Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers a delightful multiplayer experience, but sharing an island with visitors requires trust and clear boundaries. Upgrading standard visitors to Best Friends grants them special privileges, such as using shovels and axes during their visit. Understanding how to manage these permissions ensures your island stays safe while enjoying seamless cooperative gameplay.
Prerequisites for Unlocking the Best Friends Feature
Before you can register someone as a Best Friend, both players must meet a few basic requirements in Nintendo Switch system settings and within the game. You must have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to access online multiplayer services. Additionally, you need to unlock the NookPhone and visit Dodo Airlines at least once to enable internet connectivity.
First-time multiplayer setup also requires opening your airport gates or visiting another player's island over an internet connection. Once you interact with another player online, Orville will send the Best Friends List application directly to your NookPhone. This app serves as your hub for managing player permissions and tracking online status.
Sending and Accepting Best Friend Requests
Adding a friend to your in-game list involves a straightforward process managed entirely through the NookPhone. After playing together online, open the Best Friends List app to view a list of recent players you have interacted with. Select the name of the player you wish to upgrade and choose the option to send a request.
The receiving player will instantly get a notification on their own NookPhone app to accept or decline the request. Once accepted, both players will appear on each other's Best Friends list whenever they are online. This connection allows you to send instant messages and see when your friends are active in the game.
Permissions and Island Protection Benefits
The primary advantage of adding Best Friends is granting trusted players access to powerful tools while visiting your island. Standard visitors cannot use tools like axes or shovels, preventing accidental destruction of trees or flowers. Best Friends gain permission to use these tools, making large-scale terraforming and resource gathering much easier.
Despite these open permissions, safety remains a top priority when hosting online sessions. If a player misbehaves, you can easily remove them from your list using the NookPhone application. You can also end an active multiplayer session immediately by pressing the minus button on your Nintendo Switch controller.
Communicating and Interacting with Best Friends
Having a list of Best Friends opens up new ways to interact and coordinate events across different islands. You can send direct in-game messages to online friends even if you are not currently visiting the same island. This makes planning trading sessions, turnip sales, and seasonal events far more convenient.
Furthermore, you can send physical mail and attached items directly to your Best Friends from the postcard stand inside Dodo Airlines. Simply choose a recipient from your friend list and attach a gift or letter. Navigating these features helps build a thriving in-game community while preserving the safety and beauty of your custom island.
