10 Hacks Every Nintendo Switch (or Switch 2) Owner Should Know

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The Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 are pretty user-friendly devices, but sometimes, that can be a bit more of a hindrance than a help. It's easy to jump right into a game, but if you want to toggle on a feature like dark mode or, say, even make a Mii, you have to jump through a lot of hoops in the settings menus.

That's a shame, because if you're willing to learn the ins-and-outs, there's a lot you can do on these systems, whichever version of the Switch you own. Over the past few years, I've spent more time playing around in the Switch ecosystem than anyone reasonably should, and along the way, I've picked up a handful of tips, tricks, and hacks that every Nintendo gamer would do well to learn.

Turn on dark mode on your Switch

Nintendo might like a bright and fun aesthetic, but if you're feeling a bit more sleek, both the original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have dark modes. On either system, you can turn this on by navigating to System Settings (the cog in the taskbar, which you can either tap or select with a controller), then scrolling down to Themes and selecting Basic Dark. This will turn your home screen and menu pages black, which could even save you some battery life if you have a Nintendo Switch OLED. (Note that games themselves will be unaffected.)

Remap the buttons on your Joy-Cons

Whether it's for accessibility or just personal preference, you can completely change what your buttons do on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, although how you'll do this differs across the two systems.

Remapping buttons on the original Nintendo Switch

On the original Switch, you'll need to go to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping. From here, select a connected controller (you can remap both the Joy-Cons and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, as well as some third-party options) and start reassigning buttons to your heart's content. Make your B button into the right trigger. Make up go down. Go nuts!

Remapping buttons on the Nintendo Switch 2

On the Nintendo Switch 2, you can do the same thing, but it's under System Settings > Accessibility > Button Mapping. Here, you can remap the Joy-Con 2 controllers, a Nintendo Switch Pro or Pro 2 controller, and Joy-Con 2 that are connected via the charging grip. Some third-party controllers may also work.

But wait, there's more. Back on the Accessibility menu, you can also toggle on Button Mapping in Quick Settings, so you can edit your button mapping on the fly by holding down the physical Home button and selecting Edit Mapping.

Finally, the Switch 2 has some additional button customizations you can make under System Settings > Controllers & Accessories. Here, if you have the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller or Joy-Con 2 charging grip, you can set what the extra GL/GR buttons do using GL/GR Button Settings. Or, if you scroll down a bit, you can also disable or enable Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls, as well as set your sensitivity for them. Finally, if you're tired of Nintendo using a different A and B button placement from Xbox, you can select Swap A and B and enable the toggle on the following page. This will remap just those two buttons.

Use GameShare to share Switch games locally, and GameChat to share them online

Credit: Nintendo

There are two features in this one, both of which allow you to play multiplayer games with your friends with just one copy of the game you want to play.

Using GameShare

Let's start with GameShare. This is a Nintendo Switch 2 feature, but it impacts the original Switch as well. Essentially, GameShare allows Switch 2 owners to share copies of their games with Switch 2 and original Switch owners nearby, for local multiplayer play. If you ever used Nintendo DS Download Play, it's kind of like that, except it streams games from the host system instead.

It's convenient, but the catch is that GameShare is only available in certain titles (you can find a list of some compatible games here). How you'll access it also differs from game to game. For instance, in Super Mario Odyssey, GameShare is available when starting or resuming a two-player game, where you can start a session by selecting GameShare + Local Play.

You'll then have to wait for others to join your GameShare session, and then you can start playing by selecting Start from the on-screen menu. This part is the same across all GameShare-compatible titles, at least. To join a GameShare session that someone else has started, open your Switch or Switch 2 to the main menu, then select GameShare from the taskbar (the icon that looks like a TV receiving a wireless signal), and under Join GameShare, find your friend's session.

Note that even if a game is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, original Switch systems may still be able to play it using GameShare. For instance, Donkey Kong Bananza supports GameShare.

Using GameChat

Now, let's talk about sharing games via GameChat. This is a lot like GameShare, but is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 systems and works online. It's also limited to certain games, and takes a bit more setup. To share a game using GameChat, you'll first need to be in a GameChat session with someone from your friend list, which you can start by pressing the physical C button on your controller or the C icon from the console's main menu. This will allow you to talk with each other over the internet, see each other's gameplay, and if you have cameras, even see feeds from them. Now, you can open your game and start sharing it with people in your chat through that game's menu. In Super Mario Odyssey, you'll also see the option for this when starting or resuming a two-player game. Whoever else is in your chat will then be able to start playing with you then and there, without having to join the session from a separate menu like in GameShare.

