Save Editor Guide

Tomodachi Life Save Editor — Full Guide

Everything about the Tomodachi Life save editor — what you can edit, the best tools for 3DS and Living the Dream, and step-by-step instructions for safe save file editing.

What Can You Edit in a Tomodachi Life Save File?

A Tomodachi Life save editor lets you directly modify your island's saved game data. You can change Mii appearances, swap personality types, adjust relationship values, and add items to your inventory — all without playing through the game normally. Here's a full breakdown of what's editable.

Mii Appearance

Hair color and style
Face shape and features
Skin tone
Eye color and shape
Height and weight sliders

Mii Personality

All 16 personality types
Personality sub-traits
Voice pitch and tone
Catchphrase text
Compatibility scores

Relationship Data

Friendship levels
Relationship status
Compatibility ratings
Rival assignments
Family tree connections

Island & Items

Item inventory
Island currency (Tomodollars)
Apartment layouts
Hat and clothing ownership
Food and treasure items

Note: Not all fields are supported by every Tomodachi Life save editor tool. Complex data like relationship history events may require hex editing. Always back up your save before making any changes.

Best Tomodachi Life Save Editor Tools

Editing a Tomodachi Life save file requires different tools depending on whether you're playing on real 3DS hardware or via emulator. Here are the recommended tools for each setup.

JKSM (JK's Save Manager)3DSRecommended

The most reliable save manager for 3DS and 2DS. Exports Tomodachi Life save data to your SD card for editing on PC. Required first step for 3DS save editing.

Checkpoint3DSAlternative

Alternative 3DS save manager with a clean UI. Works with Tomodachi Life and has good compatibility with homebrew-enabled consoles.

Tomodachi Life Save Editor (TLSE)PCPrimary Editor

Community-built hex editor UI specifically designed for Tomodachi Life save files. Provides readable fields for Mii data, personality, relationships, and items.

HxD Hex EditorPCAdvanced

General-purpose hex editor for advanced save editing. Requires knowledge of Tomodachi Life save file structure. Better for precise edits not supported by TLSE.

Ryujinx Save Export (LtD)Switch/PCLtD Only

For Living the Dream on Ryujinx, saves are stored in the emulator's NAND directory. Access via File → Open Ryujinx Folder → bis/user/save for direct editing.

How to Edit Your Tomodachi Life Save File (3DS)

Follow these steps to safely export, edit, and re-import your Tomodachi Life save file on real 3DS hardware with homebrew enabled.

Prerequisites

Your 3DS must have Luma3DS CFW and homebrew installed. This is required to access save files. Without CFW, save editing is not possible on real hardware.

Install JKSM

Download JKSM (JK's Save Manager) from GitHub and place it in your 3DS's /3ds/ folder. Launch it from the Homebrew Launcher.

Export Save

In JKSM, navigate to Tomodachi Life in the game list. Select "Backup Save" to export the save data to /JKSM/Saves/ on your SD card.

Transfer to PC

Remove your SD card and transfer the exported save folder to your PC. Create a backup copy before editing — you can always restore if something goes wrong.

Edit the Save

Open the save file with Tomodachi Life Save Editor (TLSE) or HxD. Make your desired changes to Mii data, personalities, or items. Save the modified file.

Reimport Save

Copy the modified save back to your SD card in the original JKSM export location. In JKSM, select "Restore Save" to import the edited data back to the game.

Verify Changes

Launch Tomodachi Life and check that your edits applied correctly. If anything looks wrong, restore your backup and try again with smaller changes.

Tomodachi Life Save Editor for Living the Dream (Switch/Ryujinx)

Editing saves for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is different depending on whether you're on real Switch hardware or Ryujinx emulator. On Ryujinx, saves are stored locally in a standard folder structure and can be edited directly. On real Switch with Atmosphere, use JKSM or Checkpoint just like the 3DS process above — the same save editing tools apply after export.

1Open Ryujinx and right-click Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream in your game library

2Select "Open User Save Directory" — this opens the save folder in your file explorer

3Copy the save folder to a backup location before making any changes

4Edit the save file with HxD or a compatible LtD save editor

5Replace the original save file with your edited version in the same directory

6Launch the game in Ryujinx — your changes will be loaded automatically

Risks and Warnings

Save Corruption

Incorrect edits can corrupt your save file. Always keep multiple backups before editing.

Online Bans (LtD)

On real Switch hardware, edited saves could trigger Nintendo's ban detection if used online.

Invalid Values

Setting stats above maximum values can cause crashes. Use known valid ranges from community wikis.

Version Mismatch

Save files from one region may not work correctly after editing if values are region-specific.

3DS CFW Guide →ROM Guide →