How to Know if Your Nintendo Account is Suspended or Banned

Quickly see if your Nintendo online account is temporarily suspended or permanently banned

Co-authored by Naveh Ben Dror and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: July 10, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you want to know if your Nintendo Switch account was banned? If you suspect your account has been hacked or if your Switch has mods or is jailbroken, you may have been banned from using Nintendo services. This means you won't be able to use the online store to make purchases or play online with other players. You can easily check by opening the Nintendo eShop and checking for access. This wikiHow will show you how to check if your Nintendo Switch console or online account has been banned.

Things You Should Know

To check if you're banned, try to open the Nintendo eShop. If you can access it, you're not banned.
You're banned if you see the message: "The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo."
To contact Nintendo, call the Consumer Assistance Hotline at 1-800-255-3700.

Steps

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1
Unlock your Switch. In most cases, you'll need to click any button three times.
- Nintendo will ban your online account and/or console if you breach the user agreements with activities such as fraudulent transactions, jailbreaking your Switch, downloading mods to your Switch, hacking, and more.^{[1]
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- Similar to getting banned on Twitter, Instagram, or Tiktok, the extent of the violation will determine if your account is suspended or permanently banned.
2
Select Nintendo eShop. This looks like a yellow shopping bag icon.
- If you have multiple user accounts on your Switch, select the account you want to check.
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3
Check for access. If you can access the Nintendo eShop, your account is not banned. You'll be able to purchase digital copies of games and play online without any restrictions.
- If you are suspended, you'll see the message: "This account has been suspended due to a violation of the Nintendo Account User Agreement."
- If you are permanently banned, you'll see the error code 2124-4007 or 2124-4508 along with the message: "The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo."
- To appeal against this decision, contact Nintendo's Consumer Assistance Hotline at 1-800-255-3700.
- Factory resetting the Switch won't remove the ban, so you must contact Nintendo or settle on using the Switch offline with physical cartridges.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Are there different levels of shadow banning?

Naveh Ben Dror
Social Media Security Expert
Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.

Naveh Ben Dror

Social Media Security Expert

Expert Answer

A partial shadow ban on a Nintendo account means that certain functionalities or features may be restricted or limited for the user without their explicit notification. This could include reduced visibility of their content, limitations on interacting with other users, or restricted access to certain online features. On the other hand, a full shadow ban on a Nintendo account would involve more severe restrictions, potentially blocking the user from accessing online services altogether or significantly limiting their ability to interact with other users on the platform.

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Question

Why am I shadowbanned?

Naveh Ben Dror
Social Media Security Expert
Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.

Naveh Ben Dror

Social Media Security Expert

Expert Answer

What triggers a shadow ban is a violation of community guidelines. So, actions through your online behavior that violate these guidelines—such as repetitive use of the social platform that can lead to inhuman behavior, like commenting or chatting the same word a hundred times and abusing the voice chat—can result in a shadow ban. Similarly, violating community guidelines through a piece of content, such as uploading a photo containing nudity, drugs, or suggestive violence, can also lead to punitive actions like content takedowns and potentially a shadow ban.

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Question

What could I get suspended for?

Todd

Community Answer

Hacking, modding, or jailbreaking a Switch are among the most common reasons for Nintendo banning a console. Nintendo does not tolerate toying with their consoles.

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