Animal Crossing
Image: Nintendo Life

Tools are a key part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons – you'll need them to do things like catch bugs, snag fish, chop wood and much more besides. But initially, switching between each tool is a real pain in the backside – you either have to press 'X' every time you want to switch the tool you're using or cycle through them using the left Joy-Con D-Pad (left and right cycles, down puts away).

Thankfully, there is a way of making the whole process easier – but it's not available right away. Once it is, though, you'll find switching between the axe, shovel, vaulting pole, ladder and the rest much faster.

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First, you need to unlock the Nook Mile Redemption program, which you'll gain access to once you've raised 5,000 Nook Miles doing things like catching bugs, planting flowers and the like. When you have 5,000 Nook Miles, speaking to Tom Nook in the Resident Services tent and use the Miles to pay off your initial bill for coming to the island.

Once you've done that, Tom Nook will upgrade your Nook Miles account and you'll be able to access the Nook Mile Redemption program on the Nook Stop terminal in the bottom-right corner of the Resident Services tent. Select the 'Tool Wheel' option (it costs 800 Nook Miles) and bingo – you can now push up on the left Joy-Con's D-pad cluster to bring up a menu which makes toggling between tools even faster than before.

Animal Crossing
Image: Nintendo Life

This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

If it's new content you're looking for help with, we can help you find gyroids, unlock Brewster's café, use the new Pro Camera App for selfies, enact new ordinances, get the beloved Froggy Chair, and even learn How to Cook.

And finally, Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game, and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC, too!