Pokémon TCG Pocket Account Transfer: Link and Move Data

To transfer a Pokémon TCG Pocket account to a new device, first link your save to a Nintendo Account, Google, Apple or Play Store login from Menu, Other, Account, then on the new device choose Transfer Existing Save Data from the title screen and sign in with the same login. As of November 2026 there is no other built-in transfer method and no log-out button, so an unlinked save can be lost for good if the app is deleted.

We checked these steps against Game8's account linking and lost account guides, Dexerto's transfer and log-out guide, Serebii's mission list, The Pokémon Company International's Terms of Use and the official January 2025 conduct notice as reported by Nintendo Life, in November 2026.

Link Your Account Before Anything Else

Linking is what makes a transfer possible, and it is also your insurance against a lost phone. Dexerto puts it plainly: save data can only be moved to another device if it is linked to a Google, Apple or Nintendo account. Game8's linking guide lists the steps:

1. Tap the menu icon in the lower-right corner of the home screen.
2. Select Other.
3. Open Account.
4. Choose the service you want to link: Nintendo, Apple, Play Store or Google.
5. Sign in to that service to finish linking.

There is a small bonus for doing it with a Nintendo Account. Serebii's mission list includes "Link your Nintendo Account" among the advanced missions, and completing nine advanced missions pays 120 Pack Hourglasses, which is ten free packs. Our free hourglass guide lists the other early missions worth finishing.

Which login should you choose? Any of them works for a transfer, but think about where you will play next. A Nintendo Account is not tied to a phone maker, so it is the natural choice if you might move between an iPhone and an Android phone in the future. If you are certain you will stay with one platform, the Apple or Google login you already use on that phone is the simplest option. Either way, write down which service you used, since forgetting it is a common reason transfers stall.

Moving to a New Phone, Step by Step

Once your save is linked, the transfer itself takes a few minutes. Dexerto describes the flow on the new device:

1. Install Pokémon TCG Pocket on the new device and open it.
2. Tap the title screen and select your country or region.
3. Confirm your age.
4. Accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice.
5. Select Transfer Existing Save Data.
6. Sign in with the same Nintendo, Google or Apple login you linked on the old device.

Your cards, decks, hourglasses and progress should then load on the new device. Game8's linking guide notes that as long as you sign in, you can restore your collection at any time, which is the whole point of linking.

A few habits prevent headaches. Do not delete the game or its data from the old phone until the new one shows your collection, since Dexerto warns that deleting saved data on the original device erases the account permanently if it is not linked. Make sure both devices have a stable connection. And if you hold a Premium Pass, keep your purchase receipts, which are also useful if you ever need support.

A Quick Checklist Before You Switch Phones

Most transfer problems are avoidable with five minutes of preparation on the old device. Run through this list while the old phone still works:

• Confirm the link. Open Menu, Other, Account and check which service is linked. Take a screenshot so you remember it.
• Record your IDs. Copy your Support ID and Friend ID somewhere safe, such as a notes app that syncs to the cloud.
• Note a deck name or two. Game8 lists deck names among the details support asks for if anything goes wrong.
• Empty your Gift box. Claim waiting rewards first, since Game8 notes that gifts sent by the developers expire.
• Finish open trades. Game8 says you can only have one ongoing trade and that offers expire after two days, so wrap up any trade before you switch rather than leaving a friend waiting.
• Keep receipts handy. App Store or Google Play receipts for Poké Gold or the Premium Pass help prove ownership if you ever need support.

With those done, the transfer is usually a two-minute job, and even in the worst case you have everything support could ask for.

When a Transfer Does Not Work

The most common failure, according to Dexerto, is that the new device is already linked to a different Google, Apple or Nintendo account. If the login you choose on the new phone is not the one attached to your save, the game cannot find your data. Sign out of the other account on the device, or pick the correct service on the transfer screen, and try again.

Other things to check before contacting support:

• Wrong service. Your save is attached to the specific service you linked, so pick that same service on the transfer screen rather than whichever login the phone suggests first.
• Wrong account within a service. Many people have more than one Google login. Confirm the exact address you used when linking.
• Your Support ID. Game8 says it appears in the upper-left of the title screen with a copy icon. Note it down from the old device while you still can, because support asks for it.
• Your Friend ID. Game8 says you find it by tapping the Add Friend icon next to the search bar in the Friends menu.

If the old phone still works, the safest move is to open the game there, confirm under Menu, Other, Account that the link is active, and only then try the new device again.

One Account Per Device, and Starting Over

Pocket does not let you sign out and swap between saves the way many games do. Dexerto notes that there is no built-in log-out feature and that each device is limited to one account. The only way to leave a save on a device is to delete it, which Game8 says you can do from the Account screen with Delete Save Data at the bottom.

That matters for families sharing a tablet and for anyone thinking about a fresh start. If your save is linked, deleting it from the device is reversible, because you can restore it later by signing in. If it is not linked, deleting it is permanent. Always check the Account screen before you delete anything, and link first if the save is worth keeping.

The same caution applies if you want a second save for testing decks. Because the game holds only one account per device, a second save means a second device or deleting the first, so most players are better off using the rental decks, which the October 2026 producer letter says now have unlimited uses and work in versus battles. For deck ideas, see our meta decks guide.

Recovering an Account You Never Linked

If you lost a phone or deleted the app without linking, recovery is possible but not certain. Game8's lost account guide says to submit a request through the official TCG Pocket support form and to include as much detail as possible:

• The date you started playing, as exactly as you can narrow it down.
• The name of at least one deck you created.
• Your Support ID and Friend ID, if you have them written down.
• Screenshots of purchase receipts for Poké Gold or the Premium Pass from the App Store or Google Play.

Game8 says the process can take from a few days to a few weeks and that recovery is not assured. It also lists what you lose if it fails: cards, emblems, Poké Gold and achievements. That is the strongest argument for linking today, even if you have no plans to change phones.

What About Transferring an Account to Someone Else?

The transfer feature is for moving your own save between your own devices. Handing an account to another person is a different matter. The Pokémon Company International's Terms of Use make each player responsible for the security of their login and describe virtual content as a personal, non-transferable license that cannot be transferred or resold except where the company explicitly permits it.

The game's team has also acted on related behavior. In January 2025 it announced that players found engaging in real money trading, data tampering and other conduct against the Terms of Use would be warned, suspended or face other action. Practically, never give your Nintendo, Google or Apple password to anyone, including people offering to help with trades or codes. Codes only ever need your Support ID, as our codes guide explains, and in-game trading with friends never requires sharing a login, as covered in our trading guide.

About Account Listings

Some players look for an account that already has a large collection, and the store's Pokémon TCG Pocket page includes account listings from independent sellers, each of which states its own card count, rare cards and hourglass balance.

As covered above, the terms are clear on this point: The Pokémon Company International treats in-game content as a non-transferable license and does not permit transfer or resale beyond what it explicitly allows, so weigh that before considering any listing.

Frequently Asked Questions