Nintendo Switch Online app just made it easier than ever to make friends TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Nintendo Switch Online app just made it easier than ever to make friends By Rhys Wood published 27 July 2022 It's a miracle (Image credit: Nintendo) Audio player loading… Nintendo Switch Online's mobile app just made it significantly easier to send friend requests to your pals. Updating to the latest version of the Nintendo Switch Online app enables you to copy your lengthy friend code as a URL. By sending that URL to a friend, they can tap it to open their app and instantly send you a friend request. So there's no longer a need to manually copy and paste the friend code itself into the app's friend request section (thanks, The Verge (opens in new tab)). Alternatively, you can now save your Nintendo Switch friend code as a QR code. When shared with others, they can scan the QR code to send you a friend request, essentially bypassing the need to interact with Nintendo's cumbersome friend code system. How to update the Nintendo Switch Online app The Nintendo Switch Online app is free to download from the App Store on iOS (opens in new tab) and the Play Store on Android (opens in new tab). But if you already have the app downloaded, it might not update automatically. To fix this, simply head to the Nintendo Switch Online app's store page and tap 'Update.' This will download the latest version of the app (Ver. 2.2.0), adding the new friend code features in the process. (Image credit: Nintendo) Nintendo embraces modernity Prior to this update, I always saw the Nintendo Switch Online app as a damp squib. It lets you browse your friends list and start (aggravatingly low-quality) voice chats. Some specific services for a handful of the best Nintendo Switch games are also available to browse. But that's about it. Now, though, the app's ability to share friend codes has dramatically improved. Before the update, your only option for sharing friend codes was to copy them as plain text. A shockingly half-baked implementation, then, but at least it's now ready to come out of the oven thanks to these improvements. Having a variety of ways to send friend requests is obviously nothing new on rival platforms. But Nintendo has always been hamstrung in this regard due to its frustrating commitment to the clunky friend code system we've had to deal with since the days of the Wii. In the grand scheme of things, then, these friend request improvements aren't a hug deal. But for Nintendo, it's a step away from its archaic friend code sharing trappings. Even if it's more of a slight tiptoe than a full stride.Check out this awesome retro Kirby game, now added to Nintendo Switch Online Rhys WoodHardware WriterRhys is Hardware Writer for TechRadar Gaming, and while relatively fresh to the role, he's been writing in a professional capacity for years. A Media, Writing and Production graduate, Rhys has prior experience creating written content for app developers, IT firms, toy sellers and the main TechRadar site. His true passions, though, lie in video games, TV, audio and home entertainment. When Rhys isn't on the clock, you'll usually find him logged into Final Fantasy 14, Halo Infinite or Sea of Thieves. See more Gaming news TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4RTX 4090 too expensive? Nvidia resurrects another old favorite5More than one million credit card details leaked online1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip3If this feature succeeds for Modern Warfare 2, Microsoft can't ignore it4Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month5The Rings of Power episode 8 trailer feels like one big Sauron misdirect Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)