Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME: Transfer Guide
Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME lets eligible Pokémon from Nintendo 3DS era storage move forward into HOME, but the move requires a HOME Premium Plan and cannot be reversed.
The useful way to think about Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME is to separate storage, game transfers and mobile-only features. HOME shares one collection across linked devices, but the Switch app, mobile app and connected Pokémon games each handle different parts of the process.
Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME: what you need to know
Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME Image The Pokémon Company International.
A paid HOME Premium Plan is required to move Pokémon from Pokémon Bank into HOME.
A Moving Key can be generated in HOME and entered in Bank when moving selected Boxes from a 3DS.
If the Nintendo Account and Nintendo Network ID are linked, HOME can also begin a full Bank move without the 3DS in hand. In that workflow all Pokémon in Bank are moved.
How to do it
- Confirm that the Nintendo Network ID used by Bank is linked to the Nintendo Account used by HOME.
- In HOME, open the Move option and follow the Bank transfer route appropriate to whether you still have the 3DS.
- If using a Moving Key, enter it in Bank before its three-minute validity window expires.
- Allow HOME to finish receiving and placing the transferred Pokémon before reorganising Boxes.
With Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME, confirm the Nintendo Account and target game or service before the final step. HOME is designed to make a large collection easier to manage, but several transfer paths are intentionally one way.
Important restrictions
Once a Pokémon moves from Pokémon Bank into HOME, it cannot be moved back to Pokémon Bank.
Another important point with Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME is that a Pokémon being stored in HOME does not guarantee that it can enter every supported game. HOME checks destination compatibility at species level and can also apply game-specific rules to moves, forms and other displayed information.
Switch and mobile differences
For Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME, use the Nintendo Switch version when the task involves opening supported Switch game save data. Use the mobile version when the task involves HOME trading, Friends, Mystery Gifts or mobile collection tools. Both versions should be linked to the same Nintendo Account if you want them to show the same HOME Boxes.
Because the Bank migration is one way, organise anything you want to keep on the 3DS side before beginning. The no-3DS linked-account method is particularly important because it moves the entire Bank collection rather than a hand-picked set of Boxes.
Useful tips before you confirm
Before using Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME with a rare, shiny, marked or sentimental Pokémon, read every confirmation screen and check the destination twice. One-way transfers are not bugs, and HOME cannot undo a transfer simply because you change your mind afterward.
If something about Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME looks wrong, check HOME’s compatibility display and official support information before trying repeated transfers. A greyed-out destination, an unreceived GO transfer or a game-specific restriction often has a clear explanation in HOME itself.
For large collections, Box organisation is worth doing before a transfer rather than afterward. Keeping game origins, living Pokédex entries, trade stock and valuable collection pieces in predictable HOME Boxes makes mistakes far less likely.
HOME also records National Pokédex and supported game-specific Pokédex progress. That can make a transfer useful for collection goals even when the Pokémon is not being moved onward into another game immediately.
If a Pokémon’s visible moves or status look different after changing the connected title, remember that HOME can present information according to the destination game’s rules. Pokémon Support notes that the displayed information can change without HOME overwriting the underlying Pokémon data.
For anything difficult to replace, take a moment to check the Pokémon’s origin, form, marks and destination compatibility before saving changes. A few seconds of checking is much easier than rebuilding a collection mistake later.
For large collections, Box organisation is worth doing before a transfer rather than afterward. Keeping game origins, living Pokédex entries, trade stock and valuable collection pieces in predictable HOME Boxes makes mistakes far less likely.
For the current first-party rules covering Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME, see the official Pokémon HOME information.
