Talking Point: What We Love And Hate About The Nintendo Switch Online Smartphone App

I'm okay with the existence of the app, though I wish it at least had a bit more functionality if that's what we'll be relegated to by Nintendo. A friend list, messaging features, ability to browse the shop even.

The few times I've played Fortnite with my friend and not been in the same house, we've just used Facetime anyway. After 8 years of Xbox live, I'm kinda burnt on talking online while playing, honestly.

I use Discord, but that's not exclusive to Switch things as an alternative.

It's the same with PS4 and Xbox One and even native VC via PC Games. Discord is just better.

The only thing I use the app for is splatnet, other than that I use discord for everything else

Apparently they monitor the chat for language and other stuff. Tch. Seriously?

It works but it uses my phone battery fast and need to keep it on charge. Would of preferred all this on the console but Nintendo.

App could be better like show who’s online and message/invite player similar to the PlayStation app experience

Overall it’s better than before and there is improvement

I'm fine with the app. Kids need a safe online environment...whether they want one or not.

the app is Nintendo being Nintendo.
They deliver some of the best games in the industry, but when it comes to online funcionalities, they're absolutely inadequate.

Please let's remember the year 2005, when the Xbox 360 was bundled with a headset and you could start a voice chat CROSS GAMES, with no issues regarding the audio of the game you were playing. You called a friend, started to chat, while the two were playing totally different games, just to prepare for some coop or anithing to do together.
And what if you wanted to invite some other friends to the battle? Naturally, you did this with the INVITE A FRIEND feature. Your friend would see a pop up message from you, "Charlie wants you to play Halo", just click, accept and the system itself, after saying he must change the game disc, would THROW HIM DIRECTLY INTO THE LOBBY.

Now let's consider the Nintendo Switch Online whole system, where you can't even send a private text message to your friends...

Oh Nintendo, I love you so much, but sometimes I think you really deserve to fail hard

Umm.....you can use wireless headset with native chat.
Ps4 gold works via a usb stick.
Also for app chat..Ninty app or discord the Arctic series pro uses both a wireless transmitter from usb audio or jack and bluetooth from the phone app. It can blend both for those who want game sound and app chat.

I really haven't used it as I'm not a huge online gamer but I really do not have a problem using the app.

Discord and you cant even listen to the game audio... it is insane. All this just needs to be canned - and start over.

It is like needing an App on my iPhone to chat for a game on the iPad 😅

i do enjoy the exclusive app things you get from the app when playing Splatoon 2

I get that it saves bandwith blah blah blah but integrated voice chat should have been in from day 1. Same old nintendo and their crazy inventions. They had an opportunity to take the best of ps4 and and xbox one and made nothing. Discord it is then.

This app is garbage and should be deleted from existence.

Eh, you shouldn't need the app for voice chat, but I personally use Discord anyway.

I don't really care about the voice chat feature since if I do want to use VC, I'd rather use Discord. In fact, I WOULD use Discord since I usually have at least one device with me while I'm playing my games.
So at the end of the day, I'm not really all fussed up about the lack of native VC on the Switch. I just don't really care for it.

I have app on my phone but I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Not even sure what I’m suppose to use it for. Just kinda sits there on my phone.

Even if it had native voice chat support I'd probably still just use Discord but it doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate having that functionality. I honestly think it's something they should have added. Or at least it'd be awesome to see a Discord app that runs on the Switch and can be run at the same time as games.

Taking a leaf out of the Xbox app, Nintendo need to give the app the ability to manage friends, buy games from the eshop, message friends (app-to-app) and roll in Miitomo to use as a Mii creator/cosmetics store.

Voice chat needs rolling into the Switch and removing from the app. Phones already have built in voice chat: phone calls!

Nintendo could then release an SDK to allow 3rd party devs to build their own ‘pages’ for the Switch app

@KingBowser86
What is Bowser whatching in your avatar? Bowsette?

There's no way anyone can reasonably defend this when it's so clearly backwards compared to what the other platforms are doing. Sometimes Nintendo are pure geniuses in the gaming industry, and other times it seems like they're having 10 year old kids call the shots.

I prefer to have the communication on the phone and I think it is neat idea, but they could expand it a little with game specific applications and perhaps demonstrate what they think it is developed for in the first place.

I like how communication doesn’t eat bandwidth from the game as it runs in the phone.

Can you use an iPad with wifi only to use this app? OR does it need to be a phone with a data plan?

Echoing what others are saying here, the Splatnet portion of the app is fantastic, and has been since the start. I totally get that not all games require that kind of functionality, but there's SO MUCH wasted potential there. MK8D leaderboard that shows the stats from your last online matches, Arms has a lot of potential for the weapon unlocks for each character, and even in a single player game like Zelda and Mario, having an app that displays the pictures you've taken in game would be an interesting enough feature to include.

@SuperCharlie78
"Oh Nintendo, I love you so much, but sometimes I think you really deserve to fail hard"

I feel the same way. They have had over a decade of seeing what the competition has done with their online and still can't get it right. All because they want to be as unique as possible, even if it means coming up with convoluted solutions to simple problems.

