Animal Crossing Island Transfer Tool: How To Move Your New Horizons Saves To Switch 2

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons was incredibly popular in 2020, and it’s becoming popular again! Now that the game is available on both the original Switch and the new Switch 2 (with an enhanced version launching January 15th), many players are revisiting their islands. If you’ve been playing since the beginning or are returning after a break, you might want to move your island data to the new Switch 2. Here’s a guide on how to use the Animal Crossing island transfer tool to do just that.

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  • How to transfer your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island to Switch 2

How to transfer your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island to Switch 2

Okay, so I just got my new Switch 2 and setting it up was pretty easy! It transferred most of my saved games automatically, which was awesome. But Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a little different. To move my island, I had to download the free ‘Island Transfer Tool’ from the Nintendo eShop. And I needed my old Switch console handy too, since that’s where my island data was stored. It was a bit extra work, but totally worth it to keep my island!

To move your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island to a new Switch, first download the Animal Crossing Island Transfer Tool from the eShop on both your old and new consoles. Once it’s downloaded on both, you can start the transfer process.

Note the information below before proceeding:

  • This process moves your save file, not copies it. This means your island will not be available to visit on the original system once the transfer is complete.
  • You will need to download the Happy Home Paradise DLC on the new system to access any content related to this expansion.
  • Airplane Mode must be turned off on both consoles to begin the transfer.
  • The game must be updated to the newest software version on both consoles.

With all of that out of the way, you can begin the transfer process following the steps below:

  • Load the Island Transfer Tool on both systems.
  • Select Continue and Let’s Begin on both systems.
  • Select Source on the source (original) system, then Yes when the name of your island or console is displayed.
  • Select Target on the Switch 2.
  • Select Continue on the source system.
  • Select Proceed on the Switch 2.
  • Select Transfer Data on the source system.
  • Select Proceed on the Switch 2 to begin the transfer.

Once the transfer is complete, your save data will be removed from your original system, and you’ll be able to start playing New Horizons on your new Switch. However, you can always move the save data back to the original system and off the new Switch if needed.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

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2026-01-06 22:39