It’s easier than it has ever been to add someone as a friend on your Nintendo Switch account with just your phone now that you can input a friend code into the Switch Online mobile app and send a request. An update in March made it simple for people to copy their code from the app to share it with others. Now you can more easily expand your friends list when you don’t happen to have your Switch handy.
The updated version of the mobile app on iPhone / iPad or Android (version 2.2 or higher) also allows you to share your friend code as a URL for someone else to click on so they can send a request or a QR code so they can get there just by using their camera.
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One thing to be aware of on the update is that the app now requires at least iOS 14 to work, but luckily there’s a pretty long list of compatible devices.
The clunky codes have been a hurdle for Switch multiplayer since the system debuted and were a step back from the Nintendo Network ID system used for the Wii U. Nintendo has tried to make things easier by allowing you to link a Facebook or Twitter account to pull suggestions based on who your friends are on those services, but not everyone is into linking all of their accounts together.