The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →To become in-game Best Friends with another player in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, use online multiplayer to meet them, then manage them through the Best Friends List app on your NookPhone. Nintendo says the app is added the first time you use online multiplayer. Best Friends can use axes and shovels on your island, so give the status only to people you trust.
How to unlock the Best Friends List
The Best Friends List is for other human players you meet through island visits. It is separate from your relationship with animal villagers.
- Wait until the airport opens. Go to Dodo Airlines and speak with Orville. Nintendo says the airport opens on the second in-game day.
- Connect through online multiplayer. If you are hosting, choose “I want visitors” and then “Via online play.” You can open the island to friends or invite visitors with a Dodo Code. If you are visiting, choose “I wanna fly” and “Via online play,” then search for a friend or enter the host’s Dodo Code.
- Open the Best Friends List on your NookPhone. Nintendo says the app is automatically added the first time you use online multiplayer. Use it to manage players you have met through visits and to make or respond to Best Friend requests. Nintendo’s support pages do not specify the request-and-accept button sequence, so the exact prompts may depend on the current game interface.
Remote online play requires an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online membership. A Dodo Code can let a specific person visit, but having the code does not make that visitor a Best Friend.
Online and local visits: what is different?
| Visit type | Who it suits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Online play | Players connecting remotely | Internet connection and Nintendo Switch Online membership |
| Local wireless play | Players nearby with separate consoles | Internet access is not required |
Local wireless is another way to visit, but Nintendo’s guidance says the app is automatically added on first use of online multiplayer. It does not establish that local-only play unlocks the app.
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#1 Best Overall
![Animal Crossings New Horizons - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ErvUL40zL._SL160_.jpg)
- Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility; Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself
- Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools. Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch
- Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere. Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries
- Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more.
- Show off your paradise – play on the same system with a total of 4 people, or play together online or over local wireless for fun with up to 8 players
What Best Friends can do on your island
Nintendo says ordinary visiting friends cannot use axes and shovels on another player’s island, while registered Best Friends can use those tools. That extra access can affect trees, resources, and other island features. Grant Best Friend status only to players you trust, and ask before taking materials, items, or fossils.
Use Best Friends features in the Nintendo Switch App
NookLink can show and let you communicate with Best Friends through the Nintendo Switch App. To use it, enable NookLink in the game’s settings, sign in to the app with the same Nintendo Account linked to the game, and connect to the internet. See Nintendo’s NookLink setup instructions.
Rank #2
- Share Your Paradise - Show off your island utopia to family and friends - or pack your bags and visit theirs.
- Get Building - Experience a robust new crafting system - collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools!
- Create Your Perfect Getaway - Craft everything from tools to creature comforts as you create and customize your island community.
- Explore Your Island - Collect bugs, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean.
- Play Together - Up to eight players can reside on an island; four residents of the same island can play together simultaneously on a single system.
If you meant friendship with an animal villager
Villager friendship is a different system from the Best Friends List for human players. Nintendo recommends getting to know animal neighbors by talking with them, sending letters and gifts, visiting on birthdays, helping with favors, and returning lost items. See Play Nintendo’s neighbor tips.
Quick Recap
Rank #3
![Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JAzQozLgL._SL160_.jpg)
- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
Official guides
- Nintendo Support: How to Start a Local or Online Multiplayer Game
- Nintendo Support: How to Access NookLink in the Nintendo Switch App
- Play Nintendo: Island Etiquette
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