Note that GameChat is free for Nintendo Switch 2 owners until March 31, 2026, after which it will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Archive Switch games you don't play to save storage space, or move them to a microSD card

Neither the original Switch or Switch 2 are especially generous with storage space, and downloading fancy AAA games can eat into it quickly. Luckily, on both of these consoles, you can quickly delete games from the internal storage or any inserted microSD cards to save space, while keeping them in your library and maintaining your save data.

Archiving games on the Original Nintendo Switch

On the original Switch, you can delete a game by hovering over it on the main menu or in your library, pressing the physical + button, and selecting Manage Software > Archive Software. Alternatively, you could select Delete Software instead, which will largely do the same thing, but will make redownloading the game a little more annoying, since it'll remove it from your home menu and you'll need to go to the eShop to do it.

To more quickly delete games, you can navigate to System Settings > Data Management > Quick Archive. From here, you can see how much space each game takes up and how much you'll save by getting rid of it. You can also delete stored screenshots and videos for games here, either by selecting a game in Quick Archive and pressing the physical X button, or selecting Manage Screenshots and Videos under Data Management. For more detailed control over your game deletion, you can also select Manage Software under Data Management instead, but Quick Archive is a bit snappier and has most of the same controls.

Archiving games on the Nintendo Switch 2

On the Switch 2, the steps are mostly the same as on the original Switch, except Deleting now does the same thing as Archiving by default (you can uncheck Keep HOME Menu Icon if you really don't want one), so the standalone Archive option has been removed. Regardless, neither console will delete your save date during these steps, as the size it takes up is usually pretty negligible. That said, if you really want to delete a game's save data, on either console, head over to System Settings > Data Management > Delete Save Data and pick it from the list.

To get a game back after deleting it, simply redownload it. If you kept your game's home menu icon, you can do this from either your main menu or your library. If you didn't, you'll need to navigate to that game's store page in the eShop to redownload it.

While you're in Data Management, you can also move games from the internal storage to a microSD card or back. This is under System Settings > Data Management > Move Data Between System / microSD Card. On Switch 2, the final step is called Move System / microSD Express Card Data instead, as that console requires a special type of microSD card.

Send your Switch gameplay screenshots to your phone

Like most modern consoles, the Switch and Switch 2 are both capable of capturing screenshots and video that you can later share online. Back before Twitter was named X and started charging for the API, it used to be easier to share directly from the console. Now, you'll probably need to share screenshots and videos from your console to the Nintendo app to send them to most social media sites.

Sending screenshots on the original Nintendo Switch

On the original Switch, you have to do this manually. First, go to your Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu (the icon that looks like a painting). Then, select a screenshot or video you want to send to the app and press the physical A button to bring up the Sharing and Editing menu. Select Send to Smartphone, and then choose Only This One to send just that photo or video to the app, or select Send a Batch to choose more.

Sending screenshots on the Nintendo Switch 2

On the Switch 2, you can upload screenshots and videos to the app automatically or manually.

To upload manually, once again select Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu. Then, to upload just a single item, select it, press the physical A button, and choose Upload to Smart Device. To batch upload, instead choose Quick Actions from the sidebar on the left, select Upload to Smart Device, and choose as many items as you'd like before continuing.

To upload automatically, open Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu, select Upload Settings from the sidebar on the left, and toggle on Automatic Uploads.

To see your uploads, open the Nintendo Switch App on your phone and tap the Album icon in the bottom-right corner. Then, simply download them to share them to your favorite social media site as usual. Note that uploaded items don't actually take up space on your phone, and are instead stored in Nintendo's servers. You can keep up to 100 files uploaded for 30 days each, and any new items over that limit will delete the oldest entries first. If this happens, your original screenshot or video will still remain on your console.

Transfer your Switch game data between systems

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

On both the original Switch and Switch 2, there are a number of ways to transfer save data between systems. This is especially helpful when upgrading from the original Switch to the Switch 2, although the easiest way to transfer data when upgrading is through a system transfer.

