How to ‘Time Travel’ in Animal Crossing: A Complete Guide

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has enchanted millions of players worldwide with its charming world, adorable villagers, and relaxing gameplay. But one feature that sparks a lot of curiosity—and controversy—is time travel. If you’ve ever wondered how players jump forward or backward in time within their island paradise, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about time traveling in Animal Crossing, including how to do it, its benefits, and its consequences.

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What is Time Travel in Animal Crossing?

In Animal Crossing, time travel is the unofficial practice of changing your Nintendo Switch’s system clock to alter the in-game date and time. Unlike typical gameplay where time flows naturally—mirroring real-world time—time travelers fast-forward or rewind the clock to speed up progress, revisit past events, or unlock seasonal content.

While the game doesn’t officially support this feature, the community widely uses it to control pacing, skip waiting times for construction or crop growth, and participate in time-sensitive events. This feature offers convenience and flexibility but comes with trade-offs that can impact your island’s ecosystem and gameplay experience.

Why Do Players Time Travel?

The natural pace of Animal Crossing is intentionally slow and deliberate, designed to simulate life passing day-by-day. However, some players want to accelerate progress or experience certain events without waiting days or weeks. Here are some common reasons why players use time travel:

Speed up construction projects like new buildings or island infrastructure.
Advance turnip prices to maximize profits in the Stalk Market.
Access seasonal events or holidays early or retroactively.

Grow fruit trees, flowers, and crops instantly without waiting.
Revisit past events or reset daily activities like fishing tournaments.
Complete time-gated quests quickly.

Collect limited-time DIY recipes or items.

How to Time Travel in Animal Crossing: Step-by-Step

If you’re ready to explore time traveling on your island, here’s a clear, step-by-step guide to get you started safely and effectively:

Step 1: Close Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Make sure your game is fully closed and not running in the background. This prevents any conflicts with the system clock change.

Step 2: Open Nintendo Switch System Settings

From the Home screen, select the gear-shaped System Settings icon.

Step 3: Navigate to Date and Time Settings

Scroll down to the System tab and select Date and Time.

Step 4: Disable Internet Time Synchronization

By default, the Switch automatically syncs with internet time. Disable the Synchronize Clock via Internet option to allow manual changes.

Step 5: Manually Adjust Date and Time

Set the date and time to your desired point—whether you want to jump ahead days, weeks, or even months, or rewind to revisit past moments.

Step 6: Relaunch Animal Crossing

Return to the Home menu and open Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game will now follow the new system date and time you’ve set.

What Happens When You Time Travel?

Once you restart the game with your adjusted clock, you’ll notice immediate changes and benefits depending on how far you traveled through time:

Buildings and constructions may be completed instantly.
Crops and trees might mature fully.
New daily events or visitors may appear.

Turnip prices will update to reflect the new day.
Certain villagers may have new dialogues or quests available.

Benefits of Time Traveling in Animal Crossing

Time traveling can make your gameplay more dynamic and efficient, especially if you’re limited on time or want to experience every aspect of the game quickly. Here’s what time traveling can unlock:

1. Instant Progression

Want your new home upgrade done immediately? Time travel allows you to skip the real-world wait time. Build bridges, shops, and homes without the tedious delays.

2. Turnip Market Advantage

Time traveling is often used to maximize profits in the Stalk Market. Jumping ahead lets you check turnip prices multiple times a day or avoid waiting for the best selling day.

3. Access Seasonal Content Anytime

Events like Halloween, Christmas, or cherry blossom season usually happen on specific dates. With time travel, you can visit these events whenever you want, not just during the calendar period.

4. Collect Rare Items and DIY Recipes Faster

Many recipes and items are tied to events or daily timers. By manipulating time, you can gather these resources without missing out.

5. Speed Up Farming and Gardening

No more waiting days for trees to bear fruit or flowers to bloom. Time travel accelerates growth cycles, so you can maintain a lush, vibrant island all year round.

Drawbacks and Risks of Time Traveling

While time travel has undeniable perks, it’s important to understand the potential negative consequences that can affect your island’s health and your gameplay experience.

