The Zelda Notes app is live with the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, acting as a companion service for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It offers help with navigation, some random daily bonuses, and a few other features, but how they work and whether they're worth your time is another matter.
We've explained how to link Zelda Notes to your game below, along with what the app's major functions do and when they might be helpful to use.
If you fire up the Switch App and open Zelda Notes, you'll be greeted with an overview of what the app is and a message saying it's not linked to any games--but no indication as to how you can go about linking it to a game.
The first thing you need to do is have the Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild downloaded. If you're a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriber, you can download the Switch 2 upgrades at no extra cost. Otherwise, upgrade packs that add Switch 2 improvements to the games cost $10 apiece, and if you're purchasing either for the first time, the Switch 2 versions are $80 each.
You also need the free Nintendo Switch app on your phone, which you can download from the Google Play Store and iTunes. Once you have that and the Switch 2 edition of your preferred Zelda game downloaded by whatever method, here's what to do next.
And that's all it takes. The process is the same for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, as are the tools and benefits on offer, with one minor exception.
The Zelda Notes app gives you access to an item box that holds in-game items for a limited time and even lets you share them with other people. You can deposit up to 10 items every 24 hours, and it can be 10 of anything: weapons, diamonds, food ingredients, basically anything Link can hold that isn't a key item or piece of clothing. You can keep the box for your own use or enable sharing to generate a QR code or password that others can use to take things out of, or put items in, your box.
Pretty much every item respawns after a Blood Moon in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, so there's not much benefit to storing items for yourself. Weapons and shields are the exception. If you come across or fuse something you're particularly fond of, but don't have room for, you can shuffle some things into the item box and come back for them later.
"Feature" is a little generous, as the app's amiibo function is rather limited, more like a retailer's loyalty card stamp than anything else. It keeps track of any amiibo you scan in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, including the most recent Tears of the Kingdom amiibo, and logs them under Zelda Notes' amiibo section. Normally, you can only scan an amiibo once every 24 hours in either game. After you scan an amiibo five times, Zelda Notes lets you scan that amiibo one additional time in a 24-hour period.
The photo studio lets you send pictures from your in-game album or Switch 2 media gallery to the app, where you can change the aspect ratio; add logos, stamps, or other flourishes; and a frame. You can't send the image back to the game or to the Switch app, but you can share it on social media, save it to your phone, or upload it to Google Drive or another photo storage platform. There's no color alteration or free-crop tool, though. Stamps and aspect ratios are the extent of the editing you can do with this.
Daily Bonus grants you a random buff or meal once every 24 hours. Open the Daily Bonus section in the app, touch your phone screen to start the slot machine-like spinner, and then tap it again to slow it down. Whatever the wheel lands on is your buff for that 24-hour period. The reward is frequently something minor, such as an elixir you can make yourself in the game. However, it's possible you may end up with a rare bonus, such as one that repairs weapon degradation.
Navigation is meant to help you track down items, everything ranging from Korok Seeds to shrines, stables, rare enemies, and even side quests. When you start the function, you need to tap the Switch icon at the top of the screen to connect your system and refresh Zelda Notes with any new things you might've found since the last time you used the app. Then, pick your category, and you'll see where every instance of that selection is on the map, including ones you've already found.
If you need assistance reaching a specific point, you can turn on voice navigation to have the app turn into a Zelda GPS and tell you where to go--sort of. The instructions are often vague and give little indication as to where you need to look or what obstacles you might have to overcome to get there. In one instance, while I was in the northwestern sky islands and wanted to find a well in central Hyrule, it just told me to go southeast--not to reach the surface first or to leave the Tabantha Frontier.
The idea is probably that you can see the location on your map already, but if that's the case, the need for voice navigation seems unclear. The function also struggles to display map features, though that may depend on what phone you're using. It struggled to render Hyrule's surface map and only showed blue outlines, though it managed individual sky islands without much issue.
Outside of the above features, you can check your play data for things such as total play time or number of chests opened, compare those stats to other players', and earn achievement-like medals for meeting certain milestones. You can also share Autobuild creations via QR code and track down new Voice Memories, new, fully voiced segments from the perspective of characters other than Link. In Breath of the Wild, for example, the Voice Memories are all Zelda's and chronicle her journey around the kingdom, warning citizens of the Calamity.
The Zelda Notes app is just kind of okay in most cases, but there are a few instances where it's actually quite useful. You'll get the most from Zelda Notes if you're:
The Voice Memories are an incentive for folks who just want more Zelda lore, though some don't quite have the substance of the memory fragments that were already in both games. Barring a sizeable resurgence in the number of people playing and posting about Tears of the Kingdom, the option to share Autobuild creations is only going to be useful if you're in a group that's still actively tinkering with construction and eager to pass their creations around.
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We've explained how to link Zelda Notes to your game below, along with what the app's major functions do and when they might be helpful to use.
How to link Zelda Notes to a game
Make sure you're connected to the internet so you can link your game.If you fire up the Switch App and open Zelda Notes, you'll be greeted with an overview of what the app is and a message saying it's not linked to any games--but no indication as to how you can go about linking it to a game.
