Mobile version of Blizzard’s Battle.net app lets friends get friendlier

By Gabe Gurwin September 28, 2017

Pharah kneeling in blue armor. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Acclaimed game developer Blizzard previously released game-specific mobile apps for titles like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, but strangely never released a mobile version of its Battle.net desktop program. That changes now, as you’ll finally be able to talk to your friends and set up games while on the go.

Available now on both iOS and Android, the official Battle.net mobile app is a more convenient way to interact with people on your account’s friend list, as well as make new friends before you head back into your game. The app features mobile chat, similar to the Destiny 2 app, and a notification system lets you know when your friends are trying to get your attention. You can also see which friends are currently online playing a Blizzard game, so you’ll know whether or not it’s worth jumping on to try your hand at the latest content in Diablo III or World of Warcraft: Legion.

If you’re looking to expand your friend list, the app includes “mobile friending,” which lets you not only add and accept friend requests by username, but also by QR code if you happen to meet someone in the real world who also plays Blizzard games. Suggested friends are also available based on your current friends, similar to how Facebook and Twitter suggest new friends and followers.

There isn’t much else to the Battle.net app, as Blizzard’s game-specific apps cover most other ground, but it does feel a little bare-bones at the moment. While there are options to list yourself as “away” if you don’t want to be bothered, there isn’t a way to let others know what game you’d like to play, outside of the one you’re currently playing. There is also no scheduling system to remind players of when they’re supposed to get online.

Blizzard briefly planned to change the name of its Battle.net service to just “Blizzard” in order to better reflect its library of games, but this was scrapped once sister company Activision decided to release the PC version of Destiny 2 through the app. Now, its official title is “Blizzard Battle.net,” though it remains functionally identical to previous versions.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Mobile

Our 5 favorite iPhone and Android apps by Black developers

An iPhone with apps from Black developers downloaded on it.

As we wrap up the celebration of 2023's Black History Month, it remains important to recognize and appreciate the contributions that Black people have made in various fields, including technology and the smartphone apps we use every day. From social media platforms to productivity tools, Black developers and other people of color have worked hard to create innovative, useful, and just plain fun apps.

Here, we're focusing on five helpful apps developed by Black people that you should check out. These iPhone and Android apps range from ones that help you discover and support Black-owned businesses to ones that provide legal assistance in case of an emergency to ones that curate and highlight sources of news and entertainment by Black creators.
We Read Too

Mobile

SMS 2FA is insecure and bad — use these 5 great authenticator apps instead

Twilio Authy 2FA app running on an iPhone.

You probably have what seems like a million accounts across the internet these days, right? At least, that’s what it feels like for me — with all these social media, email, and banking accounts, plus digital storefronts, and more. Regardless of where I access these from, whether it’s my iPhone 14 Pro or my Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, or even my Mac, the first step is to make sure that I have a strong and secure (preferably randomly generated) password. But for extra peace of mind, everyone needs to look into two-factor authentication (2FA) to really keep people out.

Recently, Twitter has made the news yet again because it’s forcing everyone who uses SMS 2FA to either remove it from their account or subscribe to Twitter Blue to keep it. SMS 2FA is when you get a code sent as an SMS to your phone, and while it's convenient, this is the least secure 2FA method available. SMS 2FA is susceptible to numerous vulnerabilities, including SIM swapping (where someone takes over a mobile phone number by convincing a carrier to link that number with the SIM card), SIM duplication attacks, and more.

Mobile

I review phones for a living — here are the 10 apps I can’t live without

iPhone 14 Pro with custom home screen on Mickey Mouse phone holder next to flowers

For most of my life, I think I’ve had a pretty unique career path among my family and friends. Ever since I got the original iPhone, I’ve turned my love for writing into writing about technology, specifically mobile phones. Though I’ve pretty much been iPhone-only for most of my career, since I started at Digital Trends, I’ve been opening up to the world of Android.

Now that I’m checking out both iPhone and Android phones, the world of apps for me has expanded quite a bit. But regardless of what device I’m using, there are some apps that I need before anything else. Here are the first apps that I install when I get a new phone.
1Password (iOS and Android)