How to Add a Best Friend in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Last Updated: December 4, 2021

Animal Crossing: New Leaf has a variety of social features, such as visiting friends' towns or adding a best friend. Adding someone as your best friend enables a special chat function that you can use within the game to communicate. There are two ways to do this: to go to your best friend's town or to have them visit yours. This does require a bit of coordinating outside of the game, but can easily be achieved whichever way you find best. Enjoy having your best friend in Animal Crossing!

Steps

1
Go to the train station. Regardless of what town map you have, the train station is located near the top of the map, just left of the entrance to Main Street.
- Once you’re inside the train station, speak to Porter, the monkey (use the A button to initiate dialogue with characters). You’ll see that you have two options: either to visit a nearby town or a faraway town.
2
Have your best friend close so you can visit their nearby town. If you and your friend are close to each other, have one of you go to visit the other's town; it doesn't matter who. Just make sure your gate is open so they can come in!
- If you choose to visit a nearby town, Porter (the monkey at the station) will simply look for nearby random players who have their gates open to other nearby players. This option works even if you haven’t previously exchanged friend codes with that player. This can work if you’re sitting next to your desired best friend and they open up their gate for you.
  - However, do be aware that if you or your friend opens your town gates to nearby players, that you might end up with other unintended visitors. If you are worried that might happen, close the gate when all your intended friends have arrived without sending them back.
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3
Choose a faraway town with an established friend who isn't nearby. If your best friend isn't nearby and you choose to visit a faraway town, your 3DS will connect through the Internet to towns with people whom you’ve already exchanged friend codes with and who have their gates open to far away players.
- Remember, this option only works if you've already exchanged friend codes. Otherwise, their faraway town won't show up.
- You don't need to be friends on the game do this to work, as long as you are friends on your DS. You can check your Friends List app to find out if they are added.
4
Add them as your friend by tapping their name on the town list. Once you’re in your desired best friend’s town, simply look for the green button that has icons of people on it on the bottom left of the touch screen. Tapping that button will result in list of every person in the current town. Most likely, it will only comprise of your desired best friend, but if others are wandering around, they’ll show up, too.
- A maximum of four people can be in a town at a time.
- Tap the name of the person you desire to be best friends with and they will be added to your Animal Crossing friend list.
5
Go from friends to best friends by tapping the heart by their name. Any person must appear on your friends list before you can initiate best friend status, thus why the previous steps are necessary. In order to become best friends, you just have to have this person add you back by tapping the heart next to your name.
- If you have your friend visit your town, have them add you to their list. Then you can look at your list and make them your best friend by tapping the heart next to their name.
- Once you are best friends, you can chat online on the game while in separate towns.