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How to Back Up and Restore Island Save Data (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)

In this article, you'll learn how to enable island backup in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and how to restore your island data if your Nintendo Switch console is ever lost or damaged.

General information about island backup

Island backup is a feature exclusive to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If you are looking to restore your save data for games compatible with the Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud service, see our steps on How to Download Save Data Cloud Backups.
When enabled, island backup data is stored periodically when no one is currently playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons on your Nintendo Switch console and the console is connected to the internet. Island data is shared across all residents on the island.
Any Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise save data is also backed up with this feature. The DLC must be downloaded on your replacement Nintendo Switch console in order to gain access to the DLC content.
After restoring island backup data, the time spent playing in your play activity may not reflect your actual total time playing the game.

What to do

Do you want to enable island backup, restore island data that you have backed up or disable island backup?

Enable island backup Restore island data Disable island backup

In order to enable island backup:

Use a Nintendo Account with an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Use a Nintendo Account that has a resident on the island. Each user on a Nintendo Switch console can create a resident and move to the island soon after starting the game.
Your Nintendo Switch console must have a stable connection to the internet.
Your copy of the game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later).
Island backup cannot already be enabled. If any other resident on the island has already enabled island backup, you will not be able to enable it as a different resident. The original resident can disable island backup if you wish to enable it using a different account.

Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select a user with a compatible Nintendo Account.
From the title screen, press the − Button to access the Settings menu.
Select Island backup, then Enable island backup .
- If island backup cannot be enabled, it may be because your Nintendo Switch console is not currently connected to the internet or because your Nintendo Account does not currently have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.
After island backup is enabled, you can view the date and time of the last backup on the title screen of the game. A backup is made periodically whenever the game is not being played and the Nintendo Switch console is connected to the internet.

In order to restore island data:

Your Nintendo Switch console must have a stable connection to the internet.
Your copy of the game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later).
Island data can only be restored if the source (original) Nintendo Switch console had island backup in Animal Crossing: New Horizons enabled. It is not possible to remotely enable island backup without access to the console. You will also need a replacement console to restore the island data.
If you have access to your original Nintendo Switch console, follow our steps on how to transfer your Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data instead.

Has your console been repaired by Nintendo?

Yes No

Important: If your console was repaired, your save data may already be on the console. Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons to determine if your island appears on the title screen. If so, no further action is necessary to return to your island.

Select Animal Crossing: New Horizons and choose the user with the Nintendo Account that originally enabled island backup.
As the game begins to open, you will see a black screen with the Nintendo logo in the top-left. When this screen completely fades to black, press and hold the − Button.
If performed correctly, a message will appear that asks if you want to begin the island restoration process. Select Begin.
- Timmy and Tommy appear at Nook Inc. reception desk
  - If you see Timmy and Tommy at the Nook Inc. reception desk, the button input failed. Close the game and reopen it to try again. Make sure you press the − Button when the Nintendo logo fades to a full black screen and before the island in the bottom-right appears.
  - Ensure that you are pressing the − Button on the controller and not one of the volume buttons on the console itself. You may want to perform a button test to check whether the button is working properly.
- Title screen with villagers on island
  If you see a title screen with villagers walking around an island, then you may have already started a new island on your Nintendo Switch console. If you wish to replace this island with your island backup, you must first delete the save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons from your console, then reopen the game and try again. Your new island will not be able to be recovered after you delete the save data.
Tom Nook will ask if you want to search for island backup data to restore. Select Check.
- Island data cannot be found
  If island data cannot be found, it may be because your Nintendo Switch console is not currently connected to the internet or because you are not using the same Nintendo Account that was used to enable island backup.
If you enabled island backup for multiple islands, you will be presented with each island name and some details. Select the island you wish to restore on your Nintendo Switch console, then select Recover Data .
Select Yes, please to confirm that you are ready to restore the selected island backup.
- If you started a new island on your Nintendo Switch console, it will be lost and replaced with your island backup.
After your island is restored, the game will restart. Select Close when messages appear to check for island backup data, then you will return to your island.

Were you able to restore your island?

Yes No

If your island is restored, you’re all set! Please note that if multiple residents are on your island and the users for those residents are no longer on your console, each resident can continue playing under a new user after following the steps below:

Create a new user on your Nintendo Switch console, if needed.
Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the new user.
When a message appears asking if you would like to play using existing resident data, select Existing data.
- If you select Start fresh instead, you will create a new resident.
Select Display data to view the residents that are not currently associated with a user.
Select the resident you wish to play as and review the details on Nintendo Account features, then select Yes to confirm. You will now return to the island as the selected resident.

If you are unable to restore your island after following these steps, please contact our Customer Support: select "Games & Apps” > “Gameplay Assistance" > "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" > “How to back up and restore island save data”. If you are already using the contact form, please select “Contact Nintendo Support.

To restore your island, please contact our Customer Support: select "Games & Apps” > “Gameplay Assistance" > "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" > “How to back up and restore island save data”. If you are already using the contact form, please select “Contact Nintendo Support.

In order to disable island backup:

Your Nintendo Switch console must have a stable connection to the internet.
Your copy of the game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later).
Island backup can only be disabled by the Nintendo Account that originally enabled it.

Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the user with the Nintendo Account that originally enabled island backup.
From the title screen, press the − Button to access the Settings menu.
Select Island backup, Disable island backup, then Yes, disable backup to confirm.
- If island backup cannot be disabled, it may be because your Nintendo Switch console is not currently connected to the internet or because you are not using the same Nintendo Account that was used to enable island backup.
After island backup is disabled, it will not be possible to restore island data in the case your Nintendo Switch console is lost or stolen. You can re-enable island backup using a Nintendo Account that has a resident on the island and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.