3DS:Safe Mode/en - Revision history

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	<languages/>		<languages/>
	'''Safe Mode''', also known as '''SAFE_FIRM''', is a part of the 3DS' ~~stock~~ firmware that allows the device to perform a System Update without loading the HOME Menu or most system functions. To access Safe Mode, hold {{B\|L~~}} + {{B~~\|R~~}} + {{B~~\|~~(D-Pad~~ Up~~)}} + {{B~~\|A}} and then ~~powering~~ on ~~- if~~ successful, the 3DS will show the System Update screen.<br>		'''Safe Mode''', also known as '''SAFE_FIRM''', is a part of the 3DS' firmware that allows the device to perform a System Update without loading the HOME Menu or most system functions. To access Safe Mode, hold {{B\|L\|R\|Up\|A}} and then power on the console. If successful, the 3DS will show the System Update screen.<br><br>
	There is no alternate keycombo, so if one of the needed buttons is broken, you will be unable to access Safe Mode.		There is no alternate keycombo, so if one of the needed buttons is broken, you will be unable to access Safe Mode.

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	=== Exploits ===		=== Exploits ===

	~~The custom firmware method recommended for~~ 11.16.0, [[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (HBL-USM)\|unSAFE_MODE]], uses a flaw in Safe Mode's Internet Settings ~~that can be used~~ to install custom firmware. ~~This is because~~ Nintendo is more reluctant to update Safe Mode to patch exploits (since an unmodded 3DS would have no way to fix a brick by doing a system update if SAFE_FIRM were also bricked).		In 11.16.0, the recommended CFW method is [[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (HBL-USM)\|unSAFE_MODE]], which uses a flaw in Safe Mode's Internet Settings to install custom firmware. It uses a flaw that was already fixed in firmware 3.0, but Nintendo is more reluctant to update Safe Mode to patch exploits, since an unmodded 3DS would have no way to fix a brick by doing a system update if SAFE_FIRM were also bricked.

	There are two other Safe Mode-based exploits that are now unusable:		There are two other Safe Mode-based exploits that are now unusable:
	*[[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (safecerthax)\|safecerthax]] was an exploit for original 3DS and original 3DS XL models that ~~ran~~ under Safe Mode~~, and used~~ the SSLoth vulnerability ~~that was still~~ available ~~under SAFE_FIRM~~. This was patched in 11.15 by patching SSLoth in ~~a similar fashion to NATIVE~~.		*[[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (safecerthax)\|safecerthax]] was an exploit for original 3DS and original 3DS XL models that exploited under Safe Mode the same SSLoth vulnerability available before 11.14.0 on NATIVE_FIRM. This was patched in 11.15 by patching SAFE_FIRM's SSLoth in the same way.
	*[https://github.com/TiniVi/safehax safehax] allowed the console to load a <code>.bin</code> payload after being loaded from Homebrew Launcher due to ~~the Safe Mode firmware~~ being ~~outdated~~ and the console being able to load ~~SAFE_FIRM (~~the Safe Mode firmware~~) when~~ the console was booted into normal firmware. This exploit was given a partial patch in version 11.3 and fully patched in version 11.4.		*[https://github.com/TiniVi/safehax safehax] allowed the console to load a <code>.bin</code> payload after being loaded from Homebrew Launcher due to SAFE_FIRM not being patched for firmlaunch-hax (while NATIVE_FIRM was patched since 9.5.0), and the console being able to load the Safe Mode firmware after the console was booted into normal firmware. This exploit was given a partial patch in version 11.3 and fully patched in version 11.4.
	=== Redownloading system applications ===		=== Redownloading system applications ===

	Safe Mode reinstalls most deleted or corrupted system titles, ~~the same as~~ a regular System Update, which can ~~also help if you need one of those titles to~~ fix ~~another issue~~.		Safe Mode reinstalls most deleted or corrupted system titles, like a regular System Update, which can fix some related issues.

	=== Troubleshooting ===		=== Troubleshooting ===

	~~Because Safe Mode is in~~ a ~~unique partition of the 3DS' firmware (SAFE_FIRM), it can fix crashes~~ on boot ~~that are~~ caused by corrupted/deleted system titles or extremely outdated firmware, as ~~only~~ NATIVE_FIRM ~~is affected by these~~. ~~The best way to avoid bricks~~ is to keep custom firmware installed~~, however, and most crashes not~~ in ~~the above list will require access to GodMode9 to fix - if you have an issue that disables~~ access to GodMode9, you will most likely need [[3DS:ntrboot\|a flashcart compatible with ntrboot]] to fix the issue.		If a crash on boot is caused by corrupted/deleted system titles or extremely outdated firmware, Safe Mode will stay unaffected as its titles are different from the ones used by NATIVE_FIRM.

