How to Block Users on the Nintendo Switch
The lack of voice chat and other online features on the Nintendo Switch does a lot for reducing many of the negative aspects of gaming online. But on the odd occasion, you still may encounter trolls, cheaters, or anyone else that may leave a sour taste in your mouth after an online match-up.
If this ever happens to you, you can feel free to block them. If there is a pesky player you want out of your hair on the Nintendo Switch, here’s how you can get rid of them for good. Or until you want to unblock them, at least.
What Reason Do I Need to Block Someone on My Nintendo Switch?
You don’t really need a good reason to block someone on your Nintendo Switch. Unlike reporting a player, blocking someone doesn’t alert the Nintendo Police about their behavior. It just blocks them from being able to make contact with you.
Once you block someone on your Nintendo Switch, they will be removed as your friend, they won’t be able to send you any more friend requests, and you also won’t be matched up with them in any online games anymore.
If you want to block someone, that is reason enough in itself. But some of the most common reasons you might want to block another player on your Nintendo Switch is if you have caught them cheating or trolling.
Many games have anti-cheat software in action at all times to stamp out a lot of this activity, but things can slip through the cracks. And trolls are, unfortunately, just a part of life.
You also might want to block someone that you know in your real life for personal reasons, and that’s okay too. Blocking someone on your Nintendo Switch is completely reversible, so if you ever feel like you are ready to unblock a user, you are completely free to do so.
If someone is truly acting abusive or is breakingNintendo’s Code of Conductin any way, you can also report them. Reporting someone on the Nintendo Switch isn’t quite the same asreporting someone on the PS5, however, and it has to be done from within the game itself rather than your profile settings.
How Do I Block Someone on My Nintendo Switch?
There are two different ways to block someone on your Nintendo Switch, depending on if you were friends with them or not.
How Do I Block Someone I Was Friends With on My Nintendo Switch?
If you’ve alreadyadded someone as a friend on your Nintendo Switch, but now you want to block them, head to your user profile by selecting youriconin the top left corner of the home screen. Then head down to yourFriend List.
Select the friend you would like to block and selectOptions. From there, it’s possible to decide whether just deleting them as a friend would be enough or if you would rather block them. If you think blocking them is the best option, selectBlock.
The system will explain the consequences of blocking someone. PressBlockagain to confirm. The system will give you another pop-up box asking you to confirm that you are aware blocking someone removes them as a friend. PressBlockto confirm.
How Do I Block Someone I’m Not Friends With on My Nintendo Switch?
If you’re not friends with the person you want to block, head to your user profile by selecting youriconfrom the top left corner of the screen. Scroll down toAdd Friendand selectSearch for Users You’ve Played With.
Scroll through until you find the user you would like to block and select theirprofile icon. PressBlock. PressBlockagain to confirm.
How Do I Unblock Someone on My Nintendo Switch?
To unblock someone on your Nintendo Switch, head into your profile once again. Head to yourUser Settingsand scroll down toManage Blocked-User List.
Peruse your blocked user list and select theiconof the person you would like to unblock. PressUnblockandUnblockagain to confirm your decision.
That user will then be unblocked, and they will once again be able to send you friend requests and play with you online. They will still be removed from your Friend List, though, so you will need to send another friend request to them if you want to be friends again.
You Don’t Have to Play With People You Don’t Want to on Your Nintendo Switch
Gaming should be a relaxing and fun experience, and if someone is running that for you, you don’t have to just sit back and deal with it. Blocking someone is quick, easy, and completely reversible, so you really don’t have anything to lose by giving it a go.
If someone is acting so grossly that blocking them just isn’t enough, you may want to consider reporting the user from within the game itself. That way, moderators can be alerted and make the decision on whether they should take further action or not.
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