How to change your User Icon (Profile Picture) on the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch manages to hide a lot of its features that are on the more customisable side despite how lacking it tends to be. Here we will tell you exactly how much freedom you really have with its User Icons.

How to change your User Icon (Profile Picture) on the Nintendo Switch

This is the most basic procedure for this specific topic. Changing your User Icon on the Nintendo Switch for a basic background and readily available profile picture can be located from the HOME Menu. Select the user’s page you intend to edit from the top left. This will pop up the User Settings. You want the first heading of Profile Settings where the change of nickname and edit icon appear. Simply select the second option to browse the default selection of background colours and Nintendo characters you can customise your profile with.

How to Implement a Special User Icon

For those with an Online Membership, there are even more options to customise your profile with. This can be done by using the My Nintendo Platinum Points system. These points are earned by completing My Nintendo service specific missions. By accumulating these, you can then spend them on exclusive rewards. One of these for example is with the everchanging selection of Special User Icons you can give your profile a makeover with and feel truly exclusive from implementing.

To browse this selection, select the Nintendo Switch Online store page from the HOME Menu. Located within the Missions & Rewards section, the page will showcase the currently available icon parts on the right side. These icons will be updated weekly and can possibly even rotate depending on the game. Scroll through with the L Button and R Button to browse the full game catalogue. Make up custom user icons through this menu drop down and implement them from this exact screen.

Keep in mind that each month will have a new theme, meaning new additions and change outs to the parts overall. When Nintendo mentions parts on the store, this means the three sections of their icon options – Frame, Background and Character. These cannot be interchangeable with different games – sets are in place for all three parts. This means that spending any points on only one section is not possible. It is a requirement that all three parts are to be processed to kit out your icon.

Finally, to get to your Icon Collection from the Nintendo Switch Online page, select the top-right icon. Note that the Nintendo Switch only keeps track of 100 user icons for each profile. Also note that having an unactive Nintendo Switch Online membership does not ever revoke any of these rewardable parts of a Profile Picture. If you exchange your Platinum Points for any part or set, you will have them for life.

That’s all you need to know about the rather hidden feature of changing your User Icon (Profile Picture) on the Nintendo Switch. For more on the greatest modern gaming console, see the related article of How to Use Voice Chat on Nintendo Switch.