Alex Ruben
How To Connect Friends on Nintendo Switch 2: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Adding friends on the Nintendo Switch 2 is pretty much necessary if you want to actually play online with someone or just share your gaming glory. Sometimes, it’s a bit confusing where everything is, especially with the menus being a little tricky to navigate. Anyway, here’s a rundown that might save someone some time — weirdly enough, the process isn’t super intuitive at first.
Step 1: Access Your Profile
First off, you gotta get into your profile. Just turn on your Switch 2, and look for that little icon—probably your avatar—in the top left of the home screen. Click on it; that’s where the magic begins.
Pro tip: if your profile isn’t showing up, maybe try resetting the console or opening the menu from the main page again, sometimes it’s just a hiccup.
Step 2: Initiate the Friend Adding Process
Once into your profile, scroll down a bit until you see a button that says Add Friend. On some setups, it’s in the middle of the list, and on others, it’s tucked away, so look carefully. Clicking that opens the different ways to actually add someone, which is handy because not everyone has their friend code on hand.
Step 3: Choose Your Preferred Method
There are a few options here that depend on what you’re trying to do — mostly the usual suspects:
- Search with Friend Code: Almost everyone will use this at some point. You’ll need to know the other person’s friend code (and double-check it — typos are irritating).
Tip: if they don’t give you their code directly, ask for it; it’s usually found in their profile. - Search for Users Previously Played With: If you’ve tangled with someone in a game recently, their profile might pop up here, making it easier to add them directly. Good for avoiding the typo trap.
- Search for Local Users: If folks are on your LAN or nearby, and your console detects other Switch users on the same network, you might see some options pop up. Not always for everyone, but worth a shot if you’re somewhere with a lot of Switches around.
- View Sent Friend Requests: Handy if you wanna manage pending requests—you can cancel or check statuses.
Step 4: Add a Friend Using Their Friend Code
This is the classic method. Pick Search with Friend Code, then type in the code carefully. Tip: be very precise — a single typo means you’re adding a stranger or nothing at all. If you get any errors, double-check your entry.
Sometimes weird things happen where the code doesn’t register right away, or it’s case-sensitive, so take your time. After input, hit confirm, and wait for the magic to happen.
Step 5: Finding Your Own Friend Code
Not sure how to share your code? Easy. Go back to your profile—just hit that little avatar again. It should be displayed right on the left. Looks like a string of letters and numbers, but it’s easy enough to copy and send via chat or however you like.
This code’s important—share it with friends so they can add you, or vice versa.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Here’s where things get weird sometimes. On some consoles, adding friends just plain doesn’t work the first time. Reloading the console or doing a quick network restart often helps.
Also, make sure both you and your buddy are connected to the internet and that your online status is active. Sometimes, the Switch’s servers get laggy or glitchy, so patience is key.
If things still don’t add up, try toggling Airplane Mode off/on, or resetting your network settings via Settings > Internet > Internet Settings.
And yes, checking that your Friend List Limit isn’t maxed out is a good idea—because of course, Nintendo has to make it harder than necessary.
Conclusion
Adding friends is pretty straightforward once you get into the habit of finding the right menu, but it’s still kind of annoying that Nintendo doesn’t make it more intuitive. Anyway, just follow the steps, double-check those codes, and you should be good to go. Sharing your friend code unlocks a lot more multiplayer fun, so don’t be shy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my friend request is not accepted?
Double-check that your friend received the request—sometimes it’s buried in notifications or spam, and make sure they’ve got space left in their friend list. If they’re ignoring you, maybe try messaging them outside the Switch?
Can I remove friends from my list?
Yep. Jump into your profile, go to the Friends section, pick the person you wanna remove, and select Remove Friend. It’s pretty painless.
Is there a limit to how many friends I can have?
There is. The Switch caps it a bit, so if your list is full, you’ll need to delete some old friends before adding new ones. Best to clear out the inactive ones sometimes — can be a pain, but it’s necessary.
Summary
- Get into your profile and find Add Friend.
- Choose your method — friend code, recent matches, etc.
- Be careful entering friend codes — typos will mess things up.
- Restart or recheck network if things just don’t want to sync right the first time.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. If this gets one update moving, mission accomplished.