Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to Back Up And Restore Your Island Save Data

By Gemma Le Conte

31 July 2020

Here's how to back up and restore your data in Animal Crossing New Horizons!

Animal Crossing New Horizons allows you to backup your data and restore your island incase you lose of damage your switch.

Find out how to back up and restore your island's save data!

The below text is sourced directly from Nintendo's official site and is in their words.

Important

Island backup is a feature exclusive to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If you have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership and 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.
Recovery is only available in situations where a Nintendo Switch console is lost or damaged. A new or repaired Nintendo Switch console is required. An active Nintendo Switch Online membership is also required. In the event of loss or damage, contact Nintendo Customer Support, and a representative can help you restore the island and user save data on your new or repaired Nintendo Switch console (standard charges apply for non-warranty repairs).
The island backup feature is available after installing the latest software version for the game (1.4.0 or later).
When the feature is enabled, island backup data is stored periodically when no one is playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons on your Nintendo Switch console and the console is connected to the internet.

Enable Island Back Up

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 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 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.

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 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.

Restore Island Data

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

Disable Island Backup

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 console must have a stable connection to the internet.
Your game must be updated to the latest software version (1.4.0 or later).

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 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 that your Nintendo Switch console is lost or damaged, You can re-enable island backup using a Nintendo Account that has a resident on the island and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.

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