When you are playing an online-focused game such as Splatoon 2 on the Nintendo Switch, you may sometimes feel the need to let your teammates know what a credit to mankind they are, or that you forgive them for the occasional blunder. To do that, you don’t hook up a headset the way you would with some other console. You instead must download and use an app on your smartphone, an app that Nintendo recently has updated so it can serve you better.

The official Nintendo Switch Online app is available for iOS and Android devices, but both versions have featured some disappointing limitations that made the app a less than optimal way to enjoy the social side of Nintendo Switch gaming. A new update this week addresses a few of the more obvious problems, as explained in these patch notes from the iOS page:

- Voice chat will now continue when other apps are opened.

- Voice chat will now continue during sleep mode.

- Bug fixes implemented.

The Android version of the app also was tweaked to provide improved support for Bluetooth devices, and there is a special note for some users:

On devices using Android 6.0 or later, voice chat cannot be used during sleep mode while power-saving features are activated. To use voice chat during sleep mode, go to Other Settings in this app, then select Power Saving Settings and deactivate battery optimization for this app.

Keep in mind that while the Nintendo Switch Online app currently allows you to chat with your friends for free, Nintendo plans to charge for the service when it launches a paid subscription plan sometime in 2018. Also, chat may eat up cellular data, and you’ll need to have an active Nintendo Account.

The restrictions noted above have prevented some from bothering with the Nintendo Switch Online app at all. If you’re one of those who use it, however, now you can use it that extra little bit better. Are there any other improvements you would like to see Nintendo bring to the app in the future? It’s possible Nintendo will announce information along those lines in this afternoon’s Nintendo Direct. Consult Modojo's handy guide to find out where to watch the stream.