For years, plenty of families set up a Nintendo Account with one tap of a Google or Apple button and never thought about a password again. That shortcut now has an end date. Nintendo says that as of January 26, 2027, a Google or Apple account can no longer be used to log in to a Nintendo Account, and these Nintendo Account sign in changes leave anyone who relied on that button needing another way in.
The fix takes a few minutes: give the account a working password, or register a passkey, before late January. Doing it while the old button still works beats doing it from a locked-out console.
What the Nintendo Account sign in changes take away
Nintendo spelled out the details on its support notice about ending Google and Apple account linking. Three things stop on that date:
- Using Google or Apple to log in to a Nintendo Account you already have.
- Opening a brand-new Nintendo Account through Google or Apple.
- The My Nintendo Platinum Points mission that paid out for linking a Google account.
A footnote warns the cutoff could move depending on Nintendo’s system work, so treat January 26 as a target, not a promise. Nintendo has not given a reason for the change.
Which Switch families need to act before January 26, 2027
The Nintendo Account sign in changes only matter if the account behind your Switch or the Nintendo Switch app logs in with a Google or Apple button. If you always type an email or Sign-In ID and a password, you have nothing to do.
Parents managing several accounts should check each one, since a child’s account may have been made differently from yours. Nintendo notes that a device already logged in may not ask again, but that buys time, not safety. The login screen returns the next time someone signs out or picks up a new phone.
How to switch to a password or passkey now
Nintendo offers two replacements: a password or a passkey. The simplest response to the Nintendo Account sign in changes is password first, passkey second.
Step one: confirm you have a working password
- Open accounts.nintendo.com in a browser.
- On the login page, choose “Forgot your password?” if you never created one or cannot remember it.
- Follow the prompts to receive a reset email, then pick a new password.
No reset email? Nintendo suggests adding no-reply@accounts.nintendo.com to your contacts and safe-sender list, waiting a while, then contacting Nintendo, which can also update the address if you lost that inbox.
Step two: add a passkey for quicker logins
A passkey lets your phone or computer vouch for you with its own unlock method, and Nintendo says no fingerprint or face data reaches your account. Following Nintendo’s passkey instructions:
- On the phone or computer you plan to use, sign in at accounts.nintendo.com.
- Go to Sign-in and security settings, open Passkeys and tap Edit.
- Enter the verification code Nintendo emails you, or texts you if a phone number is on file.
- Pick Register a new passkey, type your account password and press OK.
- Press Register and finish the prompts your device shows.
A message reading “The passkey below has been registered.” confirms it worked. You need an iPhone or iPad on version 16 or later, a Mac on macOS 13 or later, or Android 9 or later. Each account holds up to 10 passkeys, one per device, and Nintendo advises against a shared family gadget.
Keep the password anyway, because Nintendo uses it to confirm your identity if that phone is lost or replaced. New to passkeys? Our walkthrough on setting up a Google passkey on your phone or computer explains how they work.
What Nintendo has not explained yet
The notice about the Nintendo Account sign in changes does not say outright what happens to an account that never had a password. Pointing those people to the password reset suggests the account itself survives, but Nintendo has not confirmed that, or whether the old link vanishes from your settings.
Until it does, get a password in place well ahead of the Nintendo Account sign in changes. While you are tidying logins, a Google Security Checkup is a smart extra step, since that Google account still guards plenty else.
Nintendo Account login questions
Can I still use Google to sign in to my Nintendo Account?
Yes, until January 26, 2027, when the Nintendo Account sign in changes take effect. After that, Nintendo says Google and Apple accounts can no longer be used to log in to or create a Nintendo Account, though the exact cutoff could shift slightly.
How do I sign in to a Nintendo Account without Google or Apple?
Use the email address or Sign-In ID on the account with its password, or a passkey you have registered. If you never made a password, choose ‘Forgot your password?’ at accounts.nintendo.com to create one.
Should you change your Nintendo login this week?
If your family’s Switch account started with a Google or Apple button, yes: set a password today and add a passkey on your main phone. If you already log in with an email and password, skip this one. The Nintendo Account sign in changes are that rare tech deadline that takes a few minutes to beat and a long support chat to miss.
