42 Nintendo Switch Tips and Tricks

As with every console there are some hidden features or less noticeable functions on the hardware and in the UI.

Below are tips and tricks that'll help you use those features so that your time with the Nintendo Switch is more pleasant.

The Nintendo Switch dock has a light on the bottom left that illuminates when it's outputting a signal to your TV.

The Nintendo Switch supports external batteries through its USB-C port.

If you plug in a Nintendo Switch to a MacBook Pro the Switch charges the laptop.

The Switch console takes approximately 3 hours to charge when powered off or in sleep mode.

You can toggle seeing the Console Battery percentage by going to the System Settings > System and turn it on or off.

Alternatively, hold down ZL and ZR when on the home screen to see the battery percentage briefly.

Nintendo Switch cartridges are coated with a substance that make them taste bad so that children won't swallow them. [1]

Hold a controller's SYNC button briefly to disconnect it from the system.

You can review all the errors your system experienced by going to System Settings > Support/Health & Safety > Error History.

Select the Controllers page on the home menu to see the controller's battery percentage.

The microSD port is behind the kickstand.

MicroSD cards don't work with multiple systems. If you insert a microSD card into a Switch after it's been used on another you'll have to wipe the card before it can be used.

Game save data can't be transferred to SD cards, but screenshots and games themselves can be saved on SD cards. [1]

Holding the power button for 12 seconds reboots the console.

There is currently not a way to sync Bluetooth headphones to the Switch.

You can use a Facebook Login on Nintendo Switch to find friends and share screenshots. 

You can have up to 300 friends.

The Nintendo Switch supports up to eight player accounts.

You can set Parental Controls without the Parental Controls App, but the has a wider suite of options.

Be careful when putting the Switch in and pulling it out of the dock. It's easy to get hairline scratches on the screen. Most people are seeing them on the bottom left hand corner of their Switch.

EditHandheld Mode

When in handheld mode you can tap the battery icon in the top right corner on the home page to see what percentage of battery you have left. 

Pressing the off button once puts the Switch to sleep, but it doesn't close or suspend any game or software you may have open.

Hold down the home button to get quick access to Sleep Mode, Airplane Mode, and the brightness settings.

You can double tap a player icon on the homepage to visit their player page.

If you don't plan on docking the console overnight be sure to turn off the Switch completely instead of putting it in Sleep Mode.

EditAlbum and Photo Editing Tips

You can add more keyboards to the image editor by hitting the globe button on the keyboard then hitting "Add Keyboard."

Select a different language keyboard by hitting the globe in the bottom left and then choose the keyboard you want to use.

When previewing one image hold the right joystick down to see a zoomed out version of the image.

When previewing one image hold the right joystick forward to zoom in on the image.

EditeShop and Online Systems

You can access different eShops by signing in with a My Nintendo account set to a region (Japan/Americas/Europe/etc)

If you change your Switch's region game art can change if it's different between the two regions.

User accounts are displayed as Offline if they're not signed in to an open game even if you're connected to the internet.

The Nintendo Switch doesn't have a web browser, but you can access Facebook through the social sign-in feature found in an individual's profile page. Go to a profile page > User Settings > Posting to Social Media then hit the Link button. Sign in to an existing account and you can scroll through Facebook, check notifications, and watch videos. You can't leave the website, however. 

Game demos currently have no play limit.

You can designate your Nintendo Account's primary Nintendo Switch by going to the eShop settings. Nintendo Accounts are automatically linked to a Switch when they first sign in to a Switch. You can only download and play eShop games on your designated primary Nintendo Switch.

There have been reports that some new Nintendo Switch come with the right Joy-Con charged, but the left isn't. Be sure to let your controllers charge for a bit when you first open the console.

To prevent desyncing issues with the Joy-Con try to not to block the Joy-Con from the line-of-sight with the Switch. Visit the Joy-Con Controller Problem page for more information.

Joy-Con work natively with Android, Windows and Mac, but you'll need a third-party app to help the device recognize Joy-Con button arrangement.

You can play with one Joy-Con disconnected from the screen and one connected in handheld mode.

It's not recommended that you put vinyl skins or wraps on your Nintendo Switch or Joy-Con. The outer coating of both peel when you remove an adhesive. [1]

Joy-Con won't work if they're detached from the Switch when it's in Airplane mode.

Joy-Con battery won't charge when you're playing in handheld mode.

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