1. Turnips Rot After Sunday

If you jump past Sunday, your turnips will rot and become worthless. This is a significant downside for players trying to profit from the Stalk Market.

2. Weed Overgrowth

Skipping days forward results in rapid weed growth all over your island. Weeds can make your island look untidy and reduce your island rating.

3. Mail Pileup

Every day you skip, your mailbox fills with letters. While it might be fun to receive gifts, it can become overwhelming to manage.

4. Cockroach Infestation

If you leap far ahead in time, your house may become infested with cockroaches. You’ll need to clean these up manually by smashing them.

5. Villager Relationship Changes

Although villagers typically don’t move out just because you time travel, being gone for extended periods can slightly alter your relationship. Some villagers may comment on your absence.

6. Disrupted Island Rating

The rapid changes and weed growth caused by time traveling might negatively impact your island’s star rating. You might have to spend extra time restoring your island’s beauty.

Tips for Safe and Effective Time Traveling

If you decide to time travel, here are some tips to minimize downsides and make the most of your journey through time:

Save Your Game Before You Start

Always save your game before adjusting the clock to avoid potential data corruption or unintended consequences.

Time Travel in Small Increments

Avoid jumping huge amounts of time in one go. Instead, move forward or backward in smaller increments to better manage weeds, mail, and other side effects.

Plan Ahead for Turnips

Only time travel past Sunday if you’re okay with your turnips rotting. Otherwise, check prices and plan your market days accordingly.

Keep Track of Your Villagers

Spend some time interacting with your villagers after time traveling to maintain positive relationships.

Clean Up Weeds and Cockroaches Promptly

After time traveling, spend some time maintaining your island by removing weeds and pest infestations to keep your rating high.

Alternatives to Time Traveling

If you want to enjoy Animal Crossing without the downsides of time travel, here are alternatives:

Patience and Real-Time Play: Embrace the slow, relaxing pace designed by the developers.
Use In-Game Events: Participate in scheduled events to earn exclusive rewards naturally.

Daily Tasks: Focus on daily quests, fishing, bug catching, and island decoration to progress steadily.
Multiplayer Interaction: Visit friends’ islands to experience different events and trades.

Common Myths About Time Traveling in Animal Crossing

There are a few misconceptions about time traveling. Let’s clear those up:

Myth: Villagers Will Always Move Out If You Time Travel
Villagers may comment on your absence, but they won’t randomly move out just because you’ve time traveled.
Myth: You Can Only Time Travel Forward
You can set the clock backward or forward—both ways are possible but have different effects.
Myth: Time Traveling Will Permanently Ruin Your Island
While it can cause weeds and pests, these are manageable and don’t permanently harm your island.

Final Thoughts: Is Time Traveling Worth It?

Time traveling in Animal Crossing is a powerful tool for players who want to tailor their gameplay experience or skip waiting periods. It offers exciting advantages, like faster building, seasonal event access, and better turnip trading. However, it also comes with some notable drawbacks such as weed growth, rotten turnips, and pest infestations.

If you choose to time travel, it’s crucial to understand and manage these consequences to maintain your island’s beauty and your enjoyment of the game. For many, it adds a fun, experimental twist to Animal Crossing’s laid-back world.

Ultimately, whether or not to time travel depends on your play style—casual real-time players may prefer the game’s original pacing, while completionists and busy players often find time travel an invaluable option.

Summary

Time travel is manually adjusting your Nintendo Switch’s clock to change the in-game date/time.
It speeds up progress but can cause weeds, cockroaches, and rotten turnips.
To time travel: close the game → disable internet time sync → adjust date/time → restart Animal Crossing.

Use time travel wisely to avoid negative side effects.
Clean up your island after time travel to keep your rating high.
It’s a popular method but not an official game mechanic.

If you’re ready to experiment with time travel, follow the steps carefully and enjoy a more flexible Animal Crossing adventure. Just remember: with great power comes great responsibility—so keep your island clean and your villagers happy!