How to add friends in 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' and have them visit your in-game island

Emma WitmanMay 8, 2021, 05:37 IST

Business Insider

Island-hopping on Nintendo's "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is a fun activity to do with friends."Animal Crossing: New Horizons"/Nintendo

You can add friends in "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" through the Nintendo Switch's Friend List.
Invites for online play can also be sent to anyone with a one-time randomly generated "Dodo Code."
Once a friend has been on your island once, you can become "Best Friends," giving them more privileges while visiting.

Like the sandbox world of "Minecraft," Nintendo's "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" is another game to flaunt your carefully crafted creation with friends.

Bringing friends to your island lets you meet new villagers, cultivate hybrid flowers, and learn unique crafting recipes. And of course, you can share beautiful island experiences - perfect for social distancing.

To get started adding and playing with friends on "Animal Crossing," you both need a Nintendo Online subscription and an internet connection. You can then invite friends to your island from your Nintendo Switch Friend List, or you can bring over guests by sending one-time invites in the form of unique "Dodo Codes" generated by the game.

How to add friends in 'Animal Crossing' through a Switch code

Add someone to your Switch Friend List

You can bypass this step and use a one-time Dodo code invite instead (see below). However, adding users to the Friend List on your Switch can be handy for knowing when your friends are actively playing "Animal Crossing," thus available for co-op play. It'll also let you connect to them more easily in the future.

1. Each Nintendo Switch user has a unique "Friend Code," a 12-digit number preceded by the letters "SW." The code can be found on the "Profile" section of your account.

Your account page for your Switch can be reached via the icon in the top-left corner of the home screen.Emma Witman/Insider

2. Select the "Friend List" category within your account page, and tap "Add Friend," then "Search with Friend Code."

You can also find friends who you've already played with online in other games. Use the "Search for Users You Played With" option.Emma Witman/Insider

3. After you've entered their code and found the other "Animal Crossing" player you want to invite to your island, shoot them a friend request, and upon their approval, they'll be added to your Friend List.

The Friend Code can be found at the top of the search results, above the user’s hours logged in other Switch games.Emma Witman/Insider

How to open your island to online visitors

Next, you have to make your island available for online play by "opening the gate" at the airport. Head there and speak to the receptionist, Orville.

1. Tell Orville "I want visitors" when he asks how he can assist you.

2. Select the "Via Online play" option when Orville asks how you want to invite someone to your island. Make sure you have an internet connection at this stage.

You'll need an internet connection for online play in "Animal Crossing," although you can opt for local play with a friend that's nearby with their own Switch - no Wi-Fi connection needed.Emma Witman/Insider

3. When asked who to invite, select the "All my friends" option.

From there, your gate will physically open, signifying that your island is ready for visitors.

When a visitor is arriving, your normal Animal Crossing gameplay will be briefly interrupted and cut to this flight information screen.Emma Witman/Insider

Although anyone on your Friend List can hop over as long as the gate remains open, your gameplay will remain the same.

How to add a 'Best Friend' after hosting an island visitor

Upon having your first conversation with Orville about inviting guests, he'll mention and install the Best Friends List app onto your Nook Phone.

After a visitor has been to your island, you each have the option to request one another as a Best Friend. If accepted, you'll be added to each others' Best Friends List, and be given new privileges when visiting, like use of a shovel.

Making the leap from Friend to Best Friend is only possible in Animal Crossing after visiting another player's island.Emma Witman/Insider

That means you might have to be careful who you add as a Best Friend. If a visitor is coveting your Blue Roses on the first trip, they'll have the privilege of digging them up on a future visit to your island as a Best Friend.

How to invite a friend to your 'Animal Crossing' island using a Dodo Code

1. To use a Dodo Code, initiate the same conversation with Orville at the airport, telling him "I want visitors."

2. Select the "Invite via Dodo Code" when asked who you want to invite.

3. You can elect to invite just friends from your Switch Friend List, or anyone with the "The more the merrier!" option.

The friend who is visiting your island will also talk to Orville at their airport, where they'll enter the Dodo Code you give them.Emma Witman/Insider

4. Orville will give you a five-character Dodo Code. This is the code you give anyone who you want to visit your island.

If you don't want people to use the code anymore, just tell Orville to shut the gates. That'll make the code expire.

How to download Nintendo Switch games onto your console, or enter a download code to get a gameHow to set up parental controls on your Nintendo Switch and customize or disable themHow to add a user profile to a Nintendo Switch, so that every player can have their own save files and settings

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