How to add Friends and Best Friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Send gifts, letters & more

If you want to enjoy the incredible online features of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, such as making friends, visiting them, and sending gifts and letters, don’t forget to refer to this guide on how to add friends in the game.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, similar to its previous versions, is a delightful life simulation game that allows you to advance at your own speed. Yet, numerous players find equal enjoyment in showcasing their dream island as they do in constructing it.

Fortunately, in ACNH, you have the opportunity to establish in-game friendships and invite others to visit your island, and vice versa. Moreover, you can send customized gifts and letters to your friends. While there may not be direct competition, these online features enable you to share your imaginative concepts and crafting endeavors with your closest companions.

Here’s a guide to help you add friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

  • The criteria for adding friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons are as follows.
  • How to Add Friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

    1. Open the game and go to the main menu.
    2. Select the “Online Play” option.
    3. Choose either “Search for a Friend” or “Invite via Dodo Code” depending on your preferred method.
    4. If you select “Search for a Friend,” you can either enter your friend’s Nintendo Switch friend code or search for nearby players.
    5. If you choose “Invite via Dodo Code,” you will receive a unique code that you can share with your friends.
    6. Once the friend request is accepted or the Dodo Code is entered, you can visit each other’s islands, send letters, and interact in various ways.
    7. To add friends permanently, select the “Best Friends” option in the in-game friend menu and choose the “Add Best Friend” option.
    8. Enter your friend’s in-game name or select from your existing friends to send a best friend request.
    9. Once the request is accepted, you can visit each other’s islands more easily and have enhanced gameplay experiences together.
  • Visiting your friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons – A step-by-step guide
  • A guide on sending gifts and letters to your friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Requirements to add friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons

In order to add friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it is necessary to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Therefore, before proceeding with the instructions provided in this guide, it is essential to acquire a subscription which is priced at $3.99 per month.

Steps to add friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To form friendships with characters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, adhere to the following guidelines:

    To go to the Home Screen on your Nintendo Switch, click on the profile icon at the top left corner of the screen. To add a friend, select “Add Friend” and choose the “Search with Friend Code” option. Enter the Friend Code of the person you want to add, submit your request, and wait for their acceptance.

You also have the option to connect with a friend on Animal Crossing: New Horizons by using a Dodo code.

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    To begin playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, launch the game and engage in a conversation with Orville. Opt for Online Play as the mode for visitors to select and choose the “Invite via Dodo code” option. Remember, the more people, the merrier! You are welcome to invite anyone you please. Now, head back to your Nintendo Switch Profile and navigate to the “Add Friends” section, where you will find the individual listed in your recently played friends. Once they accept your friend request, you will become instant friends in the game!

How to visit your friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Once you have established a friendship within the game, here is a step-by-step guide on how to visit other players’ islands and extend invitations in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

    Head over to Dodo Airlines and have a chat with Orville. Opt for “Online Play” and then select “All my friends” as the preferred choice for visitors. Kindly instruct your friend to go to the Dodo on their own island and choose “I want to fly!” followed by “Online Play”. From there, they can select your island and come for a visit.

How to send gifts and letters to your friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

After paying a visit to your friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can then proceed to send them gifts and letters. Once you’ve met this condition, simply follow these steps:

    Start the game by heading to the airport. Interact with the card stand positioned next to the desk. Choose a card design and craft a letter to your friend, all for a mere 200 Bells.

Follow these steps to send a gift to your friend in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

    To use the Nook Shopping app, you can either open it directly on your NookPhone or go to Resident Services and select the Nook Shopping Utility. Once you’re in the app, you’ll find the catalog. Simply browse through the items and choose one you’d like to send as a gift. You can then select your friend as the recipient and decide whether to send it with the default card message or customize it to your liking.

How to add Best Friends on Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Once you have visited someone on Animal Crossing: New Horizons and established a connection, you can proceed to add them as your Best Friend. To do so, simply follow the steps outlined below.

  1. Please access the Best Friends app on your NookPhone.
  2. Select your Best Friend from the group of friends who have visited you and whom you have also visited.
  3. Your friend is obliged to acknowledge and accept the request to become Best Friends.

Please be aware that in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Best Friends have additional interaction options, including the ability to dig holes for planting flowers on your island. It is important to choose Best Friends wisely, as someone you do not trust may negatively impact your island’s overall aesthetic.


In conclusion, you now have all the information you need on adding friends and Best Friends in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as well as sending them gifts and letters. If you’re interested in similar guides, be sure to check out how to spectate matches in Overwatch 2, how to obtain the Life Orb in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and how to purchase the railgun in GTA Online.

Image Credits: Nintendo