Learn how to duplicate items with our step-by-step guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) on the Nintendo Switch. Read on for more information about the glitch with our guide below!
List of Contents
Users have been sharing duplication glitches for 1x1 and 2x1 items, but recently, Youtube user Do Whatever Games shared a video on how to duplicate almost any item, including rare materials such as Gold Nuggets and Large Star Fragments, and even up to valuable items, such as works of art and Nook Miles Tickets, using the game's mail system.
Basically, any item that can be attached to a letter can be duplicated.
Take note that this is a glitch not intended by the developers and may be taken out in future updates.
| Steps | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Have 3 player accounts on your island. Create 2 more profiles if you don't have them. |
| 2 | If you have moveable mailboxes, place them near Resident Services. |
| 3 | Have Player 1 send the mail to Player 2 with the items to be duplicated attached. We reccomend sending only 3 to 5 items at a time. |
| 4 | Start Party Play by calling Player 2, and swap leaders. |
| 5 | Have Player 2 enter and exit a building for the mail to load in. |
| 6 | Swap leaders with Player 1 and end co-op session. |
| 7 | Restart Party Play by calling Player 2 and swap leaders. |
| 8 | Have Player 2 open the letters and grab the presents. Do not open the presents and drop the items on the ground yet. |
| 9 | Swap leaders with Player 1, and press the - button to pick residents again. |
| 10 | Select Player 3, and end the session when possible. |
| 11 | Repeat steps 7 to 10, the mail should be unopened and you can get the attached presents every time. |
If you're playing by yourself, create two more Switch profiles and add them to your island.
This is not required, but we recommend having moveable mailboxes so you can place them near Resident Services.
The reason for this is that every time you start co-op mode (Party Play), you will always be taken to the Plaza. This way, you can access the mailbox faster and not risk having the game save at crucial times.
Use Player 1 to send letters with the items to be duplicated attached to Player 2. We recommend sending only 2-5 items at a time, to be able to do the glitch successfully.
Now, start co-op mode (Party Play) by selecting to call a resident on your NookPhone, and select Player 2.
You will be redirected to the Plaza to configure the controllers. After that, shake Player 1's controller to swap leaders and press A on Player 2's controller to confirm.
You can fast-forward 1 day after sending the mail to have it delivered. Alternatively, you can use Player 2 to enter or exit any building, so that the mail loads into their inbox.
Shake Player 3's controller to swap leaders with Player 1. Using Player 1's character, press the - button to end the session.
Restart co-op mode by calling Player 2 again, and make them the leader. Now, this is where the race against the autosave time starts.
Run to your mailbox to open the letters and get the presents. This is why we recommend moving the mailbox near Resident Services, so you can access it right away.
Do not open the presents and drop the items on the ground yet. You can do this later on when your inventory is full.
If the game saves after opening the letters, the glitch will not work and you have to restart the whole process. The game saves at the start of the session, and then every 3 minutes. You can set up a timer on your phone if it helps you track the time.
Once putting all the presents in your pockets, swap leaders with Player 1 again. Player 1 will press the - button and select Pick residents again among the options.
This time, call Player 3. After doing the controller configuration, there is no need to swap leaders.
Press the - button and choose to end the session.
Repeat steps 7 to 10, starting from calling Player 2, getting the presents, and ending the co-op session with Player 3.
The mail should be unopened and you can get the attached presents every time. If not, then you might have done something wrong, and you need to restart the whole process.
Make sure that the game saves before opening the mailbox. If the game saves after, the glitch will not work.
You can duplicate any item you want including expensive clothing and furniture, but we recommend duplicating items and materials that are difficult to get.
| Reccomended Items to Duplicate |
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You cannot do this glitch on items that cannot be attached to letters. These include:
| Items that Cannot be Attached to Letters |
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The game auto-saves every 3 minutes. The game will also save when using features such as sending mail and starting Party Play.
Usually, letters are sent the next day, but you can force mail to be delivered by fast-forwarding one day.
Alternatively, while using the player's profile, you can enter a building to refresh the mailbox so any sent mail will load in.
As long as you have an extra controller like a JoyCon or a Switch Pro Controller, you can do this glitch. The Switch Lite's built-in controllers do not work.
If not, then there is no other way to do this as of now, as you need another controller to be able to play co-op (Party Play).
Just separate the two JoyCons in your Switch so that you have 2 controllers.
Currently, you cannot do this with only one player. You need 2 extra players on the island to recreate this glitch as it uses the mail system and Party Play.
You can delete the other players on your island by starting the game using their profile, and pressing the - button to go to the game settings. From there, you can delete that the player from the island.
As of May 21, 2020, a new update is available to download via the Internet, which fixes all the glitches found in the V 1.2.0 update of the game.
How to Update and Update Patch Notes
“Fixed a serious bug affecting game balance.”
Source: Nintendo's Patch Notes re: V1.1.1 Update
Players who did the duplication glitches were not punished for abusing it. All the items and Bells gotten through this glitch remained in their inventories. However, some have noted that they have lost items along the way while recreating this glitch. Only do this at your own risk!
List of New Features
List of New Horizons DLC
April Ver 1.2 Update
July Ver 1.3 Update
August Ver 1.4 Update
September Ver 1.5 Update
November Ver 1.6 Update
January Ver 1.7 Update
February Ver 1.8.0 Update
1st Anniversary Event
March Ver 1.9.0 Update
April Ver 1.10.0 Update
April Ver 1.11.0 Update
ACNH Direct and November Update
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
November Ver 2.0.1 Update
November Ver 2.0.2 Update
November Version 2.0.3 Update
December Ver 2.0.4 Update
Sanrio amiibo Pack
Build-A-Bear Collection
How to Use the Island Tour Creator
Original Soundtrack and Sheet Music
UNIQLO Collection
PUMA x ACNH Collab
Maintenance | Fix Errors
How to Update and Update Patch Notes
How to Climb the 4th Cliff Level
How to Plant Trees on Clifftop Edges
1x1 Item Duplication Glitch
2x1 Item Duplication Glitch
Mailbox Item Duplication Glitch 
How to Plant Trees on Paths
How to Swim in Rivers | How to Sit in Pools
How to Center Items on Tables Outside
Animal Crossing Direct
Is there a Demo?
Pre-order Bonuses
Giveaways
How to Pre-load
The first paragraph explains how this was patched so...why do an article for something that doesn't work?