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Nintendo Switch Friend Code – How to Add Friends

Find out how to find your friend code and how to add friends so you can play online!
This article is over 7 years old and may contain outdated information

As people are picking up the Nintendo Switch, they want to know how to find their friend code and how to add friends so they can play online. This article covers how to find your friend code on the Nintendo Switch, how to create a Nintendo Account, and how to add friends so you can play Switch games online with your buddies. It’s not a difficult process, but you will need to know where to locate your Nintendo Switch friend code before you can do much else.

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Nintendo Account

Before you get a Nintendo Switch friend code you need to create a Nintendo Account. You can do that on the Nintendo Switch by first creating a profile. If you just turned on the console for the first time, it will automatically prompt you to choose a character icon and create a nickname (which can be changed at any time). If you want to create a second profile, access the System Settings from the Switch home screen, then select Users and choose Add User.

Once you have a profile you want to use, you need to link it to a Nintendo Account. In the same System Settings > Users area you can select any existing profiles on the console. Choose the profile you want to link a Nintendo Account to and you’re taken to a screen where you can change your nickname, edit your icon, delete the profile, or link a Nintendo Account.

Choose the Link Nintendo Account option, then you can either sign in with an existing Nintendo Account, or create a new one on the spot. All you’ll need is a valid email address to link the account to and you’ll be on your way. You can also access the Nintendo Account website and create your account there via a computer or smart device.

Friend Codes

To find your friend code, go to the Nintendo Switch home screen and scroll to the very top where the profile icons are found. Select the icon you want to find the friend code for and it will take you to the profile page. If you’ve linked a Nintendo Account to the profile, the friend code will appear to the right as a series of two letters followed by three sets of four numbers. It should look something like this: AA-1234-1234-1234

Adding Friends

If you want to add a friend so you can quickly and easily play with them online, select the profile from the top of the Nintendo Switch home screen. From the profile page scroll down to Add Friend on the left. From here you can access any friend requests you’ve already received, or find friends within the local users on the console, people you’ve recently played with online, searching using a friend code you received, or checking friend requests you’ve already sent.

For more on information on the new console, be sure to check out our Nintendo Switch hub!


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Author
Image of Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson
Bryan Dawson has an extensive background in the gaming industry, having worked as a journalist for various publications for nearly 20 years and participating in a multitude of competitive fighting game events. He has authored over a dozen strategy guides for Prima Games, worked as a consultant on numerous gaming-related TV and web shows and was the Operations Manager for the fighting game division of the IGN Pro League.