How to Play Angry Birds

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: November 17, 2024 Approved

Angry Birds is one of the most popular mobile games ever. In 2012, it was the first mobile game to reach 1 billion downloads. Since then, it has spawned numerous sequels and a film franchise. The game is known for its easy-to-learn gameplay mechanics and whimsical cartoon destruction. We'll teach you everything you know about Angry Birds, from the basic rules of the game to becoming an expert.

Things You Should Know

There are many different versions of Angry Birds available in the App Store and Google Play Store.
Launch the birds with the slingshot and try to kill all the pigs in a level.
Use special abilities and spells to clear harder levels.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Learning the Basics

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Download an Angry Birds game. You can download Angry Birds from the App Store on iPhone and iPad, and from the Google Play Store on Android. The original Angry Birds is now listed as "Rovio Classics: AB" and costs $0.99. Angry Birds 2 and the rest of the Angry Birds library are free to download.
- Various Angry Birds include; Rovio Classics: AB, Angry Birds 2, Angry Birds Friends, and Angry Birds Journey. There have also been numerous limited releases of other Angry Birds games with different themes, including Space, Seasons, Star Wars, Transformers, and more.
In the original Angry Birds, each act contains a list of levels. In Angry Birds 2, there is a level map. Tap a level to select it. Then tap Play at the bottom of the screen. You will need to clear the previous levels before you can advance to the next level.

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Select a bird (Angry Birds 2). In the original Angry Birds, you are given a select number of birds that you must use in the order they are lined up behind the slingshot. In Angry Birds 2, you can select which bird you want to use. Tap a card in the lower-left corner of the screen to select which bird you want to use. You have a limited number of birds you can use in each level.
- As you play through Angry Birds 2, you will earn keys that you can use to unlock new bird types.
When you start a level, one of your birds will be placed in the slingshot. Tap the bird in the slingshot and pull back to aim. The further back you pull the slingshot determines how far the bird flies and how fast. Dragging the bird up or down will determine how high or low the bird flies. You will see a dotted line in front of the slingshot which indicates the bird's trajectory.
This sends the bird flying. The bird will destroy or damage any obstacles it runs into.
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Tap the screen while in flight to use your bird's special abilities. Different color birds have different abilities. Tap the screen while the bird is in mid-flight to activate their abilities.
- You cannot use a bird's ability after it has hit an object.
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Destroy all the pigs. You clear each level by destroying all the pigs. The complacent pigs are usually placed in creative structures made of wood, glass, stone, or other materials. You will need to launch your angry birds through the structures and into the pigs. Pigs can be destroyed by a direct hit from your birds, by falls, or by structures falling on them.
- If there are pigs left over after you have used up all your birds, you lose the level and have to try again.
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Get the highest score possible. You get points for damaging and destroying pigs as well as breaking structures. You get bonus points if you have pigs left over after you clear the level. At the end of the level, you will be given a star rating based on your score. Three stars is the highest star rating you can get.
- Try to get three stars for each level. You can replay levels that you have already cleared.
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Use the Mighty Eagle and Spells. These are special moves you can use to clear hard levels. You need to pay for these abilities before you start a level and you will not get any stars for using them. In the original Angry Birds, the Mighty Eagle was the only spell you could use. In Angry Birds 2, four new spells where added. The spells you can use are as follows.
- Mighty Eagle: Available in Angry Birds 1 & 2. Tap and hold the icon with the Eagle Eye at the top, or select the Sardine Can card in Angry Birds 2. Then launch the sardine can with the slingshot. The large Mighty Eagle will swoop down and attack the entire surrounding area where the sardine can lands.
- Pig Inflator: Tap the Pig Inflator card, which resembles a handgun with a large, inflated barrel. This inflates all the pigs to a large size and destroys all the surrounding structures.
- Golden Duck: Tap the Golden Duck card, which resembles a golden rubber ducky. This rains down golden ducks over the entire level.
- Blizzard: Tap the Blizzard card, which resembles a snowflake, to turn all the structures into ice. This makes them easier to break as ice works similarly to glass.
- Hot Chili: Tap the Hot Chili card, which resembles a chili pepper. This lights one pig on fire, which will explode soon after.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Playing Angry Birds Well

