Animal Crossing New Horizons Island Transfer Explained: How To Transfer Your Island

Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can now transfer their island to another Nintendo Switch. This guide will help you through the transfer process.

While transferring your island was meant to be simple, it has become complicated. You need to download a separate application on both Nintendo Switch consoles, and each one must be operated by different user accounts to start the island transfer process.

Before you begin, download the Island Transfer Tool.

How to Transfer Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To Transfer a Single Resident

1. Ensure Updates: Make sure that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is updated to the latest software version on both systems.
2. Source System:
   • Launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the source system and select the user whose resident will be moving.
   • Press the minus button (-) at the title screen to open the Settings menu.
   • Select “Move to a new island.”
   • Select “Move me off the island.”
   • Note that you cannot move the island resident representative alone. If you wish to transfer the resident representative, consider transferring the entire island to the new Nintendo Switch.
   • Select “Yes, that is correct.”
   • Review the transfer details and select “Yes, I’m ready,” then confirm with “Yes, I’m ready!” again to send a transfer request.
3. Target System:
   • On the target system, launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the user account you want to use for your resident.
   • You cannot select a user that has already played Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target system. If you need to create a new user account, refer to “How to Add a New User Account.”
   • Select “I’m moving” when asked by Timmy and Tommy.
   • Select “Yes, I have!” when asked if you have already sent a transfer request.
   • Select “Start the process” to search for the transfer request sent from the source system.
   • When the island name and your resident’s name appear, select “Yes, that is correct.”
4. Final Steps:
   • On the source system, select “I want to move” to confirm the target Nintendo Switch you are transferring to. The transfer cannot be canceled at this point.
   • After the message “Thank you so much for waiting. Everything is ready!” appears, you can close the game on the source system.
   • On the target system, you will arrive on the island and choose a location to set up your new home, just like the one you had on the source system.
   • If you are the first user to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target system, you will be the new island’s resident representative. You will start by sleeping in a tent on your first night while your house is being moved.
   • If the island is already inhabited by someone on the target system, your house will be moved over immediately.
   • If you had set up island backup before, follow the steps to set up island backup again to ensure it is re-enabled on your new system.

To Transfer the Entire Island

Follow these steps if you no longer plan to use the source system. These steps ensure that all users and their data will be transferred to the target system.

1. Ensure Updates: Make sure Animal Crossing: New Horizons is updated to the latest software version on the source system.
2. Download Tools: Download the Save Data Transfer Tool for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the source system, if you haven’t done so already.
3. Transfer User Data: Transfer the user data for your account to the target Nintendo Switch. This will move all user information and save data, except for Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data.
   • Repeat this step for each user account. If you are transferring all user accounts, a default account named “User” will remain on the source system.
4. Target System Updates: On the target system, update Animal Crossing: New Horizons to the latest software version.
5. Download Tools on Target System: Download the Save Data Transfer Tool for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target system.
6. Open the Tool: Open the Save Data Transfer Tool on both systems.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions, selecting “Continue,” then “Let’s Begin.”
7. Source System: On the source system, select “Source.”
   • Confirm by selecting “Yes” when your island name is displayed.
   • If Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not updated, your console nickname will show instead of your island name.
8. Target System: On the target system, select “Target.”
9. Final Steps:
   • On the source system, select “Continue.” On the target system, select “Proceed.”
   • When the target system is detected, select “Transfer data” on the source system.
   • When the source system is detected, select “Proceed” on the target system. The transfer will then begin.
   • When the transfer is complete, a message will appear on both systems. The save data will be deleted on the source system and will now be available on the target system.
10. Launch the Game: Launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target system to continue playing on your island.
    • If you had set up island backup before, follow the steps to set it up again to ensure it is re-enabled on your new system.