Help! I Forgot My Nintendo Network ID or Password

By
Nadia Oxford
Nadia Oxford
Writer
  • William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute
Nadia Oxford is a former Lifewire writer with 10+ years' experience. Her articles have appeared in Pocket Games Magazine, Play Magazine, Game Pro, IGN and others.
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Updated on July 26, 2021
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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Forgetting your Nintendo Network ID username or password won't shut you out for good. Nintendo understands that you're required to remember dozens of logins and passwords, and the company offers a recovery tool to retrieve your forgotten ID and reset your password.

How to Retrieve Your Nintendo Network ID

Nintendo Network Logo
Nintendo, inc. 

If you're already signed in to the Nintendo Network and you just need a refresher on your ID or name, open your Wii U's user selection menu. Your ID is displayed in orange below your nickname. On the Nintendo 3DS, open the Systems Settings menu and tap on Nintendo Network ID Settings. Your ID is displayed on the sign-on screen, below your nickname.

Visit the Nintendo Network ID Retrieval page and follow the directions there if you've been locked out of your account because you can't remember your Nintendo Network ID.

How to Reset Your Nintendo Network Password

If you're having trouble remembering the password you initially used to secure your account, visit the Nintendo Network Temporary Password page. Enter the email you linked to your ID, and Nintendo will send a temporary password.

After you sign in using the temporary password, change your password to something more permanent.

Check the Remember Me option when you sign into the Nintendo Network, and you'll be signed in automatically for a month. Do not use this option if several people share your device or if you're playing on a device that doesn't belong to you or is in a public space. 

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