How to Backup 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 is ever lost or broken.

Important

• 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. 

• A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required in order to enable island backup data. 

• If you have access to your original Nintendo Switch system and you want to transfer your island or an individual resident to a new system, you can transfer your Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data.

• Recovery is only available in situations where a Nintendo Switch system is lost, stolen, or damaged. A new or repaired Nintendo Switch system is required. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Consumer Support, and a representative can help you restore the island and user save data.

Note

• Island backup and restore features are available after installing the latest game software version (1.4.0 or later). 

• When enabled, island backup data is stored periodically when no one is currently playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons on your Nintendo Switch system and the system is connected to the internet. Island data is shared across all residents on the island.

• After restoring island backup data, the time spent playing in your account's Play Activity may not reflect your actual total time playing the game.

• 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 system in order to gain access to the DLC content

Please see below for how to Enable Island backup, Restore Island data or Disable Island backup

Enable island backup

1. Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select a user with a compatible Nintendo Account.

   • 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 system can create a resident and move to the island soon after starting the game. 

     • Your Nintendo Switch system must have a stable connection to the internet. 

     • Your 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 back up, 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. 

2. From the title screen, press the – Button to access the Settings menu. 

3. Select Enable island backup.

   • If island backup cannot be enabled, it may be because your Nintendo Switch is not currently connected to the internet or your Nintendo Account does not currently have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. 

4. 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 system is connected to the internet.

Restore island data

Important: Island data can only be restored if your Nintendo Switch system has been lost or was broken and you had enabled island backup in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on that system. It is not possible to remotely enable island backup without access to the system. You will also need a replacement system to restore the island data.

If you have access to your original Nintendo Switch system, follow our steps on how to transfer your Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data instead.

If your system was repaired or replaced by a Nintendo Service Centre, and your island data is not on the system but island backup was enabled, please follow the below steps to restore your island data.

Important: If your system was repaired or replaced, your save data may already be on the system. 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.

If your system was repaired by a Nintendo Service Centre, and you have received your Nintendo Switch Console and your data is not on the system and the island backup was previously enabled, you can follow the below steps to restore your island data.

1. Select Animal Crossing: New Horizons and choose the user with the Nintendo Account that originally enabled island backup.

   • In order to restore island data:

     • Your Nintendo Switch system must have a stable connection to the internet. 

     • Your game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later). 

2. As the game begins to open, you will see a black screen with the Nintendo logo in the top-left. Press and hold the – Button when this screen appears. 

3. If performed correctly, a message will appear that asks if you want to check for island data to restore. Select Begin.

   • 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.

   • 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 system. 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 system, then reopen the game and try again. Your new island will not be able to be recovered after you delete the save data.

4. Tom Nook will ask if you want to search for island backup data to restore. Select Check.

   • If island data cannot be found, it may be because your Nintendo Switch is not currently connected to the internet, or you are not using the same Nintendo Account that was used to enable island backup.

5. 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 system, then select Recover Data.

6. Select Yes, please to confirm you are ready to restore the selected island backup.

   • If you started a new island on your Nintendo Switch, it will be lost and replaced with your island backup.

7. 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.

If your island is restored, you’re all set!

Please note that if multiple residents are on your island and the User Accounts of those residents are no longer on your system, each resident can continue playing under a new User Account after following the steps below:

1. Create a new User Account on your Nintendo Switch system, if needed.

2. Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the new User Account.

3. 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.

4. Select Display data to view the residents that are not currently associated with a User Account.

5. 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.

However if you are unable to restore your island after following these steps, please contact us for additional support.

Disable island Backup

1. Open Animal Crossing: New Horizons and select the user with the Nintendo Account that originally enabled island backup.

   • In order to disable island backup:

     • Your Nintendo Switch system must have a stable connection to the internet.

     • Your game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later).

2. From the title screen, press the − Button to access the Settings menu.

3. 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 is not currently connected to the internet or you are not using the same Nintendo Account that was used to enable island backup.

4. After island backup is disabled, it will not be possible to restore island data in the case your Nintendo Switch system 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.