A system transfer is only available during Switch 2 setup, and will be available on the screen that says To Nintendo Switch Console Owners. For the easiest experience, select Begin System Transfer on this page and ensure your original Switch and Switch 2 are near each other. You'll be able to transfer over your games and saves, while keeping your games installed on your original console (specific games might need to be deleted to be transferred, but the console will warn you about this, and you can get them back later). If you absolutely need to, you can also perform a system transfer without your original Switch present, but it's not advised, as it will factory reset that device. Note that you'll also need to do some setup on your original Switch in-person first, so if you already have your Switch 1 and Switch 2 in-hand, you might as well go with the more straightforward option above.

If a system transfer isn't an option, you can also transfer games and save data over on a case-by-case basis. This can be useful if you still plan to play on your original Switch every once in a while, too. To transfer physical games, simply remove them from one console and place them in another. To transfer digital games, select the Virtual Game Cards icon on either your Switch or Switch 2's main menu (the icon that looks like a game card), then choose a game and select Load on Other System to send it to another system on your account. You can move a virtual game card between systems as often as you'd like.

To transfer save data, on either the Switch or Switch 2, navigate to System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Your Save Data. You'll be able to send it to another nearby console for free from this menu, but to send save data online, you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online membership. If that's not an issue, you can manage your cloud save data under System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud. Or, if a game already has save data in the cloud, you can download it simply by hovering over its icon, pressing the physical + button, and selecting the data under Save Data Cloud.

Make Miis on the Nintendo Switch

Miis did not die with the Nintendo Wii! You can still create one on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and it's as simple as navigating to System Settings > Mii > Create/Edit a Mii. On the original Switch, this will take you right to the Mii creation menu, but on the Switch 2, you'll also be able to choose if you want to start from a preset or get a Mii based on an amiibo instead. Either way, make your choice, and you'll also be taken to the familiar Mii creation menu.

From here, customizing your Mii is pretty much identical to how it worked on the Wii, except you can now choose any hair color you'd like.

As for why you'd want a Mii when they don't show up in the main menu at all, aside from making one being fun in and of itself, some games will be able to put your Miis to use. For instance, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can let you fight as your Mii.

Keep your friends from seeing when you're online on your Switch

Sometimes, you want to game without others knowing what you're up to. You can do this on both the original Switch and the Switch 2.

On either the Switch or Switch 2, from the main menu, select your profile icon in the top left corner. Then, in the sidebar on the left, scroll down to User Settings. From here, scroll to Friend Settings, under Friend Functions. Then, on the Switch 1, select No One under Display online status to:. On the Switch 2, Display online Status to: will instead say Online-Status Display, but changing this to No One will do the same thing.

This will hide your online status from your Friends List, but your friends will still be able to see your recently played games. To stop them from seeing this, on either console, back out from Friend Settings and scroll up to Play Activity Settings (under your profile icon > User Settings > Profile Settings). In the first option on this screen, which again has different names depending on which console you're on, select No One.

Make the most of mouse mode on the Switch 2 (including using a USB-C mouse)

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

One of the coolest additions to the Nintendo Switch 2 is mouse controls, which allow you to remove a Joy-Con 2 controller and use it on its side like a mouse. Usually, you'll only use one controller at a time this way, but some games might actually want you to use both Joy-Con 2 as mice at once. Mouse controls let you navigate around the main menu like a PC, and in certain games, will even open up new modes of play. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077 lets you use mouse controls to aim like you're playing a first-person shooter on PC.

That's all pretty self-explanatory, but did you know that you can also plug in a USB-C mouse to play with instead? Not every mouse will work in every game, but if the Joy-Con 2 on its side isn't comfortable enough for you, it's worth trying out the mice you have laying around. Alternatively, you could get a mouse shell to place the Joy-Con 2 into, for more grip.

Finally, it's worth noting that some games on the original Switch also support mouse controls, although the selection is more limited than on Switch 2, and you won't be able to use a Joy-Con as a mouse. Instead, you'll have to plug in a USB-C mouse.

Ping your lost Switch controllers

Want to game, but your Joy-Con, Joy-Con 2, or Pro Controller is trapped underneath a couch cushion somewhere? The Switch or Switch 2 can make them vibrate to help you find them. From the main menu, select Controllers from the taskbar (the icon that looks like a Joy-Con). Then, select the second option from the top, called Find Controllers on the original Switch and Search for Controllers on the Switch 2. Select a connected controller to make it vibrate.

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