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Here’s a Quick Way to Unfreeze a Nintendo Switch

We’ve all been there: We’re playing a great game and the console or device freezes out of nowhere. Unfortunately, technology isn’t perfect and these things happens quite often. The good news is that freezes are often due to minor issues and the chances are that a quick DIY fix will get your Nintendo Switch working again.

Your Nintendo Switch could be freezing due to a software glitch, a dirty game cartridge, a dead battery, or too much storage being in use. To fix it, you can ensure your game cartridge is clean, update the game, make sure the Switch is charged, and reset the console.

Although a freezing Switch is a frustrating issue, chances are it will be fixed in no time. Let’s take a closer look at the possible reasons you might be experiencing a frozen console and what you can do about it. 

Why Is the Nintendo Switch Freezing?

Closeup shot of a switch control

There are a number of reasons your Nintendo Switch (or Switch Lite for that matter) might be freezing. Most of them are fixable software issues, so hopefully you can sort it out in a short time from the comfort of your own home.

Dirty Game Cartridge

One very simple reason your Switch might be freezing is that your physical game cartridge is dirty. This is especially possible with older cartridges that you may not have stored properly. 

A Software Glitch

Whether you’re playing a physical or digital game, a software glitch may be the culprit for the freezing. Look up the developers to see if they’ve mentioned a known issue, as they’ll often announce issues they’re working out on social media.

There’s always a chance it’s a software glitch with the console itself too.

A Dead Battery

If your Switch is frozen on a blank screen, the reason could be that your battery is dead. This could be either due to you not having charged the Switch in a while or a fault with the actual battery itself.

Sometimes we play for longer than we realize and accidentally dismiss the low battery notification, and sometimes it’s a problem with the battery.

Physical Damage

Have you dropped or knocked the Switch recently? There might be some damage to the hardware causing issues with the screen. Try to be careful with your Switch, as the hardware and software are closely linked. 

How Do You Fix a Frozen Nintendo Switch?

Now that you know the potential reasons your Switch is freezing, it’s time to look at solutions. Most of these should only take a few minutes at most.

Clean the Game Cartridge

If you’re playing from a cartridge, remove it from the Switch and gently wipe around it with a dry cotton swab — by no means should you use soap or water under any circumstances! Re-insert the cartridge, and see if that’s done the trick.

Update the Game

Whether playing from a physical or digital game, you should always ensure you have the latest update. Otherwise, any software bugs that happen in the game will stick and you aren’t giving the developers a chance to fix it!

You can hit the minus button on the home screen and then Check for Game Update. Sometimes these updates don’t pop up automatically and you can miss them.

Offload Some Storage

If your Switch is coming close to its storage limit, try offloading some content. You can do this by buying an SD card (on Amazon) and moving some of your save files and game files to it. This will give your Switch some room to breathe!

It also lets you have more games on there without having to re-download them when you want to play, so it’s a win-win — the Switch does have limited storage, after all.

Reset the Console

The catch-all for software issues is to reset the console. Power it off and then hold down the volume buttons as you press the power button again. You’ll now have entered Maintenance Mode.

Choose Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data to keep all of your data but properly reset the console. If it was a software issue, it should now be fixed.

Be sure to note that if you’re updating and or resetting the console, it may take some time. But if it takes a long time you may be stuck in an infinite update loop (see our guide).

How to Prevent the Nintendo Switch From Freezing in the Future

Nintendo Switch video game console developed by NintendoNintendo Switch video game console developed by Nintendo

Now that you’ve fixed the console, it’s time to do some preventative maintenance to ensure it doesn’t happen again:

  • Prevent the storage from getting too full by offloading files you don’t need or storing them externally.
  • Keep games and console software updated — you can turn on Auto-Update in the Settings to help.
  • Store game cartridges in their cases and don’t leave them lying out in the open.
  • Power the Switch off when it’s not in use and close games properly (by hitting the minus button and choosing Close Game).

If you do all of these things, you shouldn’t have to deal with your Switch freezing again. If it continues to happen even after these fixes, it might be time to see a repair professional who can take a closer look at things and get your console back in working order.

And more than anything, just pay attention and stay vigilant. If you Switch starts to run slowly or it crashes every once in awhile, or maybe you spilled a drink on it and caused some water damage. If the power button stops working, or the console stops powering on at all, no matter what we have a guide for you!