			As written above, it may repair the titles causing the brick, but if the problem is still not fixed, you will need GodMode9, so keep the custom firmware installed. If you cannot in any way access GodMode9, you will most likely need [[3DS:ntrboot\|a flashcart compatible with ntrboot]] to fix the issue.
	[[Category:Nintendo 3DS information{{#translation:}}]]		[[Category:Nintendo 3DS information{{#translation:}}]]

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	There are two other Safe Mode-based exploits that are now unusable:		There are two other Safe Mode-based exploits that are now unusable:
	* [[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (safecerthax)\|safecerthax]] was an exploit for original 3DS and original 3DS XL models that ran under Safe Mode, and used the SSLoth vulnerability that was still available under SAFE_FIRM. This was patched in 11.15 by patching SSLoth in a similar fashion to NATIVE.		*[[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (safecerthax)\|safecerthax]] was an exploit for original 3DS and original 3DS XL models that ran under Safe Mode, and used the SSLoth vulnerability that was still available under SAFE_FIRM. This was patched in 11.15 by patching SSLoth in a similar fashion to NATIVE.
	* [https://github.com/TiniVi/safehax safehax] allowed the console to load a <code>.bin</code> payload after being loaded from Homebrew Launcher due to the Safe Mode firmware being outdated and the console being able to load SAFE_FIRM (the Safe Mode firmware) when the console was booted into normal firmware. This exploit was given a partial patch in version 11.3 and fully patched in version 11.4.		*[https://github.com/TiniVi/safehax safehax] allowed the console to load a <code>.bin</code> payload after being loaded from Homebrew Launcher due to the Safe Mode firmware being outdated and the console being able to load SAFE_FIRM (the Safe Mode firmware) when the console was booted into normal firmware. This exploit was given a partial patch in version 11.3 and fully patched in version 11.4.
	=== Redownloading system applications ===		=== Redownloading system applications ===

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	Because Safe Mode is in a unique partition of the 3DS' firmware (SAFE_FIRM), it can fix crashes on boot that are caused by corrupted/deleted system titles or extremely outdated firmware, as only NATIVE_FIRM is affected by these. The best way to avoid bricks is to keep custom firmware installed, however, and most crashes not in the above list will require access to GodMode9 to fix - if you have an issue that disables access to GodMode9, you will most likely need [[3DS:ntrboot\|a flashcart compatible with ntrboot]] to fix the issue.		Because Safe Mode is in a unique partition of the 3DS' firmware (SAFE_FIRM), it can fix crashes on boot that are caused by corrupted/deleted system titles or extremely outdated firmware, as only NATIVE_FIRM is affected by these. The best way to avoid bricks is to keep custom firmware installed, however, and most crashes not in the above list will require access to GodMode9 to fix - if you have an issue that disables access to GodMode9, you will most likely need [[3DS:ntrboot\|a flashcart compatible with ntrboot]] to fix the issue.
	[[Category:Nintendo 3DS information]]		[[Category:Nintendo 3DS information{{#translation:}}]]

FuzzyBot: Updating to match new version of source page

2025-08-01T05:14:32Z

Updating to match new version of source page

New page

<languages/>
'''Safe Mode''', also known as '''SAFE_FIRM''', is a part of the 3DS' stock firmware that allows the device to perform a System Update without loading the HOME Menu or most system functions. To access Safe Mode, hold {{B|L}} + {{B|R}} + {{B|(D-Pad Up)}} + {{B|A}} and then powering on - if successful, the 3DS will show the System Update screen.<br>
There is no alternate keycombo, so if one of the needed buttons is broken, you will be unable to access Safe Mode.

== Why it's useful ==

=== Exploits ===

The custom firmware method recommended for 11.16.0, [[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (HBL-USM)|unSAFE_MODE]], uses a flaw in Safe Mode's Internet Settings that can be used to install custom firmware. This is because Nintendo is more reluctant to update Safe Mode to patch exploits (since an unmodded 3DS would have no way to fix a brick by doing a system update if SAFE_FIRM were also bricked).

There are two other Safe Mode-based exploits that are now unusable:
* [[3DS:Alternate Exploits/Installing boot9strap (safecerthax)|safecerthax]] was an exploit for original 3DS and original 3DS XL models that ran under Safe Mode, and used the SSLoth vulnerability that was still available under SAFE_FIRM. This was patched in 11.15 by patching SSLoth in a similar fashion to NATIVE.
* [https://github.com/TiniVi/safehax safehax] allowed the console to load a <code>.bin</code> payload after being loaded from Homebrew Launcher due to the Safe Mode firmware being outdated and the console being able to load SAFE_FIRM (the Safe Mode firmware) when the console was booted into normal firmware. This exploit was given a partial patch in version 11.3 and fully patched in version 11.4.
=== Redownloading system applications ===

Safe Mode reinstalls most deleted or corrupted system titles, the same as a regular System Update, which can also help if you need one of those titles to fix another issue.

=== Troubleshooting ===

Because Safe Mode is in a unique partition of the 3DS' firmware (SAFE_FIRM), it can fix crashes on boot that are caused by corrupted/deleted system titles or extremely outdated firmware, as only NATIVE_FIRM is affected by these. The best way to avoid bricks is to keep custom firmware installed, however, and most crashes not in the above list will require access to GodMode9 to fix - if you have an issue that disables access to GodMode9, you will most likely need [[3DS:ntrboot|a flashcart compatible with ntrboot]] to fix the issue.
[[Category:Nintendo 3DS information]]