Profile Switcher

The Board SDK provides a native profile switcher button that allows users to switch between their Board profiles without leaving your game.

Overview

The profile switcher is a native overlay button that appears in the top-left corner of your game screen. It provides a quick way for users to switch between different Board profiles during appropriate moments in your game.

Basic Usage

Show the Profile Switcher

Display the profile switcher button overlay:

BoardApplication.ShowProfileSwitcher();

Hide the Profile Switcher

Remove the profile switcher button overlay:

BoardApplication.HideProfileSwitcher();

Behavior

• Persistent overlay - The button remains visible on top of your game UI until you explicitly hide it
• Fixed position - Always appears in the top-left corner of the screen
• Native control - Managed by Board’s native SDK, not part of your Unity UI hierarchy
• Profile switching - When tapped, opens the native profile selector for switching profiles
• Automatic updates - When a profile switch occurs, BoardSession.playersChanged event fires and BoardSession.players is automatically updated

Profile Switcher Button

The button displays the current profile’s avatar in the top-left corner:

Switch Profile UI

When the user taps the button, Board displays the profile selector:

The user can select a different profile or tap “Manage profiles” to access Board’s profile settings. After selecting a profile, the BoardSession.playersChanged event fires.

When to Show/Hide

Show During:

• Main menus - Allow users to switch profiles before starting a game
• Lobby screens - Enable profile switching in multiplayer lobbies
• Settings screens - Provide access when users are configuring options
• Pause menus - Allow switching during non-critical moments
• Results/score screens - Enable switching after completing a level or match

Hide During:

• Active gameplay - Prevent accidental profile switches during play
• Cutscenes - Avoid UI clutter during story moments
• Loading screens - Keep the UI minimal during transitions
• Dialogs/popups - Hide when other UI needs focus
• Tutorial sequences - Prevent interruptions during onboarding

Listening for Profile Changes

Subscribe to the playersChanged event to react when users switch profiles:

using UnityEngine;
using Board.Session;

public class ProfileManager : MonoBehaviour
{
    void Start()
    {
        BoardSession.playersChanged += OnPlayersChanged;
    }

    void OnDestroy()
    {
        BoardSession.playersChanged -= OnPlayersChanged;
    }

    void OnPlayersChanged()
    {
        Debug.Log("Active profile changed!");

        var players = BoardSession.players;
        if (players != null && players.Length > 0)
        {
            var activeProfile = players[0];
            Debug.Log($"New active profile: {activeProfile.name}");

            // Reload player data, preferences, save games, etc.
            LoadPlayerData(activeProfile.playerId);
        }
    }

    void LoadPlayerData(string playerId)
    {
        // Load player-specific data (save games, settings, progress, etc.)
    }
}

Best Practices

1. Hide during gameplay - Prevent accidental profile switches by hiding the button during active gameplay
2. Subscribe to playersChanged - Always listen for profile changes to update your game state
3. Reload player data on switch - When a profile changes, reload save games, preferences, and player-specific settings