How to Fix Stuck Joy-Cons on the Nintendo Switch

There four core parts to the Nintendo Switch experience and two of them are the unorthodox Joy-Con controllers. The Joy-Cons contain a lot of what makes the Nintendo Switch unique. It’s the Joy-Cons that attach to the rails on the left and right edge of the console to create its Handheld Mode. It’s the Joy-Cons that have the HD Rumble technology, Amiibo sensor and technology that makes motion gaming possible. To get the most out of them in Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe you’ll need to know how to fix stuck Joy-Cons on your Nintendo Switch.

Every Nintendo Switch comes with a set of Joy-Cons in the box. It’s the Joy-Cons that form the only wireless controller when paired with the Joy-Con Grip and Joy-Con Charging Grip. Stick the wrong Joy-Con into the wrong rail on the system and you’ve got yourself a problem. It’s not exclusive to the system itself either, turning your Joy-Con Strap the wrong way before sliding it on the Joy-Con’s rails can end badly too.

Here is how to fix Stuck Joy-Cons for the Nintendo Switch.

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Here’s how to fix stuck Joy-Cons on your Nintendo Switch

Fixing Stuck Joy-Cons on Nintendo Switch: The Joy-Con Straps

Chances are that you’ll find yourself with stuck Joy-Cons thanks to the Joy-Con Straps the most. This makes sense, Nintendo encourages gamers to use the Joy-Con Straps whenever they are enjoying the motion games that the console has to offer. They’re also helpful for multiplayer games where you’d have to split the Joy-Cons between two people anyway. The Joy-Con Straps add some much-needed tactile feedback to the buttons on the edge of the controllers.

Stuck Joy-Cons are the result of having the Joy-Con Strap turned the wrong way when you slide the Joy-Cons rail inside. This is why you should always be careful when putting them on. Be sure to match the plus sign of the Joy-Con Strap with the plus sign on the Joy-Con Controller. The same goes for the minus strap on the left Joy-Con Controller.

To fix stuck Joy-Cons you’ll need to force them off. Start by making sure that the lock at the bottom of the Joy-Con Strap isn’t activated. Now use your thumbs to force the Joy-Con Strap up along the rail and off your controller. If you somehow managed to get a Joy-Con Strap slipped on to your controller upside down, then you’ll just need to force the Joy-Con Strap up along the rail with all your might.

It’ll feel like you’re about to break the controller, but the Joy-Con Strap should release the controller eventually. This is why it’s really important to make sure that you’re putting the Joy-Con Straps on correctly the first time.

Fixing Stuck Joy-Cons on Nintendo Switch: On the Switch

The Joy-Cons should never get stuck when pairing them with the console itself. It’s difficult to get them slotted on wrong. The + Joy-Con is always on the right and the – Joy-Con is always on the left. The only way to mix these up is by having them face the wrong way.

It can feel like you have stuck Joy-Cons when you’re pairing them with the console, though. That’s because it’s easy to forget about the circular release buttons on the back of each Joy-Con. You need to hold the release button down as you’re removing a Joy-Con from its rail on the Nintendo Switch. Don’t let go of the button until the controller is fully independent of the console.

Fixing Stuck Joy-Cons on Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Grip

The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Grip doesn’t allow you to put the Joy-Cons in the wrong way. There’s so much friction when sliding them in incorrectly that you should instantly notice something has gone wrong.

As for getting them off the Joy-Con Grip when they are turned the correct way, you need only hold down the release buttons on the back of each Joy-Con Controller. The lock should release, then you can start pulling up on that Joy-Con immediately and a free it from the Joy-Con Grip.

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Note that the Joy-Con Charging Grip works the same way as the regular Grip.

Good luck trying to fix stuck Joy-Cons. You shouldn’t be able to find yourself in a situation that keeps you from freeing them. Nintendo has designed them to let you troubleshoot them on your own. If you do end up with Joy-Cons that are permanently stuck, there’s not much that you can really do.

The Nintendo Support site notes that it will fix stuck Joy-Cons. If your Joy-Cons are stuck to the console itself, you’ll need to send your console away. If they are stuck on a Grip, you’ll need to send that Grip away. To get started, call Nintendo support at 1-855-615-722 from 6AM to 7PM PST any day of the week.

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