Never had voice chat in games before. Used it the other night for some drunken MK8. Worked fine. What's the difference in using Bluetooth headphones from your phone instead of the console? Seems like the same thing to me.

That said...I don't see myself using it all that much unless it's with friends I actually know.

When people complain about the app, no one ever thinks of the bigger picture since everyone has a smartphone, but not everyone has a headset/earbuds with a microphone.

Yes, native voice chat is more convenient and a standard that should be there. But having the app as an option for people to simply use their phone as a way to talk compared to buying a microphone is actually fairly smart.

Its awfull and needs to crawl into a corner and die. Copy Xbox's chat/party/message system, there is no shame in it as it's good and works !!

I'm a old man so I have few friends that still game... So it would be nice to talk to strangers. I made quite a few good online friends via xbox live while managing to mute weirdos. I hate that there's an app, and I hate them trying to make sure I only talk to my friends. Essentially they are telling me to talk to no one.

the app doesn't even work on my phone currently i keep it installed as i hope an update fixes it at some point but i get the feeling i am not missing much

In summery the main problem with the Switch Online Smartphone App is that it's on your smartphone instead of on your Switch where it makes sense for it to be.

Being able to access your account on your smartphone is fine.

Only being able to access it on your smartphone and needing a 3 way with your Switch for voice chat is stupid.

The app sucks. The app should be a supplement to a messaging system in-system and a party chat in-system. The app would be AMAZING if you could use it while you're playing so you don't have to exit the game screen. On top of that, we should be able to party chat whenever and whichever game. Kids need to be primarily protected by their parents/guardian. It sucks that ALL of us are being "punished."

@SuperiorTech I don't agree, although I don't think the Nintendo Voice chat app is the solution to the problem Nintendo has, I'm sure it has to do with the hardware restrictions the Switch has.

@Saego

If you are suggesting that the Switch cannot handle voice chat by itself which is why the app being separate from the Switch on your smartphone was the only way around that, Fortnite has voice chat that works natively off of just the Switch without the need for an external app on a separate piece of hardware.

@DarkKirby Yes, but that's included in that game. That's different than making an overlay which needs to work with all MP games.

Oh Nintendo... words escape me to express my absolute amazement , and disappointment, regarding your online efforts.

I honestly thought they would at least do better this time around.

What we love about the smartphone app: nothing.

Thanks, Nintendo.

I'm opposed to the app, but would be indifferent to it if it was an option and I don't mean an option to Discord or Skype, but to native voice chat. This way everyone gets what they want.

Two things -

First, free-to-play Fornite has voice chat in game, and Nintneod is even bundling Fortnite w/ the Switch so it's not like it's just some small indie game no one has ever heard of. That right there should have put Nitneod on notice.

Second, the service isn't free anymore, it's $20 per year, or $35 for a family, to play online, so the whole "you get what you pay for" argument has been put to bed. Yes, it's till cheaper than PS and Xbox, but it isn't free anymore.

I do use the app, it sends me a cool little update every month and reminds me of games I've downloaded, but only b/c the Ntinedo Switch in system log sucks as bad as their in system voice chat. Seriously Ntineod Wii, 3DS, Wii U, very functional game log info, just implement it on the Swtich already.

HA! Nintendo assumes I have a smartphone in 2018, blasphemy!
Seriously though the app is so backwards bad in this day and age.

This message was typed on my rotary phone.

It's shockingly bad and there is just no excuse when their competitors once again have shown how to create such features for years. Of course Nintendo is seemingly unaware that any gaming technology exists outside of their own walls and has done for some considerable time

I like what IS there, but it is sorely lacking in what ISN'T. It really does need to allow for partying up for general chat with friends. I do like the chatting with random people and the notification of how many in chat there are popping up.

This app really has no business even existing honestly. The Splatoon 2 functionality is great (not counting the voice chat), but even all that stuff they put into that app could have easily... EASILY been implemented into the actual game. I only find it actually useful for checking if Salmon Run is open, but for that you could also just go to certain websites and you don't need the app for that either, and you wouldn't need to check on that either if they would keep Salmon Run open at all times.

So yeah, the app just has no business existing whatsoever IMO.

I don't dislike the idea of the app. I really think it could be done right. But the whole thing needs to be redesigned. The app needs a more logical interface, it needs to work with all games, you need to be able to send requests and text based messages to players too.

The app should also show you who on your Friend's list is online and what games they are playing. And it should have a mobile version of the eshop, so you can tell the Switch to download things remotely, like you can with buying games from the Nintendo website.

And all these features should be controllable via the parental control app.

No problem with the App or voice chat (although it could have some extra features), but then again I don't really use voice chat, so I don't really care.🤷‍♂️
BTW, it was recently reported, that cloud saves will be saved six month after your online membership is expired. So if you pay again, you have access to your data again. Of course Nintendo never said, the data would get deleted, but if we would wait for an official response (or ask for clarification), than we couldn't complain and create clickbait reports.👍
Oh, and I give feedback in the App and say what I wish it should do and have. Seems like a better and more constructive way, than whining on some games forum.

