FAQ

FAQ

Is PKForge free? Yes. It is open source under the GPLv3 license.

Is PKForge a better PKSM? No, and it does not try to be. PKSM runs on the 3DS; PKForge runs on Android. They solve the same kind of problem on different platforms. PKSM's codebase is excellent, and PKForge started as the PKSM I wished I had on my AYN Thor. Starting from scratch on Android simply left room for a few extra features that the 3DS makes harder. Its look is a tribute to PKSM, and PKSM's interface graphics are reused under PKSM's license with thanks (see Credits).

Why not just use PKHeX? PKHeX is a desktop program. Getting it to run properly on an Android handheld is painful, and that pain is why PKForge exists: a touch- and gamepad-first app that reads your emulator folders directly. If you edit your saves on a PC, PKHeX is the right tool.

So PKForge is "just a PKHeX fork"? PKForge uses PKHeX.Core, the engine inside PKHeX, and keeps a small fork of it for save formats PKHeX does not cover (Luminescent Platinum, Compass). Everything else (the app, the Bank, emulator linking, the ROM hack engines) is PKForge's own code. None of it would exist without PKHeX: we are deeply grateful to Kaphotics and to everyone who has contributed to PKHeX over the years.

Can you add my favourite ROM hack? Ask nicely on Discord or in a GitHub issue and it will be considered. Supporting a hack takes real work for each one (its save format, its data, tests with real saves), so not every hack can be covered. Priority goes to popular, actively played hacks, especially when their developers can share the details listed in For ROM hack developers. A small FireRed edit that three people play is unlikely to make the cut.

Do I need root? No. PKForge only reads folders you grant it through Android's own folder picker.

Does it need internet? No. Editing, legalizing, the event database and the Bank all work offline. Only update checks, the optional sprite pack and the Community boxes use the network.

Can it damage my save? Every write goes through validation and is preceded by a restore point, and risky saves open read-only. Follow the one rule (save in game and close the emulator before editing, never load an old save state after) and keep your own copies of important saves. See Restore points & safety.

Are generated Pokémon legal? Generated Pokémon come from PKHeX's Auto Legality Mod and are checked by PKHeX's legality checker on the device. The verdict is shown on every Pokémon. HaX mode is the exception: it lets you make anything.

Can I use PKForge with save states? No. PKForge edits the in-game (battery) save. Save states are never read or written, and loading one made before an edit brings the old save back.

Can I move Pokémon from Gen 3 to Gen 9? And back? Yes, both ways, with a preview of every change first. See Moving Pokémon between games.

Where is my Bank stored? Can I back it up? In PKForge's private storage. Back it up with Bank > Export > Folder of .pk files. Uninstalling PKForge deletes the Bank.

Does it work on phones, or only handhelds? Any 64-bit ARM Android device. On dual-screen handhelds, PKForge also uses the second screen.

My emulator is not listed. It probably still works: see Other emulators.

My ROM hack is not supported. It opens read-only with a warning unless it keeps the official save format. Hack developers can help us add it: see For ROM hack developers.

Can I back up my saves automatically, or to the cloud? Not yet. In the meantime, a sync app (Google Drive, OneDrive, Syncthing, FolderSync…) can keep your emulator's save folder backed up; PKForge works on the same folder.

How do I report a bug? Settings > Misc > Share logs, then post the zip on Discord with what you were doing.