Nintendo dropped the 3.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons with tons of new fun—but they didn’t patch all our favorite glitches. These working ACNH glitches will add creativity, convenience, and unique interactions to your gameplay. 

ACNH 3.0 Glitches - Animal Crossing Glitches That Still Work in 2026

These fun glitches are harmless—they won’t get you banned or ruin your island. You can try some of them to change your island. 

1. Fourth Level Building Glitch

Nintendo says you can only build 3 levels on your island. But this glitch lets you climb to a secret 4th level—perfect for unique photo ops or tricky obstacle courses. It works on both your main island and slumber islands (though main islands are easier).

What You’ll Need: A shovel, a picked flower (not a potted one or full bloom), and the terraforming tool (cliff construction permit).

Steps:

• First, build a 3-level cliff. If you’re using a slumber island, pick one with pre-existing 3 levels to save time.

• Go to the edge of the 3rd level. Dig a curved pattern near the edge—think of it like a small "notch" in the cliff. Don’t worry if you mess up; just fill the holes and try again.

• Place your picked flower right next to the curved notch. Make sure it’s a flower you’ve plucked (hold it in your hand first!)—normal planted flowers won’t work.

• Pull out your terraforming tool. Stand facing the flower, and line up the small dot on top of your hard hat with the flower.

• Quickly flick your joystick to the bottom-right corner and press the dig button at the same time. This takes practice—you might miss a few times!

• If done right, your character will glitch onto the 4th level. Celebrate—you just beat Nintendo’s rules!

Important Notes: Once on the 4th level, you can’t open your inventory, use tools (except switching them), place Animal Crossing 3.0 items, or access your phone. To get down, just use a ladder. On slumber islands, the glitch takes longer, but it still works—keep trying!

2. Floating Trees Glitch

Want to make your island stand out? This glitch lets you grow trees that float on cliffs—no messy terraforming needed. It’s 100% working in 3.0 and looks awesome in garden or zen-themed areas.

What You’ll Need: A waterscaping permit (terraforming tool), a tree sapling (any type works), and a slumber island (easier to test here without ruining your main island).

Steps:

• Head to a slumber island and find (or build) a right-angle cliff (not a curved one—straight corners are key).

• Use your waterscaping tool to make a small "bracket" shape at the right angle. Imagine drawing a tiny "U" that hugs the corner of the cliff.

• Climb up to the top of the cliff. Place your tree sapling as close to the edge of the cliff as possible—right above the bracket shape you made.

• Go back down to the lower level. Use your terraforming tool to curve the corner of the cliff (where the tree is above).

• Next, break the terrain behind the curved corner. Both the curve and the terrain behind will break—leaving your tree floating in mid-air!

Pro Tip: Pair floating trees with glowing flowers or lanterns for a fairy-tale look. They’re safe—rain, wind, and villagers won’t knock them over!

3. Puzzle Glitch

This was once the Swiss Army knife of ACNH glitches, letting you sit inside items, center decor on tables, and glitch into water. While some players report Nintendo fixed it, many have found it still works—you just need to tweak your approach.

What You’ll Need: An unfinished puzzle (any type), the item you want to glitch into (pool, bathtub, table), and a ladder (for table/river glitches).

Use 1: Glitch Into Items (Pools, Bathtubs, Etc.)

• Find a small, confined area (like a corner of your island) with a rounded edge. This helps trap the puzzle in place.

• Place your unfinished puzzle into the rounded corner. Push it as far into the corner as possible—you want it snug.

• Put the item you want to glitch into (e.g., a plastic pool) half a square away from the puzzle. Don’t let it touch the puzzle—too close and it won’t work.

• Stand next to the puzzle and climb onto it (use your ladder if needed). Your character will start to glitch—this is normal!

• Slowly walk toward the item. If it doesn’t work, try a different item (some players had luck with smaller decor after the partial fix).

Use 2: Center Items on Tables (No More Lopsided Decor!)

• Repeat steps 1-2 from above: trap the puzzle in a rounded corner.

• Place your table half a square away from the puzzle.

• Climb onto the puzzle with your ladder. Glitch your character toward the table—you’ll end up standing in the middle of it (invisible to the eye!).

• Pull out the item you want to center (e.g., a plasma ball, teacup, or candle). Place it—now it’s perfectly in the middle of the table. Done!

Use 3: Glitch Into Lakes/Rivers

• Set up the puzzle in a rounded corner near a lake or river (half a square away from the water’s edge).

• Climb onto the puzzle and glitch toward the water.

• Once you’re at the water’s edge, open your in-game phone. Your character will drop into the water—you’re now swimming in places you shouldn’t be!

Some players say the glitch fails with certain items post-fix, but YouTube tests confirm it still works for most uses. If it doesn’t click, try a new puzzle or reposition the item—patience is key! When in the water, you can’t terraform or plant trees, but you can fill small holes. To get out, either reload your game or glitch back onto the shore (takes a little wiggling).

4. Unlimited Free Captain Island Rides

Captain islands cost 1,000 Nook Miles each—and sometimes they’re total duds (who needs another regular island?). This glitch lets you reroll for the perfect island without wasting a single mile. It’s a lifesaver for collecting rare materials or flowers in 2026.

What You’ll Need: 1,000 Nook Miles (for the initial trip) and the willingness to close your game quickly.

Steps:

• Go to your island’s airport and talk to Orville. Choose to travel to a Captain Island (spend 1,000 Nook Miles).

• Land on the island. If it’s not what you want (e.g., no rare flowers, no bamboo, or just boring), instantly close the game. Don’t walk around, don’t talk to anyone—just quit immediately.

• Reload your game. Check your Nook Miles—they’re all back! You didn’t waste a penny.

• Repeat steps 1-3 until you get the perfect Captain Island. Collect all the rare stuff you want—no more wasted miles!

Rerolled islands aren’t the same! Each time you reload, you’ll get a new random island. This works even after the 3.0 update (Nintendo didn’t touch Captain Island saving mechanics).

Common ACNH Glitch Updates in 2026

• Infinite Bells Glitch: No working infinite bells glitch has been confirmed in 2026. The closest workaround is setting Pile of Cash as your Nook’s Cranny item of the day for steady earnings.

• Harv’s Island/Redd Glitch: Some players can’t access Harv’s Island or get Redd to spawn after a co-op character deletes their save. Nintendo support hasn’t fixed this, so restarting (as a last resort) or waiting for a future patch is the only fix.

• Resident Services Tent Glitch: New players may get stuck unable to enter Tom Nook’s tent on day 2. Fix: Restart the game, follow all in-game requests (collect exact materials, talk to every character), and Tom Nook will spawn outside your tent as intended.

• Texture/Fable Glitches: Fence texture copying or Fable repeatedly giving the same outfit (e.g., 15 vampire costumes) are minor visual/AI glitches. Customizing the fence or restarting your island often resolves them.