@Heavyarms55
Thatˋs exactly what I wrote them as feedback. Everyone should do this, that's what it for.

@Medic_alert you mean they saw the bad response from their fanbase and changed the policy already? Good on Nintendo for that. Now what about all the people who claimed it couldn't be done because of space constraints? Because clearly they were wrong.

honestly I feel like the Switch should have at least had a mic for portable use like the 3DS and one one the joycon like the Wii U had on its controller. It just seems silly not to when you've already done it and you're making portability a focus.

Also does anyone really not have headphones with a mic in this day and age?

Nintendo had a golden egg with the Switch. They still managed to mess up with their terrible online implementation. One of the worst Nintendo "products" for a long time.

I’m fine with the app... I don’t even use it.

I’ve never ever used chat when playing online, not on the Switch and not on any other console, and I don’t think that’s going to change.

Unless it is strictly with people in your friend list I want nothing to do with voice chat. Having total strangers insulting and making fun of you is not what I consider having fun when playing games.

I mean, even in games where the only way to communicate is through emotes, like Hearthstone, people always find a way to become annoying or downright insulting.

I’m completely in the minority, but as far as I’m concerned, voice chat could completely cease to exist and I wouldn’t mind it in the least.

Nobody speaks about all the countries that can't even download the APP on IOS for example.

I bought the online subscription no problem, I even bought Mario run no problem. But this App for some region is not in my country and it appears that many countries can't due to some Nintendo BS legal crap.

So yea the Online service I payed for is not providing what I'm paying for.

Horrible idea, horrible product. Everyone needs to keep the pressure up on Nintendo for this. Besides the lack of voice chat I love everything else about my switch.

if it's even going to be a phone app, just let us text message each other, either through the switch itself or the app, not all nintendo users are willing to share their phone numbers and facebooks with strangers they met online.

@EvilLucario umm no. If you can afford a phone then you can afford some headphones with a mic. You talk about providing options, well why not have options for 'both' then?

@Folkloner Did you not read the rest of what I said lol? I said native VC is a standard and that it should be a thing. Read before you make yourself look like a stupid.

And yes, people can have smartphones without a microphone in their earbuds or whatever.

I'm not a big fan of chatting online with random people and run the risk of verbal abuse if the match doesn't go the way it should. I spent many happy hours shouting at my TV when my teammates screwed up in the original Splatoon, so glad they couldn't hear me. I'll continue to do the same for Splatoon 2.

Mine won't even open.

I use Teamspeak 3, it is free on PC and if you want it on android there is a one time payment of about 5 dollars which I thought was an okay price.

Simple to use, and works better than discord and Skype in my case.
Despite having an internet connection that can reach 80% packet with a 50/10 speed I still experience minimal disconnections on my phone and it reconnects really quickly.
I recomend TS3 to those who have a slow or bad internet connection.

Unfortunately I was not quite satisfied with NSO however, so I won't be using it when playing on my switch...

The app isn't the problem a much as the functionality, why isn't there a message app, why cant I see who on my friends list is online and what they are playing, why can't I voice chat using the app playing different games

@SuperCharlie78
I couldn't agree more. I have to use my Xboxone to chat while playing Nintendo games. I love the switch but 3rd party Nintendo would be fine by me.

The app is no good. I play Monster Hunter online with my buddy. We voice chat via bluetooth headsets connected to our phone. Problem solved, but it's a huge step back from the Wii U.

@ValhallaOutcast “why cant I see who on my friends list is online and what they are playing”
That already exists.

Splatoon 2 supported native voice chat in LAN similar to how fortnite does it. It was fully functional when the game came out. That would make it seem to me it wouldnt be too difficult to have a simple party and messaging system intergrated in the switch. I see no reason to use the app over discord when i mostly play with friends.

Voice chat is way overrated. I don't particularly like random strangers yelling obscenities at me.

I deleted the app a while ago when I did a purge on my phone but to be fair I have not boot Splatoon for over a year now as I really don't like online multiplayer...

Not sure why nintendo doesn't just implement online voice chat in every game and just have it disabled unless you manually go in and change "voice chat enabled." And have that behind parental controls. That way parents could be in charge of whether they want their sweet little angel using online voice communication.

For now I'll just use xbox live party chat to communicate with friends online.

you make the app out to be worst then it actually is. i just throw the app on IF i wanna talk to people, instead of on the other systems of having to mute everyone, here i can just say screw it dont feel like hearing 13 year olds dropping F bombs constantly thinking they sound cool when in reality they sound like idiots.. 99% of the time random people in chat is just horrible, for friends the only thing i think the app needs is a way to open chat without being in a game.. thats really my only gripe that and staying in a party when switching games.

@janpampoen my exact point only time i actually use voicechat is with friends and even then not normally.