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    How to Transfer an Individual Resident to a New Island (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)

    In this article, you’ll learn how to move an individual resident (a single player) in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to an island on a new Nintendo Switch console.

    Important

    • Access to both the source Nintendo Switch console and the target Nintendo Switch console is required to transfer a resident. Local wireless must be enabled on both consoles.
    • If you have lost access to the source Nintendo Switch console, but you enabled island backup on that console, you can still restore your backup data on your replacement console. Follow our steps on How to Back Up and Restore Island Save Data.
    • A copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is required on both consoles.
    • The resident you want to transfer must already be living in a house.
    • The island's Resident Representative cannot be transferred individually. You can only transfer the Resident Representative along with the entire island using the Island Transfer Tool. For steps to do so, see How to Transfer an Island to a New Nintendo Switch Console.
    • It is not possible to move to an island that is already populated by 8 residents.
    • To transfer another resident, you must also transfer the player's user account to the new Nintendo Switch console.
    • If the resident has Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise save data, that save data will also transfer with the resident to the new Nintendo Switch console. The Happy Home Paradise DLC must be downloaded on the new console in order to access the DLC content in-game.

    Will you be transferring your resident or another resident?

    1. Transfer the User Data of the player from the source (original) Nintendo Switch console to the target (replacement) Nintendo Switch console.
      • This will transfer all software save data other than Animal Crossing: New Horizons tied to the user account to the target console.
    2. Make sure that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is updated to the latest software version on both consoles.
    3. On the source console, launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons using any other user (such as the island's Resident Representative).
    4. Press the − Button on the title screen to open the Settings menu.
    5. Select Move to a new island.
    6. Select Move another resident.
    7. Select the name of the resident that will be moving, then select Yes, that is correct.
    8. Review the details of the transfer process and select OK.
    9. Select Yes, I'm ready! and then Let’s do it! to send a transfer request.
    10. On the target console, launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons using the user that you transferred.
    11. Select I’m moving when asked by Timmy and Tommy.
    12. Select Yes, I have! when asked if you have already sent a transfer request.
    13. Select Start the process to search for the transfer request sent from the source console.
    14. When the island name and resident’s name are displayed, select Yes, that is correct.
    15. On the source console, select Let’s do it! to confirm the target Nintendo Switch console you will be moving to. At this point, the transfer cannot be cancelled.
    16. After the message “Thank you so much for being patient. Everything is ready!” is displayed, you can close the game on the source console.
    17. On the target console, you will arrive on the island and get to choose a location to set up the same house you had on the source console.
      • If you are the first user to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target console, you will be the new island’s Resident Representative. Moving a house takes some time, so you will be sleeping in a tent on your first night on the island.
      • If the island is already inhabited by someone on the target console, your house will be moved over immediately.
    18. If you previously set up island backup, follow our steps to set up island backup again to ensure that it is re-enabled on your new console.
    1. Make sure that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is updated to the latest software version on both consoles.
    2. On the source console, launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the user whose resident will be moving.
    3. Press the − Button on the title screen to open the Settings menu.
    4. Select Move to a new island.
    5. Select Move me off the island.
    6. Select Yes, that is correct.
    7. Review the details of the transfer process and select Yes, I’m ready!, then Yes, I’m ready! again to send a transfer request.
    8. On the target console, launch Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the user account that you want to use for your resident.
      • You cannot select a user that has already played Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target console. If you need to create a new user account, see How to Add a New User Account.
    9. Select I’m moving when asked by Timmy and Tommy.
    10. Select Yes, I have! when asked if you have already sent a transfer request.
    11. Select Start the process to search for the transfer request sent from the source console.
    12. When the island name and your resident’s name are displayed, select Yes, that is correct.
    13. On the source console, confirm the target Nintendo Switch console you will be moving to. At this point, the transfer cannot be cancelled.
    14. After the message “Thank you so much for waiting. Everything is ready!” is displayed, you can close the game on the source console.
    15. On the target console, you will arrive on the island and get to choose a location to set up the same house you had on the source console.
      • If you are the first user to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the target console, you will be the new island’s Resident Representative. Moving a house takes some time, so you will be sleeping in a tent on your first night on the island.
      • If the island is already inhabited by someone on the target console, your house will be moved over immediately.
    16. If you previously set up island backup, follow our steps to set up island backup again to ensure that it is re-enabled on your new console.

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