How to Add Best Friends | ACNH - Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

This is a guide on how to add best friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH). Read on to learn about what's currently known about adding best friends and what you can do as a best friend.

How to Add Best Friends

1. Play With a Friend Online

Go to the Airport to play with a registered friend on the Switch. You can select to go to their island, or have friends visit you.
How to Play Online Multiplayer | Do You Have to Pay for Online?

2. Receive the Best Friends List App

When playing with a friend for the first time, Orville will send you the Best Friends List app.

3. Send a Best Friend Request to a Friend

Open up the Best Friends List app to see your friends, you can select a person to request to be best friends with.

Wait for Confirmation

Once the player accepts your request, you are now best friends! You can check your Best Friend Inbox and Outbox to see the active Best Friend requests you've sent and received.

You can remove Best Friends status anytime

You can remove your best friend status anytime by selecting their name, and choosing to quit being Best Friends.

What Can You Do As Best Friends?

You Can Use Axes and Shovels on During Online Play

When you are best friends with a player, you can use shovels and axes on their island. Same goes for the other side, they can use those tools too when they are visiting your island during Online Play.

You cannot use these tools when you are not best friends with a player.

Send Direct Messages

You can send a direct message to a best friend when they are online. You can also send a message to all online best friends by pressing the Y button.

View conversations through the Chat Log app

You can view your messages with friends through the Chat Log app.

This app is unlocked after playing with a friend for the first time.

Get Notified When Best Friends Go Online

When a best friend goes online, a message is automatically sent to all their best friends which you can see in-game.

You can disable communication features anytime

You can opt to turn off communication features by pressing the - button. Friends won't see if you're online, but you also won't see when they go online. You also will not be able to send direct messages if you turn this feature off.

What Is the Best Friend System?

A System for Registering Close Friends

The Best Friends system is a way for you to register your closest friends in Animal Crossing. When someone is a Best Friend, you can check their player name, island name, and online status. You can even send direct messages.

Used for Online Play

The Best Friends system is used in online play as it limits which players can use destructive tools like axes and shovels when visiting your island.
How to Play Online

Features Do Not Work in Offline or Local Play

When you are playing with a friend through offline and local play, they can use shovels and axes, even if they are not registered as best friends, so be careful when inviting players over to your island.

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