Animal Crossing's NookPhone Comes With Some Pretty Useful Apps

No, Barnes & Noble isn't rolling out a new smartphone; the NookPhone is a tool you'll have handy during your time with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which comes out next month. This Tom Nook creation gives you access to some of the features you'll need to make your island stay as productive as possible. And though we were previously in the dark about the apps we'd find on the NookPhone, it seems that is no longer the case.

The folks over at IGN have been using early looks at New Horizons to learn more about the NookPhone and what it's packing. Though most of the apps are standard smartphone fare, the island you'll be using them on will be anything but typical. You can probably imagine you'll use these apps a bit differently than you might on your own personal device.

Now — which apps will you have access to on that fancy NookPhone of yours? And what do they do?

Do you fancy yourself a photographer? Do you enjoy snapping pics while you explore an island paradise? Do you have talking animals as neighbors? All of these call for a Camera app, and fortunately, your NookPhone will come packing one. The Camera app basically serves as the "photo mode" in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so if you want to capture a still moment from your adventure, that's what you'll need to use.

The Nook Miles app is classic Tom Nook. You earn what are called "Nook Miles" by "completing challenges," according to IGN. And what can you do with those Nook Miles, you ask? You can buy up some DIY Recipes, or perhaps some items that ultimately benefit Tom Nook's bank account. That's right: you'll use your NookPhone to earn Nook Miles you can spend on Nook merchandise. Any way you slice it, Nook wins.

You'll find a host of different items you can craft inside the DIY Recipes app. If you want to put together some new tools, or perhaps secure yourself a new couch for your island abode, this is the app that'll make all that happen.

The Map app seems pretty self-explanatory. This will presumably let you look at a map of the island you're residing on so you can easily locate points of interest. This is the app people know the least about, though, so it's possible we could see more features come to it before New Horizons launches.

And finally, there's the Call Islander app. This is what you'll use to connect with a local or online pal for some multiplayer fun. We'll likely learn more about how this works, too, as New Horizons' release date draws closer.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons comes to Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020.