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If there are Pokémon in Pokémon Bank you want to keep, transfer them to Pokémon HOME before February 25, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST. After that cutoff, Nintendo says Bank service—and the Bank-to-HOME transfer route—will end. There is no official list of species that players must save; prioritize the Pokémon that matter to you and confirm your 3DS, Bank, accounts, and HOME access work well before the deadline.
When does Pokémon Bank shut down?
Nintendo has set the end of service for Thursday, February 25, 2027, at 7:00 p.m. PST. Its notice says Pokémon stored in Bank that players wish to carry over should be moved to HOME before service ends. The stated time is Pacific Standard Time, so check the equivalent local time where you live. Read Nintendo’s Pokémon Bank End of Service notice for the official announcement.
Nintendo says Pokémon Bank is not currently available for download. The transfer option depends on having access to the app, so a reader who never downloaded Bank should not assume that obtaining a 3DS now will make the app available.
Which Pokémon should you transfer?
There is no official endangered-Pokémon roster in the notices cited here, and they do not identify which individual species lack other ways to obtain them. Instead, use your own collection and priorities to decide what to move.
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- Pokémon already stored in Bank: Review the boxes and identify anything you want preserved in HOME.
- Personal event or distribution Pokémon: Give priority to Pokémon whose origin or event history matters to you.
- Shinies and unusual forms: These may be especially difficult or meaningful for an individual collection, but their status is not a verified official list of Pokémon at risk.
- Pokémon with legacy moves, ribbons, or other history: Include these if you value their specific record or want them available in HOME.
- Collections you want to use in compatible newer games: Check the destination game’s support before moving; HOME does not make every Pokémon usable everywhere.
If you have not caught a Pokémon yet, check whether a game you can play offers another way to obtain it. The official sources cited here do not establish alternative availability for specific species, forms, or distributions.
Check access and decide what to move before starting
Do these checks before initiating a transfer. Moving a Pokémon from Bank to HOME is one-way: Nintendo says it cannot be returned to Bank or used with Nintendo 3DS titles after the move.
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- Confirm the 3DS and Bank app work. Start Pokémon Bank and make sure the boxes you intend to review appear.
- If your Bank pass has expired, inspect the boxes first. Pokémon Support says to start Bank, decline buying a new pass, then choose “Use Pokémon Bank” to check stored Pokémon. The support article was updated January 30, 2026; read its current guidance at Pokémon Support’s expired-subscription FAQ.
- Confirm account access and set up HOME. Make sure you can access the relevant Nintendo accounts and Pokémon HOME before relying on the transfer route.
- Choose deliberately. Decide what should remain in the original 3DS game and what you want to move. A transfer from Bank to HOME cannot be undone from Bank’s perspective.
What HOME can—and cannot—do with transferred Pokémon
HOME is a place to store and move Pokémon, not a guarantee that every Pokémon can enter every game. Pokémon HOME says a Pokémon can be moved only to games in which it appears; consult the supported Pokémon list in the mobile app’s Help menu before planning a destination. For Scarlet and Violet, HOME says a transferred Pokémon’s Tera Type is determined by its original type or types. See Pokémon HOME and its Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME guide.
Choose between keeping Pokémon in a 3DS game and moving them
| Choice | What it means | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a Pokémon in its original 3DS game | It remains available for use with the 3DS title; it is not moved into HOME by this choice. | Choose this if continued use in the original 3DS game matters more than moving it to HOME. |
| Move a Pokémon to HOME | The move from Bank is one-way; the Pokémon cannot return to Bank or be used with Nintendo 3DS titles. | Choose this if preserving it in HOME or using it in a compatible newer game matters more. |
HOME Basic or Premium: which do you need?
Nintendo says Pokémon HOME Premium is required to transfer Pokémon from Bank; HOME Basic does not support Bank transfers. A Bank subscription and HOME Premium are separate. Check current terms and pricing for your region before subscribing: Pokémon HOME notes that prices can change. See Pokémon HOME for its current service information.
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How to transfer from Bank to HOME
Nintendo’s documented process starts in HOME. Follow the prompts currently shown on your device, since instructions can change. The Moving Key is temporary and expires after three minutes, so have both systems ready before generating it. Do not share the key or account credentials.
- Open Pokémon HOME and begin the Bank transfer using HOME’s on-screen prompts.
- When HOME displays a Moving Key, open Pokémon Bank on the 3DS and select the boxes you want to transfer.
- Enter the Moving Key in Bank before its three-minute expiration, then follow the remaining prompts to complete the move.
For Nintendo’s full current instructions, see How to Transfer Pokémon (Pokémon HOME).
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Should you transfer now or wait?
| Option | Trade-off |
|---|---|
| Transfer before the deadline | Preserves the Bank-to-HOME route while it is available, but the move is one-way and HOME game support varies by Pokémon. |
| Wait | Keeps Pokémon in their current location for now, but leaves less time to resolve hardware, account, or setup problems before the stated service cutoff. |
Nintendo has not published a figure for how many Pokémon or collections are affected. The practical choice is personal: review what is in Bank, preserve the Pokémon you value through HOME if you want them carried over, and leave anything you still need in a 3DS game where it is.
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