3DS:Custom badges - Hacks Guide Wiki (2024)

This article only details how to install custom badges with Anemone3DS. For installation instructions using GTYB, see this page instead.

Custom badges are PNG images that can be attached to folders or placed on the HOME Menu grid, to give it a bit more personality. Badges may also be made into shortcuts for system applications, some of which don't normally have a home icon such as Nintendo Network ID Settings. Custom badges are built on the same framework as the official badges that could be earned through Nintendo Badge Arcade.

Badge requirements

Badges

• Custom badges must be .png(s) whose dimensions are divisible by 64 pixels
• Theme Plaza has a large collection of such badge images
• The custom badge's name is set to whatever the filename of the badge is
• Images larger than 64x64 will be split into separate badges (eg. 128x128 will be split into four badges)
  • Badges split in this way will share the same name or app shortcut
  • The largest a single image can be is 384 x 768 pixels (6 x 12 badges, for a maximum for 72 badges in a file). If a PNG is larger than this, Anemone3DS will not attempt to install it and instead skip it.
• The most badges you can install at a time is 1,000. If you attempt to install more than 1,000 badges, some badges won't be installed.

Set icons

• Set icons must be .png(s) with a dimension of 48x48 pixels

Sets

Sets allow badges to be organized into separate groups. To create a set, first make a new folder within sd:/badges/, with the folder name being the name of your set. Badges placed in a set subfolder will be installed as part of that set. Sets may also be given a set icon by placing a 48x48 pixel PNG into the set's folder with the name _seticon.png; if no _seticon.png exists, the set will be given a default icon of the Homebrew Launcher logo. Badges not placed in a set folder will instead be installed as part of a default set called "Other Badges" with a set icon of the Anemone3DS logo.

Shortcuts

Custom badges can be made into shortcuts to launch system applications; a list of compatible titles can be found here. To create a badge shortcut, rename the badge so the TIDLow of the system app is between the first and second period of the file name, like so: BadgeName.<TIDLow>.png. For example, a file named settings.00021000.png would create a badge named settings that launches USA System Settings (mset). Badges made into shortcuts will display the banner of the application they launch, rather than being a pin; applications without a banner will display a default banner instead.

Badge installation requires Anemone3DS v3.0.0 or higher.

Anemone3DS is installed as part of Finalizing Setup on 3DS Hacks Guide.

What you need

• The latest release of Anemone3DS installed on your console
• Badge .png files
• (Optional) _seticon.png

Section I - Dumping Badges

Installing badges overwrites existing badge data. Make sure to follow this section to dump your existing badges. If you have no existing badges you can skip this section.

1. Power on your console
2. Launch Anemone3DS from the HOME Menu, or from the Homebrew Launcher
3. Press X, or tap on ☰, to open the extra menu
4. Press R to open the dumping menu
5. Press D-Pad Left to dump all installed badges
6. Badges will be dumped to the sd:/3ds/Anemone3DS/BadgeBackups/ folder on your SD card

Section II - Prep work

1. Power off your console
2. Insert your SD card into your computer
3. Copy badge .png files to the Badges folder on the root of your SD card
   • (Optional) Create a subfolder in sd:/Badges/ and rename it to the name of a set
   • (Optional) Copy badge .png files to the set subfolder that you want in the set
   • (Optional) If you have a _seticon.png, copy it to the set subfolder
   • (Optional) Repeat for additional sets
4. Insert your SD card into your console

A sample directory structure is shown below:

Section III - Installing Badges

1. Power on your console
2. Launch Anemone3DS from the HOME Menu, or from the Homebrew Launcher
3. Press X, or tap on ☰, to open the extra menu
4. Press D-Pad Right, or tap on the star icon, to install badges
5. Wait for badges to install, then press START to exit Anemone3DS

Section IV - Decorate with Badges

1. Tap on HOME Menu Settings in the top left of the HOME Menu
2. Tap on "Decorate with Badges"
3. Drag your custom badges from the top of the touchscreen onto your HOME Menu
   • To switch between sets, press L and R or swipe on the top left set icon
   • To attach badges to folders, tap on the top right wrench icon and select "Attach Badge to Folder"
4. Tap on the X or press the HOME,B, or X buttons to exit the badge menu

Ext Data Locked

This error means the 3DS Home Menu is currently attempting to read from the Badge Ext Data, and Anemone3DS can't open it. If you run into this error, press the home button to return to the home menu, wait for a few seconds, and then returning to Anemone3DS (without having fully closed it), and try installing badges again.