Backing up a single game save is the core job JKSV was built for. This guide walks through your first backup from start to finish, explains the difference between folder and ZIP exports, and shows you how to confirm the backup is complete before you change anything on your console.
Before you back up
Launch JKSV using Title Override by holding R while starting a game, then opening JKSV from the Homebrew Menu. Title Override gives JKSV full memory access. Applet mode can work, but the developer warns it may behave abnormally, so Title Override is the safer default for backups and restores.
Decide which user and which game you want to back up. JKSV organises saves by user and by title, and it supports several save types including Account, System, BCAT, Device-Shared, Temporary, Cache, and System BCAT. Most normal game progress is stored as an Account save under your user profile.
Select the user and title
On the main screen, choose the user profile that owns the save. Then browse or search the title list and select the game. JKSV can display titles you own even before you consider advanced features, and its title cache invalidates automatically, so the list should stay current without manual refreshing in most cases.
Take a moment to confirm you selected the correct user. On consoles shared by family members, picking the wrong user is an easy mistake, and the backup will faithfully copy the wrong profile’s progress. The game name and user name are both shown before you confirm, so check them every time.
Create the backup
Choose the option to create a new backup and give it a clear name if JKSV prompts you. A name that includes the date and a short note, such as where you are in the game, makes later restores much easier to choose between. Avoid vague names when you keep several backups of the same title.
- Select the title and confirm the backup action.
- Wait for JKSV to finish copying — do not put the console to sleep or remove the SD card mid-backup.
- Note the backup name and date shown on screen once it completes.
JKSV writes backups to the /JKSV/ folder at the root of your SD card, with a subfolder per game. Configuration is kept separately in sd:/config/JKSV/. You do not need to create these folders yourself; JKSV creates them as needed.
Folder export vs ZIP export
JKSV can export as an unpacked folder or as a ZIP file. An unpacked folder is convenient if you plan to inspect or edit individual files with an external tool. A ZIP is more compact, travels better when you copy it to a PC, and is required for cloud backups. For a first backup that you simply want to keep safe, either format works, but ZIP is the better choice if you will upload it.
Whichever format you choose, copy the finished backup to a second location as soon as you can. A backup that only exists on the same microSD card as the original save does not protect you against card failure. Copying to a PC folder or to cloud storage takes a minute and is the whole point of backing up.
Verify your backup
After the backup finishes, browse back into the title in JKSV and confirm the new backup is listed with the expected name and timestamp. If you exported a folder, you can also check on a PC that the /JKSV/ subfolder for the game contains files and is not empty or truncated. An empty folder usually means the backup was interrupted.
For extra confidence, advanced users sometimes test a restore on a less important save first. You do not need to do that for every backup, but it is a good habit before you rely on JKSV ahead of a risky operation such as a system transfer or a save edit.
Next steps and related guides
This guide is part of our hub collection. Before you start, get the current build from the download page. You may also find these guides useful: how to restore saves with JKSV and where JKSV saves files.
JKSV is JK’s Save Manager by developer J-D-K, released under GPL-3.0 for Nintendo Switch 1 with Atmosphère. The current release is the date-based tag 12/02/2025. Always keep a second copy of important backups on your PC or in cloud storage, and test a restore on a non-critical save before you rely on a backup for a game you care about.