How Does Autosave Work?

Autosave is a feature in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Totk) where the game saves your progress automatically as you play. Read on to find out more about how autosave works.

How to Save

Manually Save from the Menu

To manually save your game, press the + button to open the menu. Navigate through the screen until you reach the gear icon on the far right by pressing R. Once you're there, you will immediately see the button and hit it to save your progress.

Manual saving works instantly as it only takes one frame to save your progress.

Using Autosave

Autosave works only when moving from place to another. So regardless of how long you stay in one place or position, it will not autosave. The only way you can save your progress is to do it manually through the menu screen. You can see this autosave indicator at the bottom left of your screen.

Things to Know When Saving

No Multiple Save Files Allowed

You cannot have multiple save files in Tears of the Kingdom. It only allows one save file for each Nintendo Account you have on your Switch. So if you're planning to start fresh, you either need to use a different profile or delete your existing save file.

Saving Frames Difference

As mentioned above, manual saving takes only one frame to save your progress. Autosave, on the other hand, takes five frames before completing. This gives you a small leeway to decide whether you want the saving to push through.

Autosave will Overwrite Save Files

Autosave will not ask for your permission to save when moving from one place to another. Make sure you manually save and keep this in mind when you want to go back to the last save point you made.

Recommended Save Points

When Finding Powerful Monsters or Bosses

Saving before a big fight is important, especially if you're unsure about your own strength as most monsters can kill you with one hit. This lets you restart the combat and do a little more preparation before trying again.

List of All Bosses and Minibosses

Before Doing Quests that Requires Items

Some quests or side missions will require you to use valuable items like Zonaite. In case you drop these from either cliffs or rivers, you can just reload your save file to spare yourself from the troubles of retrieving them again.
List of All Side Quests

When Jumping-Off Cliffs

Link can sometimes die when jumping off high points such as cliffs. If you are unsure if jumping is allowed on certain points, save before you do so. That way, you can just restart if it does fail.

When Fusing Materials

If you're unsatisfied with how your equipment projects turned out, you can start over by simply reloading your file again.

Fuse Guide

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Related Guides

Tips and Tricks
A Beginner's Guide to Tears of the Kingdom

All Tips and Tricks Guides