Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield Transfer Guide
Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield connectivity lets supported Pokémon move between Galar save data and HOME, while also acting as the modern destination for older Bank collections.
The useful way to think about Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield 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 HOME Sword and Shield: what you need to know
Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield Image The Pokémon Company International.
Sword and Shield are supported through the Nintendo Switch version of HOME.
Some Pokémon arriving from Pokémon GO face an extra restriction before they can enter Sword or Shield: the species may need to have been registered or previously obtained in the destination game.
HOME tracks Galar, Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra game-specific Pokédexes.
How to do it
- Open HOME on Switch and choose the Sword or Shield save.
- Move compatible Pokémon between HOME and the game’s Boxes.
- If a GO-origin rare Pokémon is blocked, check whether the species must first be registered or obtained in the destination save.
With Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield, 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
The extra GO-origin restriction is easy to miss because the species itself may otherwise be compatible with Sword or Shield.
Another important point with Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield 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 HOME Sword and Shield, 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.
HOME’s current Pokédex rewards give Shiny Keldeo for completing the Galar, Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra Pokédexes inside HOME.
Useful tips before you confirm
Before using Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield 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 HOME Sword and Shield 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.
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 Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield, checking the exact source and destination before saving is the safest way to avoid an irreversible transfer mistake.
For the current first-party rules covering Pokémon HOME Sword and Shield, see the official Pokémon HOME information.
