forward. My Boy! has an option to automatically silence audio when fast forward is active.
Go to Settings → Sound → Mute when fast-forwarding and enable it.
With this on, fast forward runs silently. Audio resumes at full quality the moment you return to normal speed. For grinding sessions, cutscenes, or any section where you do not need to hear the audio, this is the best approach.
Fix 2: Lower the Fast Forward Speed Cap
High speeds cause more severe audio problems. If you want audio to keep playing during fast forward, lower the maximum speed.
Go to Settings → Misc → Fast forward speed and reduce it to 2x or 3x. At these speeds, most Android devices can process audio without major glitches.
My Boy! Free caps fast forward at approximately 1.5x, which is why free users rarely notice audio problems. If you have the paid version and set a high multiplier, you are more likely to experience issues.
Fix 3: Increase the Audio Buffer Size
A larger audio buffer gives My Boy! more room to process sound even when the CPU is under heavy load from fast forwarding.
Go to Settings → Sound → Audio buffer and increase it from the default. Try moving one step up at a time (e.g., from 100ms to 200ms). A larger buffer adds a tiny amount of audio latency during normal play but greatly reduces glitching during fast forward.
If you have been dealing with audio lag even outside of fast forward, this setting is worth adjusting. For a broader look at audio issues and solutions, see our guide on how to resolve audio buffer and lag issues for GBA emulation.
Fix 4: Enable Frame Skip During Fast Forward
Frame skipping reduces the rendering load during fast forward, which can free up CPU resources for better audio processing.
Go to Settings → Video → Frame skip and set it to 1 or 2 frames specifically for fast forward mode. The visual output becomes slightly choppy but the audio glitching often reduces significantly, especially on lower-end phones.
If you are on a budget Android phone and fast forward is causing both audio and video issues, read our dedicated guide on low-end phone tips for better GBA emulation performance.
Fix 5: Close Background Apps
Background apps compete for CPU and RAM with My Boy!, making audio processing worse during fast forward. Before a long grinding session:
- Open your Android recent apps screen.
- Swipe away all apps you do not need.
- Return to My Boy! and test fast forward again.
On phones with 3GB or less RAM, this alone can make a meaningful difference.
Fast Forward Speed Settings — What to Use
| Use Case | Recommended Speed |
|---|---|
| Cutscenes you want to skip | 4x–8x (mute audio) |
| Grinding encounters | 2x–4x (audio optional) |
| Long travel between areas | 2x–3x (with audio) |
| Text dialogue | 2x (audio usually fine) |
| High-intensity battles | Normal speed (fast forward can cause input issues) |
Why You Should Not Use Unlimited Fast Forward All the Time
My Boy! (paid) supports unlimited fast forward, but running at 16x or beyond has downsides beyond audio:
Input timing breaks. Some games have time-sensitive inputs that behave incorrectly at extreme speeds. Fighting games, rhythm games, and anything requiring precise frame timing can behave strangely.
Save state timing issues. Creating a save state while fast forwarding at extreme speeds can occasionally result in a corrupted state. Always return to normal speed before saving. Read more about save states in our guide on how to save and load states in My Boy.
Cheat code triggers. Some cheat codes rely on frame-precise memory reads. Running at 16x can cause cheats to apply incorrectly. See our cheat codes setup guide for safe practices.
Best Fast Forward Settings for Common Scenarios
Pokémon grinding (wild encounters and experience farming):
Set to 4x with audio muted. The battle animations go by fast enough to feel smooth without being disorienting. Disable after each battle if you need to check catch rates.
Visual novels / story-heavy GBA games:
2x with audio on is usually comfortable. Text advances quickly, music stays mostly intact.
Long dungeon runs (Zelda: Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion):
3x with frame skip at 1. You can navigate at speed without losing the feel of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Boy! Free does not let me set fast forward speed — is that normal?
Yes. The free version caps fast forward and does not expose speed settings. To access custom speed controls, you need My Boy! (paid). See our My Boy vs My Boy Free guide for the full comparison.
Fast forward is slow even at the highest setting — why?
Your device may not have the CPU performance to run the game faster than 2x or 3x. This is common on older or budget Android phones. See our low-end phone performance guide for optimization tips.
The game freezes when I hold fast forward — what do I do?
This is usually a RAM or CPU overload issue. Try closing background apps, reducing the fast forward speed cap, and enabling frame skip. If the problem persists, it may be a ROM issue — check our ROM loading troubleshooting guide.
Related Guides
- How to Save and Load States in My Boy
- How to Set Up Cheats in My Boy (GameShark, CodeBreaker)
- How to Resolve Audio Buffer and Lag Issues for GBA Emulation
- My Boy vs My Boy Free — What’s the Difference?
- My Boy Settings Explained — Every Option Broken Down
- Low-End Phone Tips for Better GBA Emulation Performance
- Setup & Installation Guides
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