The first thing you need to do is have the Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild downloaded. If you're a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriber, you can download the Switch 2 upgrades at no extra cost. Otherwise, upgrade packs that add Switch 2 improvements to the games cost $10 apiece, and if you're purchasing either for the first time, the Switch 2 versions are $80 each.
You also need the free Nintendo Switch app on your phone, which you can download from the Google Play Store and iTunes. Once you have that and the Switch 2 edition of your preferred Zelda game downloaded by whatever method, here's what to do next.
- Open the game and, from the main menu, select "Zelda Notes Setting."
- Scan the displayed QR code using your phone's camera, and tap the link that shows up
- Open the Switch app
And that's all it takes. The process is the same for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, as are the tools and benefits on offer, with one minor exception.
How to use Zelda Notes' item sharing and item box
You can only add 10 items per 24 hours.The Zelda Notes app gives you access to an item box that holds in-game items for a limited time and even lets you share them with other people. You can deposit up to 10 items every 24 hours, and it can be 10 of anything: weapons, diamonds, food ingredients, basically anything Link can hold that isn't a key item or piece of clothing. You can keep the box for your own use or enable sharing to generate a QR code or password that others can use to take things out of, or put items in, your box.
Pretty much every item respawns after a Blood Moon in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, so there's not much benefit to storing items for yourself. Weapons and shields are the exception. If you come across or fuse something you're particularly fond of, but don't have room for, you can shuffle some things into the item box and come back for them later.
How to use Zelda Notes' amiibo features
One (1) free scan."Feature" is a little generous, as the app's amiibo function is rather limited, more like a retailer's loyalty card stamp than anything else. It keeps track of any amiibo you scan in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, including the most recent Tears of the Kingdom amiibo, and logs them under Zelda Notes' amiibo section. Normally, you can only scan an amiibo once every 24 hours in either game. After you scan an amiibo five times, Zelda Notes lets you scan that amiibo one additional time in a 24-hour period.
What can you do with Zelda Notes' photo studio?
You can change the frame color, too.The photo studio lets you send pictures from your in-game album or Switch 2 media gallery to the app, where you can change the aspect ratio; add logos, stamps, or other flourishes; and a frame. You can't send the image back to the game or to the Switch app, but you can share it on social media, save it to your phone, or upload it to Google Drive or another photo storage platform. There's no color alteration or free-crop tool, though. Stamps and aspect ratios are the extent of the editing you can do with this.
How to use the Daily Bonus feature
Spin the wheel and find out.Daily Bonus grants you a random buff or meal once every 24 hours. Open the Daily Bonus section in the app, touch your phone screen to start the slot machine-like spinner, and then tap it again to slow it down. Whatever the wheel lands on is your buff for that 24-hour period. The reward is frequently something minor, such as an elixir you can make yourself in the game. However, it's possible you may end up with a rare bonus, such as one that repairs weapon degradation.
How does Zelda Notes' navigation work?
It's basically this, but with all the things you haven't found yet.Navigation is meant to help you track down items, everything ranging from Korok Seeds to shrines, stables, rare enemies, and even side quests. When you start the function, you need to tap the Switch icon at the top of the screen to connect your system and refresh Zelda Notes with any new things you might've found since the last time you used the app. Then, pick your category, and you'll see where every instance of that selection is on the map, including ones you've already found.
If you need assistance reaching a specific point, you can turn on voice navigation to have the app turn into a Zelda GPS and tell you where to go--sort of. The instructions are often vague and give little indication as to where you need to look or what obstacles you might have to overcome to get there. In one instance, while I was in the northwestern sky islands and wanted to find a well in central Hyrule, it just told me to go southeast--not to reach the surface first or to leave the Tabantha Frontier.
The idea is probably that you can see the location on your map already, but if that's the case, the need for voice navigation seems unclear. The function also struggles to display map features, though that may depend on what phone you're using. It struggled to render Hyrule's surface map and only showed blue outlines, though it managed individual sky islands without much issue.
Is the Zelda Notes app worth it?
You can send explosives to your friends, but it won't matter if they aren't still playing.Outside of the above features, you can check your play data for things such as total play time or number of chests opened, compare those stats to other players', and earn achievement-like medals for meeting certain milestones. You can also share Autobuild creations via QR code and track down new Voice Memories, new, fully voiced segments from the perspective of characters other than Link. In Breath of the Wild, for example, the Voice Memories are all Zelda's and chronicle her journey around the kingdom, warning citizens of the Calamity.
The Zelda Notes app is just kind of okay in most cases, but there are a few instances where it's actually quite useful. You'll get the most from Zelda Notes if you're:
- A completionist who wants to find every instance of every findable thing, from wells to Korok Seeds.
- Someone who wanted achievements in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
- Someone who hates bringing up the in-game map, refuses to look at another screen while you're playing, and is fine with the sparsest of vocal directions.
- Starting a fresh game and want some extra bonuses to make things a bit easier or more interesting.
The Voice Memories are an incentive for folks who just want more Zelda lore, though some don't quite have the substance of the memory fragments that were already in both games. Barring a sizeable resurgence in the number of people playing and posting about Tears of the Kingdom, the option to share Autobuild creations is only going to be useful if you're in a group that's still actively tinkering with construction and eager to pass their creations around.
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