How To Fix Friends Always Appear Offline On Nintendo Switch

Some Nintendo Switch users have reported to us that their friends appear to be offline on their Nintendo Switch even though they’re actually online. The problem, while not widespread, seems to affect quite a number of users during the last few months. It seems to occur at random and sometimes even when the consoles are using the same home wifi. 

If you are wondering for a solution to this issue, this guide should be for you.

Causes why your Nintendo Switch friends may always appear offline

There’s no official explanation from Nintendo why this problem is happening on some consoles. If you noticed that all your friends appear to be offline all the time for some time now, it’s possible that you may be experiencing this problem on your Nintendo Switch.

Below are some of the causes for this problem.

Random bug.

Some Nintendo Switch users have reported to us that their console is inconsistent when showing their Friends lists from time to time. If this problem occurs intermittently, it’s possible that this may be caused by a random coding bug or glitch.

While it may not affect other functionalities on your console, it can become an annoyance, especially if you want to get notifications when your friends are playing.

Outdated software.

If your Nintendo Switch is only connected to the internet sparingly, it’s possible that the cause of the problem may be an issue with an older software version. To lessen the chances of bugs or glitch, you’ll want to make sure that your software is always updated.

Corrupted notification settings.

The notification settings on your Nintendo Switch may be incorrectly set up or may be corrupted. If this is the case, you can try to update your console’s notification settings by following the steps below.

Nintendo Switch network settings issue.

Some connectivity issues on the Switch are sometimes caused by a glitch with how the local network is configured, or with the equipment.

How to fix your Nintendo Switch that always show friends as offline

There are a number of solutions that you can try if your Nintendo Switch friends always show offline. Learn what you must do by following them below.

  1. Reboot your console.

    The first troubleshooting step that you can do is to ensure that you refresh the system.You can do that by turning off the console and restarting it. 
    On your Nintendo Switch, find the Power button on top and hold it. Once the Power options show up, select Restart.Power button 5

  2. Verify Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet.

    Make sure that your Nintendo Switch is online by running an internet connection test. Here’s how to do that:
    -Go to the Nintendo Home screen.
    -Select System Settings.
    -Select Internet.
    -Select Test Connection.
    If your Nintendo Switch is offline, it will obviously show your friends as offline. 

    HOW TO FIX NINTENDO SWITCH WIFI ISSUES | CAN’T CONNECT, FIND NETWORK
    Test connection result switch

  3. Check for software updates.

    Another possible solution that you can try in this situation is to check for software updates. To do that, simply connect the Switch to the Internet and follow these steps to check for updates:
    -Go to the Nintendo Home screen.
    -Select System Settings.
    -Select System.
    -Select System Update.Nintendo Switch system update

  4. Update Nintendo Switch notification settings.

    One of the common reasons why some Nintendo Switch consoles may show Friends List as offline is an outdated notification settings. To fix the problem, here’s what you must do:
    -Go to the Nintendo Home screen.
    -Select System Settings.
    -Go to Notifications, then press and hold either the Left or Right stick and either the + or – button.
    -Then, select Update.Nintendo Switch update notification settings

  5. Delete and add your friends.

    In my experience the only effective fix for this problem on my own console is to delete and then re-add my friends. This was a practical solution for me as i only have a handful of friends so deleting and re-adding them was easy. 
    To manage your Friends List, follow these steps:
    -Go to the Nintendo Home screen.
    -Select your Profile icon at the upper left.
    -Highlight Friend List to view a list of your friends.
    -Select the friend you want to manage.
    -Select Options and hit Delete Friend option.

    HOW TO ADD A FRIEND ON NINTENDO SWITCH | NEW 2020!Nintendo Switch delete friend

  6. Disconnect and reconnect to your gateway or router.

    If the issue remains at this point, the last thing that you can try is to disconnect from your home wifi or router and reconnect. Some Switch users have tried this and it fixed the problem for some reason.back of router cable

Suggested readings:

Visit our TheDroidGuy Youtube Channel for more troubleshooting videos.


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