FarmVille App for iPad and iPhone: What Happened and What to Play Now

In 2010 Zynga released a free FarmVille app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, so you could tend your Facebook farm on the go. This article explains what that app did, what happened to it and the original FarmVille, and which FarmVille game you can download and play on your phone or tablet today.

Quick answer: The original FarmVille app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch connected to your Facebook farm, but it no longer works: the Facebook game it relied on shut down on 31 December 2020. Today the main game is FarmVille 3, a free-to-play mobile game for iPhone, iPad and Android, available from the App Store and Google Play.

What the 2010 FarmVille app could do

FarmVille was the most popular farming game on Facebook, and a Facebook account was required to play it. The free app from Zynga brought the same farm to Apple devices. When we covered it in October 2010, its features included:

• Connecting to your existing FarmVille farm on the web.
• Planting a variety of seeds to grow fruit and vegetables.
• Earning coins and XP to decorate and expand your farm.
• Using tractors, seeders, the Biplane and the Super Combine to work faster.
• Exclusive iPad and iPhone items, co-op farming jobs and crop mastery notifications.
• Helping neighbours to level up faster, and logging in to more than one farm.

The update at the time added higher resolution graphics for the iPad, easier access to tools and menus on the larger screen and faster loading on all devices.

What happened to the FarmVille app and the original game?

The original FarmVille ran on Adobe Flash. When Flash support ended, Zynga closed the Facebook game on 31 December 2020, and with it the farms the old app connected to. The 2010 app can no longer be used, and any items or Farm Cash in those farms were lost. We explain more about Farm Cash and its end in our article on FarmVille Farm Cash and FarmVille today.

Along the way Zynga released other FarmVille games:

• FarmVille 2 (2012), the Facebook sequel.
• FarmVille 2: Country Escape (2014), a mobile version you could play offline.
• FarmVille 3 (November 2021), the current mobile game.

How to download the FarmVille app today

If you want a FarmVille app on your phone or tablet now, FarmVille 3 is the one to get:

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, or Google Play on Android.
2. Search for “FarmVille 3” and check that the developer is Zynga.
3. Tap Get or Install. The game is free to download, with optional in-app purchases.
4. Open the game and follow the tutorial to set up your new farm.

Your old Facebook farm can’t be moved into FarmVille 3; it is a new game with its own farms, animals and events. You can find more about Zynga’s games on the Zynga (external site) website.

Tips for playing the FarmVille app safely

• Turn off in-app purchases on children’s devices using Screen Time on iPhone or parental controls in Google Play.
• Ignore “free cash” generators. Sites and videos promising unlimited free currency are scams that try to steal your account.
• Manage notifications so the game doesn’t nag you all day. If old Facebook game invites bother you, see how to remove FarmVille notifications and game requests.

FAQ

Can I still use the old FarmVille app on my iPad?

No. It connected to the original Facebook FarmVille, which shut down at the end of 2020.

Is the FarmVille app free?

FarmVille 3 is free to download and play, with optional in-app purchases.

Do I need Facebook to play FarmVille now?

The 2010 app required a Facebook account. FarmVille 3 is a standalone mobile game, so you can start playing straight from the app.

Can I get my old FarmVille farm back?

No. Farms from the original Facebook game were not carried over when it closed.