• If your device is running Luma 10.2.1, it is 100% safe to update.
• If your device is on an older Luma version, you should update Luma before you update your device to 11.15.0.
• No homebrew titles are known to have been affected by this update. They will work as they did on 11.14.0.
• If your device is currently stock on 11.14.0, you will have to update your 3DS to the latest firmware (11.15.0) in order to install custom firmware. The previous method that used the browser no longer works because Nintendo enforces a browser version check that cannot be bypassed on 11.14.0.

Pre-Installation FAQ

Q: I am on the latest system version. Is my device hackable without any external hardware ?
A: Yes ! The latest firmware ( 11.15.0 ) has a spare method acting for getting CFW named Seedminer .
Q: What devices is this guidebook compatible with ?
A: The instructions are the same for all retail 3DS, 3DS forty, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and New 2DS XL devices. If your system translation string displays as “ 0.0.0-0 ”, then you may have a developer unit .
Q: How hazardous is hacking my console ?
A: Bricks are now effectively impossible unless you are intentionally trying to brick your device.

Q: Can I run amazing home brew and emulators with this ?
A: Yes ! This guide will install a few utilitarian home brew applications, including Universal-Updater, which acts as a home brew app store .
Q: Can I use this to play games from other regions ?
A: Yes ; Luma3DS will mechanically ignore the region check for cartridges and install titles. Some games may need to make use of Luma ’ s venue emulation feature in order to work by rights on out-of-region devices .
Q: Will I lose any features if I install CFW ?
A: No. Devices with custom-made firmware can still use the eShop and run physical cartridges as any other 3DS can .
Q: Can I keep my NNID ?
A: Your NNID ( if you have one ) will not be affected by this steer. Devices with a region of KOR, CHN, or TWN do not have NNID functionality to begin with and are thus unaffected .
Q: Will my 3DS be banned for having CFW ?
A: There was a bachelor of arts in nursing wave in May 2017 that banned CFW users from on-line play ( eShop access, NNIDs, and Nintendo Accounts were unaffected ), apparently at random. A banish wave at such a scale has not been seen since. That being said, we don ’ t know what Nintendo may have in memory in the future. At this time, we don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate think that bans are something that you need to worry about .
Q: Can I do this without a calculator ( e.g. an Android phone ) ?
A: All you need is the ability to put files on a compatible SD card !
Q: What size SD card can I use ?
A: You will need at least 1.5GB of free SD card space to follow this steer in its entirety. While the 3DS is officially compatible with SD cards up to 32GB, larger SD cards can be used if they are manually re-formatted as FAT32. It is not recommended to use SD cards greater than 128GB due to known issues with GBA graphics and custom-made themes .
Q: I heard about this thing I have to pay for ( Gateway, Sky3DS, ntrboot, R4, etc ). Is that something I need ?
A: No. Custom firmware can be installed for free on the latest firmware without any hardware devices. In fact, 3DS-mode flashcarts like Gateway and Sky3DS are not recommended because they are disused and may carry ban or brick risk .
Q: What ’ s the difference between custom firmware and homebrew entree ?
A: Historically, the 3DS used to have userland home brew access through older exploits like ninjhax. The level of organization access granted with userland allowed you to run basic home brew and emulators but did not allow you to ( easily ) modify games or dump cartridges. It was besides a distribute less static, with homebrew much ungraciously crashing and requiring a full boot. Custom firmware grants a far greater charge of system access while besides being more stable than homebrew-only entrypoints.

Post-Installation FAQ

Q: Is it safe to update my 3DS to the latest adaptation with CFW ?
A: If you are using Luma3DS, your custom-made firmware loader ( boot9strap ) will never be removed when performing a system update. There have been updates in the past that have resulted in Luma3DS crashing on bang, so it is a beneficial estimate to wait a couple of hours to ensure that the latest update will not temporarily render the device unserviceable until Luma3DS is updated. System updates can be performed the like way as they are on a store 3DS : through System Settings, Safe Mode, or the update prompt when the update is mechanically downloaded .
Q: How do I upgrade my SD menu ?
A: Copy and paste your SD card contents to a newfangled SD card formatted as FAT32. For 128GB cards, an allotment size of 65536 is recommended. SD cards larger than 128GB are not recommended ascribable to known issues with GBA graphics and custom-made themes .
Q: Can I system transfer with CFW ?
A: Yes, system transfers can be performed through the official System Transfer function to early consoles with CFW ( inconsistencies may occur if the target cabinet is neckcloth ). Tickets for illegitimate titles ( home brew ) will not transfer but can be made to reappear with faketik. Make certain that you do not perform a radio transportation, as this will delete illegitimate titles. CFW will remain on both consoles .
Q: How do I change the system lyric of a japanese 3DS ?
A: The only way to change the system terminology of a japanese 3DS to a lyric other than japanese is to perform a area change. note that this is very likely to break the Nintendo eShop on your device, which means you will be unable to update your games whether they are in-region or out-of-region .
Q: How do I update home brew applications ?
A: It depends on the format of the home brew application. by and large speaking :

• Homebrew in CIA format can be updated by installing the new CIA, which will usually overwrite the old one. If the old CIA is not overwritten, you can delete the old one from Data Management as you would any other 3DS title.
• Homebrew in 3DSX format can be updated by replacing the 3DSX file in /3ds/ with a fresh copy. If the homebrew application includes additional assets, you may need to place that folder somewhere else. Refer to the documentation of the homebrew application.
• For updating Luma3DS, see this page. For updating GodMode9, see this page.

Q: How do I update games from outside of my 3DS area ?
A: You will need to dump the updates from a 3DS that has the updates installed. The Nintendo eShop only contains updates for the console ’ mho region ( a japanese 3DS will only have updates for japanese games ) .
Q: avail ! Something bad happened and now I can not boot…
A: Please look at the troubleshooting scout. Uninstalling CFW when your device is in an unbootable state is not recommended, as it is very likely to lead to a brick .

menuhax / A9LH / Gateway FAQ

Q: I modded my device x years ago. What should I do ?
A: It is recommended that you upgrade your apparatus to a modern, boot9strap-based one. Follow the Checking for CFW steer to see how to upgrade your setup.

Q: My apparatus works for me. Why should I upgrade it ?
A: The huge majority of mod home brew ( such as Checkpoint and BootNTR Selector ) have lone been tested on modern, boot9strap-based setups and may not work entirely ( or at all ) on older setups based on menuhax, A9LH, or Gateway. In summation, depending on your setup, you may be unable to safely update to the latest firmware. Modern, boot9strap-based setups allow for a greater floor of system entree than previous hacks, including the ability to dump your console ’ mho bootrom .
Q: Will I lose anything if I upgrade my apparatus ?
A: Your old frame-up ( including your EmuNAND, if you have one ) can normally be directly migrated to boot9strap with no data loss. If you have data that is peculiarly significant to you, it would be a well idea to make a decode backup of your save data before upgrading your frame-up with a instrument like JKSM .
Q: How do I move saves from an existing Gateway apparatus to a more modern setup ?
A: See this thread .