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How to Reset a Nintendo Switch
5 different options to restart a console without necessarily losing your games
By Jennifer Allen Jennifer Allen Writer Swansea University, Staffordshire University Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 21, 2022 Reviewed by Kayla Dube Reviewed by Kayla Dube J. Everette Light Career Center Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Perform a Hard Reset on a Nintendo Switch Reset the Nintendo Switch's Cache Reset Your Switch Without Losing Game Saves Reset the Nintendo Switch to Factory Settings Using Maintenance Mode Factory Reset Nintendo Switch From the Settings Menu Frequently Asked Questions What to Know
If your console won't start up, hold the power button until the console resets, then release and press the power button again.To enter Maintenance Mode, turn off the console, hold down the volume up and volume down buttons, then press power.In Maintenance Mode, select Initialize Console or Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data to reset your Switch. This article explains how to reset a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite. If you have a Switch OLED, here are the instructions for resetting it. How to Perform a Hard Reset Factory Reset on a Nintendo Switch
If your console won't start up or come out of sleep mode, perform a hard reset before anything else. If you're selling it or giving it away, factory reset it first. Here's how. With the system powered down, hold the power button until the console resets. This step can take up to 15 seconds. Here's how to turn off your Nintendo Switch. Release the power button, then press it once to start the console like normal. Your console should boot up without any issue. How to Reset the Nintendo Switch' s Cache
Like any internet-connected device, the Nintendo Switch has a cache that stores your IDs, passwords, and browsing history. Sometimes, you might want to delete this information so that no one else can check it or simply due to security concerns. Here's how: On the Nintendo Switch home screen, select Settings. Scroll down and select System on the left menu. Scroll to the bottom of the screen, and then select Formatting Options. Select Reset Cache. To delete the keyboard's learned predictions, select Reset Keyboard. A warning that you can't restore the data will pop up. Select Reset. How to Reset Your Nintendo Switch Without Losing Your Game Saves
Suppose you need to reset your Nintendo Switch more comprehensively than simply clearing the cache. In that case, delete everything from the console except for game save data, screenshots, videos, and user information. Use this option when your Nintendo Switch runs into issues, and you don't want to lose everything while fixing it. Think of it like Safe Mode on a PC. Turn off the console. Hold down the power button until you see Power Options, then select Turn Off. Hold down the volume up and volume down buttons, then press the power button. Continue holding the buttons until Maintenance Mode loads on the Nintendo Switch. Choose Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data, then select OK. Wait for the console to finish resetting, restoring it to factory settings. How to Reset Your Nintendo Switch to Factory Settings Using Maintenance Mode
If you're selling your Nintendo Switch, restore it to factory settings and delete your files so the new owner can't access your data. This is a permanent fix. It erases all your data, including save files, game downloads, and your linked Nintendo account. Only perform this restore if you're certain you don't mind losing these files. Use the previous instructions to put the Switch into Maintenance Mode. From there, select Initialize Console > Continue. Wait for the console to finish erasing your data. How to Factory Reset Nintendo Switch From the Settings Menu
Alternatively, you can perform a full reset from the console's Settings menu. Here's how. On the Nintendo Switch home screen, select Settings. Scroll down and select System on the left menu. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Formatting Options. Choose Initialize Console, and then select OK. Wait for the console to finish erasing your data. This process also unlinks your Nintendo account from the system. Switch Not Connecting to Wi-Fi? Here's What to Do FAQ How do I reset my Switch if it's frozen? You can reset a frozen Switch with a hard reset. Press and hold the power button for about 15 seconds until the screen goes dark. The Switch should reboot in a few moments. How do I reset my Switch controller? Open System Settings from the Home menu and select Controllers and Sensors. Next, choose a controller from the list on the left side of the screen and select Reset, then confirm with Reset. How do I reset my Switch Joy-Con? First, make sure you detach the Joy-Con from the Switch console. Next, press the sync button, then press any button to turn the Joy-Con back on. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Clear the Cache on Xbox One Consoles How to Reset iPhone 12 (Restart & Hard Reset) How to Reset an LG Phone How to Factory Reset an iPhone (All Models) How to Transfer Save Data Between Users on the Switch How to Reset Your PS5 How to Reset Nintendo Switch OLED How to Reset Restrictions Passcode on an iPhone How to Fix It When a PS5 Controller Won't Sync How to Fix Black Screen on Android Phones How to Reset Your Xbox 360 How to Wipe a Dell Laptop How to Factory Reset the Meta (Oculus) Quest or Quest 2 How to Clear the Cache on a Fire TV Stick How to Reset Your Apple Watch How to Reset the iPod Touch Without Losing Your Music Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies