Nintendo Switch: 5 secret tricks and Easter eggs for the console

The Nintendo Switch has some tricks and Easter eggs up its sleeve. We'll show you five console functions that not everyone knows.

Practical Nintendo Switch trick: How to find your Joy-Con again and again

The Joy-Con controllers belonging to the switch are small and handy. However, this also means they are just the right size to disappear into sofa columns or under a stack of magazines. However, the Nintendo console has a feature that makes it easier for you to find the Joy-Con.

• Click the gray "Controllers" button
• In the menu that opens, there is a list of submenus on the right. Select "Search for Controllers" here. This is the second selection from the top.
• You will now see a list of the controllers that are or were paired with your switch.
• If you tap one of the buttons, the respective controller vibrates.
• If the missing controller is not paired, you can click the button to try to establish a connection. This works as soon as the console and controller are close to each other.

Recovery mode: restore factory settings without losing saved games

No technical device is immune to quirks and although the switch usually runs smoothly, it can also come to the point that the last hope is a reset to the factory settings. Unlike many other consoles, you can keep your saves with the Switch - thanks to Recovery Mode.

• To activate recovery mode, you must first switch off your console. To do this, press the "Power" button for five seconds.
• Now press the "Power" button and the volume up and volume down buttons at the same time.
• Release all three when you see the Switch logo on the screen.
• The console should now be in recovery mode.
• If everything worked, you can choose between an update, a reset to factory settings without losing the game or a regular reset in the menu displayed.

• The clips can be up to 30 seconds long.
• To record a video, press and hold the photo button for a moment.
• The switch then saves the previous 30 seconds as a clip. That means you can easily capture every cool moment, even if it comes completely unexpected.
• You can find the recorded videos in the gallery. Like the screenshots, you can post this directly to Facebook or Twitter.

Use Joy-Con as a controller for Android smartphone

There is a whole range of ports for popular games for smartphones, some of which also support controllers. If you like to gamble, you can connect a Bluetooth-capable controller to your cell phone. The Joy-Con can also be connected to Android smartphones via Bluetooth.

• Activate the Bluetooth of your smartphone and go to the menu "Bluetooth & device connection".
• Now take the Joy-Con at hand and turn it.
• First take the Joy-Con by hand and turn it horizontally so that you can see the two shoulder buttons (SL and SR).
• You will find a small black button between these buttons. If you hold it down for several seconds, the pairing mode is activated. You can see this from the fact that the LEDs on the right next to the head light up alternately.
• Now select the "Pair new device" option in the smartphone settings of your Android device.
• Now the Joy-Con should appear in the list of available devices. The right controller is listed as Joy-Con (R), the left controller as Joy-Con (L).
• Select the Joy-Con, the connection is established and you can use the controller for app games, provided they support controller control.

Have fun with the login screen

To unlock the switch, the same key must be pressed three times in succession.

• The A key is shown on the switch screen, but the console can actually be unlocked with any key.
• The tone is mostly the same. However, some keys play a special sound. For example the two shoulder buttons ZL and ZR.
• Pressing these buttons to unlock the switch will play funny sounds like a clown horn.

Read here how to play for two on the Nintendo Switch.