Dina Bader: Becoming best friends in Animal Crossing is tricky

If you're wanting to visit a friend's island and actually use all of your tools while doing so, you're going to need to become best friends in the game.

If you love playing social games with others, then you'll be interested to know that Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows players to visit each other's islands and enjoy that sweet tropical life together. While visiting other islands is fun, you'll be limited on what you're able to do unless you become "best friends" with another player in the game. Here's an explanation of the perks you get for being best friends along with how to become best friends in-game.

Word of warning: You should only become best friends with people you trust. Otherwise, they could steal valuable resources from your island and leave you in a bind.

Benefits of being best friends
How to become best friends

Benefits of being best friends

Becoming friends is easy. All you need to do is have someone show up on your island or visit someone else's island, then that player will show up in your friends list. However, it takes a little more work to make someone a best friend, and for a good reason.

To protect your island and its resources, your friends cannot use some of their tools while visiting you. However, this changes if you become best friends in the game. You'll be able to run around together, harvesting everything you can find. Just keep in mind that some players aren't as considerate as others.

You want to be very careful about becoming best friends with just anybody. One of the worst things that can happen is discovering that all your fruits have been plucked from the trees, and all your flowers have been harvested, leaving you with nothing to do - or worse, with no Bells to earn. Only become best friends with someone you trust.

How to become best friends

If you've just started playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you won't be able to visit other islands or invite someone to your island until some time has passed. Typically, people can start doing these things on their second day of playing. If you want help on how to use multiplayer, check out this guide.

Note: If you're sharing an island with others, then you'll each have your own best friend list that is separate from the other players on your island. Additionally, even though you're sharing an island, each player will need to be covered in a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to take part in any online functions.

Head to the Airport and talk to Orville behind the counter. You can choose to invite someone using local or online play. If you tell Orville that you want to play with others online, you'll unlock the Best Friends app on your NookPhone. You can use it to communicate with other players and invite them to your island.
You must invite someone to your island or visit someone else's island to become friends with them. When playing with another player, you can either make it so that any random local or online player can show up on your island. Or, if you want to make sure that only a trusted friend shows up, you'll want to talk to Orville about setting up a temporary code.
If you chose the second option, Orville will give you a code to use. Make sure your friend knows the code so they can use it on their Switch.
A small animation will play, showing you that a visitor is coming to your island. Once you've played together, you'll show up on each other's friend lists.
Once the games recognizes that you are friends, one of you needs to open your NookPhone and select the Best Friends app.
From your friend list, select the player that you want to become best friends with.
Select "Ask to Be Best Friends."
Now your friend needs to accept the friend request from their Switch.

You're the best of friends

Now that you've become best friends, you can run around each other's islands and harvest together. Remember that the items you collect while exploring someone else's island will show up in the Recycle Box at Resident Services on your own island. Have fun playing together! I hope you find lots of rare creatures and make tons of Bells!