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Know your birds. As you progress, you will earn new birds with different abilities. Each of these birds has a different ability that can be used strategically. Know what each bird does and how to use them. The different bird types and their abilities are as follows:^{[1]
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- Red bird: This bird is simply called Red. In the original Angry Birds, the red bird had no special abilities. In Angry Birds 2, the red bird emits a war cry that knocks down structures in front of it when you tap the screen.
- Blue bird: This bird is Blues. Tap the screen and it becomes three mini-birds that spread out as they fly. This bird is best for breaking glass.
- Yellow bird: This bird is named Chuck. This bird gets a speed boost when you tap the screen. This gives the bird more force and makes the flight trajectory slightly longer. This bird works best on wood.
- Black bird: This bird is called Bomb. This bird explodes when you tap the screen. Let it hit an obstacle and after a short time delay it will explode. This bird works best on stone. In the Short Fuse update, instead of exploding, he sends out a very deadly shockwave that electrocutes pigs nearby.
- White bird: This bird is Matilda. Tap the screen and she will drop an explosive egg. If done right, the corpse will fly off and potentially cause additional damage. This bird also works best on stone.
- Green bird: This bird is named Hal. Tap the screen and it will fly back in a reverse direction like a boomerang.
- Big red bird: This bird is named Terrance. Similar to the red bird, but bigger in size and more powerful.
- Orange Bird: This bird is named Bubbles. It starts very small and tiny, but inflates to a large size when you tap the screen.
- Pink bird: This bird is named Stella. She levitates objects with bubbles when you tap the screen. Use her to disrupt the bottoms of tall towers.
- Silver: Silver is a new bird introduced in Angry Birds 2. It is silver or grey colored. Silver does a loop and then dive-bombs straight down when you tap the screen.
Before launching your feathered army, have a clear look at the entire stage. See how many pigs are there. Check for a structure’s weak points. What are the obstacles in the way of the pigs? Don't just go rushing your way to finish a stage — observe first.
Use structures and surroundings to attack the pigs, rather than attack the pigs directly. If there is a tower with lots of pigs, look for a weak spot (such as glass, wood, or explosives) you can use the knock the tower down and take them all out at the same time. Look for ways to take out multiple pigs at once.
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Watch out for explosives. Most of the time, Angry Birds stages have TNTs or dynamite crates. These explosives can be of good use to you for they can clear obstacles when hit. These TNTs are strategically located where they can affect the environment when hit. Consider targeting TNT when an obstacle seems impossible to be destroyed by mere birds.
- Explosives usually have boulders near them or other explosives for maximum damage to the structures around them. If this is the case, it is most likely that you need to target this TNT to clear a stage.
When you launch one of your birds, it will leave a trajectory line. You can use this trajectory line as a guide on the correct direction where you should launch your next bird. This is very helpful to make every bird land on the target you’re aiming at.
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Try again. It is almost sure that you won’t be able to clear all stages in just one try. Sometimes you fail — especially on the later stages of the game. If this happens, don’t lose heart and try again. There is no limit on how many times you can play a stage. Learn from your mistake and do better on your next try.
- Sometimes when it’s obviously impossible for you to clear the stage, it’s advisable to just hit that Try Again button just to save time and try again.

Community Q&A

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How do you receive three gold stars on each level?

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Try to only use one bird instead of 2 or all of them. It improves your score by a lot.

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How do I download the Angry Birds game?

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PC: Go to the Rovio website and download a demo or pay for a full version. iOS and Android: Go to their respective app store and download (or buy) the game.

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Am I being asked to pay with real money or in-game currency?

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It depends, so I would make sure to read very carefully before accepting the charge. If you still aren't sure, you can do an online search for the exact thing you're trying to purchase.

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Tips

If you get a good shot, try to follow the dotted trail that the bird left behind.

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You can unlock golden eggs throughout the game. The golden eggs are usually hidden though.

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Look at cheat guides (online, on YouTube, etc.) if you can't get three stars or even pass a level.

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Warnings

It's addictive!

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If you use the mighty eagle or spells to pass a level then it's out of action for an hour but if it's a level you already passed you can use the mighty eagle again.

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