Pokémon Home
Cloud service for storing and transferring Pokémon.
Pokémon Home is a cloud service for storing Pokémon, announced by The Pokémon Company in June 2019 as a replacement for Pokémon Bank. It was released for Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android in February 2020, offering both a paid premium subscription and a free tier with reduced storage and features.
- announced
- June 2019
- released
- February 2020
- platforms
- Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
- developer
- The Pokémon Company
- type
- Cloud storage service
- predecessor
- Pokémon Bank
Lore & Background
Pokémon Home was announced in June 2019 by The Pokémon Company, intended to replace Pokémon Bank. It was released in February 2020 for Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. The service is available in two tiers: a paid premium subscription and a free tier with less storage and a limited feature set. A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online is not required to use Pokémon Home.
Reader's Guide
Pokémon Home is primarily aimed toward Pokémon Sword and Shield, allowing Pokémon to be transferred between them and the service at will. Pokémon contained in Pokémon Bank can be transferred to Home, but this is a one-way transfer and cannot be transferred back to the aforementioned titles. The same applies to Pokémon transferred from the Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! titles, except this one-way transfer system only applies after transferring a Pokémon into Pokémon Home, then into Pokémon Sword and Shield. On November 11, 2020, Niantic released an update for Pokémon Go that allows the unidirectional transfer of Pokémon to Pokémon Home. The service replaced Pokémon Bank as the primary cloud storage for Pokémon, though Bank remained available until its service end was announced for February 25, 2027.
Did You Know?
- Pokémon Home was announced in June 2019 as a replacement for Pokémon Bank.
- It was released for Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android in February 2020.
- A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online is not required to use Pokémon Home.
- On November 11, 2020, Niantic released an update for Pokémon Go that allows unidirectional transfer of Pokémon to Pokémon Home.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pokémon Home?
Pokémon Home is a cloud-based storage and transfer service built by The Pokémon Company that lets players keep their Pokémon in a shared online box and move them between compatible titles. It launched in February 2020 as the direct successor to the 3DS-era Pokémon Bank.
What platforms is Pokémon Home available on?
The service runs on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, making it the first Pokémon storage tool to span both home and mobile devices at the same time.
Is Pokémon Home free to use?
A basic free tier exists with limited box slots and fewer features, but the full experience—including extra storage, transfer packs, and broader game compatibility—requires a paid premium subscription.
What did Pokémon Home replace?
It took over from Pokémon Bank, the 3DS-era cloud service, and was officially announced in June 2019 as the next-generation replacement before its February 2020 release.
Why is Pokémon Home important to the broader Pokémon ecosystem?
It serves as the central hub linking mainline games, spin-offs, and mobile titles into one shared storage system, so players no longer need separate transfer methods for every new release.
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