How to delete your Nintendo Account account
A Nintendo Account is the master identity for Nintendo Switch, the eShop, Nintendo Switch Online, the Nintendo mobile apps, and My Nintendo rewards. Nintendo stores your full purchase history, save-data backups (with Switch Online), friend list, Switch usage data shared via Parental Controls app, game-play statistics, and (for purchases) name, address, and payment information. Deleting Nintendo Account is permanent and erases your digital library access.
Delete your Nintendo Account account, step by step
- 1Sign in at accounts.nintendo.com
- 2Click 'Other Settings' in the left nav
- 3Scroll to the bottom and click 'Delete Account'
- 4Read the warning about what gets lost
- 5Enter your password
- 6Click 'Delete' to confirm
- 7Account enters a 30-day grace period then is permanently deleted
What actually happens when you delete
Gets removed
- ✓Your Nintendo Account login and Nintendo Network ID
- ✓Every digital game, DLC, and virtual console title purchased on Switch
- ✓Cloud save data backed up via Nintendo Switch Online
- ✓Friend list and friend codes
- ✓My Nintendo Platinum and Gold points (forfeited)
Stays behind
- ✗Physical game cards work without the Nintendo Account signed in
- ✗Save data on the Switch's local storage (until you initialize the console)
- ✗Records Nintendo retains for billing, tax, and consumer-protection law
- ✗Linked child accounts must be re-linked to a different family organizer
- ✗Switch Sports / Animal Crossing data on the console's local files
Before you delete
Closing a Nintendo Account erases your entire digital eShop library — Switch games, DLC, virtual console titles, and Nintendo Switch Online benefits are forfeited. Sign out of every Nintendo Switch console first and 'Initialize' or transfer any save data you want to keep. Cancel Nintendo Switch Online (and Family Membership) FIRST. If you're a parent managing a child's Nintendo Account, that's handled through the Parental Controls app rather than the standard close-account flow.
Download your data from Nintendo Account first
Most platforms only honor a data-export request while the account is still active. Do this before you delete.
- 1Nintendo does not have a public self-service data export. EU/UK and California users can file a privacy request via the Nintendo Privacy Contact form (linked from the privacy policy). Nintendo responds within 30 days with a downloadable copy.
If deletion fails — or you live in the EU, UK, or California
You have a legal right to request erasure of your personal data under GDPR (EU/UK) and CCPA (California). Use these official channels if the self-service flow doesn't work.
Nintendo Account deletion FAQs
Will I lose my Switch games if I delete my Nintendo Account?+
Digital games tied to the account are forfeited. Physical game cartridges still play in any Switch console without sign-in. Cloud save data (Nintendo Switch Online) is also lost — copy save data to a different Switch console or to local backup first.
What happens to my Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves?+
Erased with the account. If you want to keep saves for games like Breath of the Wild or Splatoon, copy them to local console storage BEFORE deletion. Some titles (Pokémon Sword/Shield, Animal Crossing) explicitly disable cloud saves; for those, save data is already only on the console.
Can I delete a child Nintendo Account?+
Parental management is via the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, but the actual close-account request still goes through accounts.nintendo.com. The parent (family organizer) initiates closure; Nintendo may ask for verification of the parental relationship.
Will my My Nintendo points be refunded?+
No. Platinum points expire monthly anyway, and Gold points (earned from eShop purchases) are forfeited at deletion. Spend Gold points on eShop discounts BEFORE deletion if you have a meaningful balance.
How do I remove the account from my Nintendo Switch console?+
On the console: System Settings > User > [select user] > Delete User > 'Delete this User'. Or for full reset: System Settings > System > Initialize > Initialize Console. Do this BEFORE deleting the Nintendo Account to clean up local linkage.
What if Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership is involved?+
Cancel the Family Membership BEFORE closing the organizer's account. Other family members lose Switch Online access at closure but their saves remain on their consoles. The 12-month plan does not get refunded for unused months.
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