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Use the in-game Custom Designs Portal to find New Horizons designs with a Creator ID or Design ID. Scan QR codes through NookLink in the Nintendo Switch App; Nintendo documents that route for designs from Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.
Creator ID, Design ID, or QR code: which should you use?
| Method | What it finds or imports | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Creator ID (MA-) | Designs published by one creator | Custom Designs Portal in New Horizons |
| Design ID (MO-) | One specific published design | Custom Designs Portal in New Horizons |
| QR code | Custom designs from New Leaf or Happy Home Designer, as documented by Nintendo | QR scanner in the Nintendo Switch App’s NookLink service, then download in New Horizons |
The prefixes and portal steps are described in iMore’s guide. Nintendo describes QR import for the earlier games on its NookLink service page. Creator and Design IDs are search identifiers, not QR codes.
How to search for a Creator ID or Design ID
- Open the Custom Designs Portal at the kiosk in the Able Sisters shop. Alternatively, open the NookPhone’s Custom Designs app, press X, and choose the portal option, as described in iMore’s guide.
- Choose Search for Creator ID to browse a creator’s published designs, then enter the MA-prefixed code. Choose Search for Design ID to retrieve one design, then enter its MO-prefixed code.
- Open the result and choose Save. Close the result view, select a pattern slot, and confirm. If the slots you can use are full, select a saved pattern you are willing to replace before confirming.
To share your own New Horizons design this way, publish it through the portal. The creator receives a Creator ID after posting a design, and each published design receives its own Design ID. Other players can search those IDs in their own portal.
How to scan a QR code with NookLink
Nintendo’s documented QR-import route is for designs from New Leaf and Happy Home Designer. It uses NookLink in the Nintendo Switch App, rather than the in-game portal.
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- On the New Horizons title screen, press the minus button to open Settings, select NookLink settings, and confirm Yes, please. Nintendo’s setup instructions are on its NookLink support page.
- On a compatible smart device, open the Nintendo Switch App and sign in with the same Nintendo Account linked to the game.
- In the app, open Game-Specific Services, select Animal Crossing: New Horizons, then select Designs and the QR scanning function.
- Scan the QR code. NookLink saves the scanned design for transfer to the game.
- In New Horizons, open the NookPhone’s Custom Designs app and use the download action for the design saved in NookLink. iMore describes pressing + and confirming a slot. Transfer designs one at a time before scanning another; some clothing patterns are split across multiple QR panels.
Nintendo’s service page states: “You can import your custom designs from the Nintendo 3DS™ games Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.” That is the compatibility Nintendo documents; QR codes are not the usual sharing route for New Horizons designs, which use portal publishing and IDs.
What you need for NookLink and online portal features
- A Nintendo Account and internet access are required for online features. Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for certain online features; Nintendo says online features may not be available in every country. Check the regional Nintendo support information for availability.
- NookLink requires a compatible smart device and an internet connection. Nintendo lists these requirements on its NookLink service page.
- The phone app and game must use the same Nintendo Account. NookLink must also be enabled from the game’s title-screen settings before its QR workflow is available.
Nintendo Canada’s current announcement about Ninten points players to the official Custom Designs Portal and mentions both the Nintendo Switch game and Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Menu details can vary by edition, software version, language, or region; follow the labels shown in your copy if they differ.
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Fix common custom-design problems
The QR option is missing or will not scan
- Enable NookLink from the game title screen: press minus, open NookLink settings, and confirm the activation prompt.
- Check that the Nintendo Switch App is signed into the same Nintendo Account used with the game and that the smart device has internet access.
- Check Nintendo Switch Online membership and country availability if an online feature remains inaccessible. Nintendo’s requirements can vary by feature and region.
A Creator ID or Design ID does not work
Use the correct search option and prefix: MA- for a Creator ID or MO- for a Design ID. Enter these in the in-game Custom Designs Portal, not the NookLink QR scanner. If searching for a single design, use its Design ID rather than the creator’s ID.
The game says there is no room for another design
Saving or downloading a design requires a pattern slot. Review the slot options and choose a pattern to replace only if you no longer need it; confirm the overwrite in the game.
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- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
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