Mr. Handy is one of the most useful helpers in Fallout Shelter. He automates resource collection, defends your vault, and can even explore the wasteland.
If you’ve just acquired your first one or want to know how to deploy him, this guide explains everything you need to know about how to use Mr. Handy.
Fallout Shelter is available on multiple platforms, but this guide is written with mobile players in mind – whether you’re on Android or iOS.
What is Mr. Handy in Fallout Shelter?
Mr. Handy is a robotic assistant you can assign to different floors in your vault. Unlike dwellers, he doesn’t need food, water, or rest, and he won’t take up living space. He helps by:
Automatically collecting resources from rooms on his floor
Attacking enemies during vault incidents
Collecting caps in the wasteland (if sent outside)
You can unlock Mr. Handy through lunchboxes, in-app purchases, or by completing certain quest rewards and objectives.
Note: Mobile users can also unlock Snip Snip, a variant of Mr. Handy that appears in the Fallout TV series.
How to Use Mr. Handy
Once you receive a Mr. Handy unit, he’ll appear in your vault’s inventory. Here’s how to put him to work:
1: Tap the Pip-Boy icon in the bottom right of your screen
2: Open the “Storage” section
3: Locate Mr. Handy and tap “Use”
4: Drag him onto the floor you want him to patrol
He will begin moving back and forth along that floor, automatically collecting resources from production rooms like power generators, diners, and water treatment plants.
Tip: You can move Mr. Handy to another floor at any time by dragging him like a Dweller. Just make sure you place him on a floor with active production to make the most of his abilities.
Sending Mr. Handy to the Wasteland
You can also send Mr. Handy into the wasteland to collect caps over time. To do this:
1: Tap on Mr. Handy and drag him outside of the vault.
2: Select “Explore”
3: He’ll leave the vault and begin collecting caps automatically
Unlike dwellers, he won’t fight enemies or return with gear, just caps. However, he can be destroyed by enemy encounters if left out too long, so make sure to recall him before his health hits zero.
Want to send your Dwellers out too? Check out our guide to sending Dwellers to the wasteland for tips on gear, supplies, and survival.
Does Mr. Handy Collect Resources When Not Playing?
This is one of the most common questions, and the answer is, partially.
When you’re offline, Mr. Handy does not actively collect resources in real time. Instead, when you reopen the game, Fallout Shelter simulates time passed, and resources are calculated based on what your vault would have generated.
So while Mr. Handy doesn’t do the collecting in the background, your rooms will still generate resources, and you’ll see the results when you return.
Note: You don’t need to be online constantly to benefit from resource generation, but Mr. Handy is most useful while you’re actively playing, especially during incident defense or for convenience.
Mr. Handy and Incident Defense
Another key benefit of Mr. Handy is that he automatically fights during incidents on his assigned floor:
Raider attacks
Radroach infestations
Fires
Mole rat and Deathclaw invasions (if they reach his floor)
He doesn’t do massive damage, but he helps soften enemies and buys your Dwellers time to respond. However, he can be damaged over time, and if his health drops to zero, you’ll need to repair him with caps.
Summary
Mr. Handy is one of the most useful upgrades in Fallout Shelter. He won’t carry your entire vault on his own, but he makes managing resources and defending your rooms much easier, especially as your population grows. Use him smartly, keep an eye on his health, and enjoy the hands-free help.
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