This article only details how to apply custom themes. If you wish to create one of your own instead, see
the theme creation page instead.
Custom themes are a set of graphics and sounds that can be applied to your HOME Menu to give it a bit more personality. They are built on the same framework as the official themes that can be found on Nintendo's theme shop.
Custom themes are available on USA, EUR, and JPN firmwares. They are partially implemented but inaccessible on KOR firmwares, and entirely unimplemented in CHN and TWN firmwares.
Installation
Custom themes can be managed with a homebrew software called Anemone3DS .
What You Need
Section I: Prep Work
Open the Universal Updater application (the blue down arrow icon)
Use the D-Pad to navigate between applications and the A button to select an application
Use the Search to look for Anemone3DS
Under Available Downloads, select either Anemone3DS.cia
or Anemone3DS.3dsx
, then press A again to install it
CIA files will appear on your HOME Menu in a gift box after you exit Universal-Updater
3DSX files will become available in the Homebrew Launcher application
What You Need
The latest release of The latest release of Anemone3DS (the .cia
file)
Section I: Prep Work
Insert your SD card into your computer
Copy Anemone3DS.cia
to the cias
folder on your SD card
Create the folder if it does not exist; it is for organization purposes
Insert your SD card into your console
Power on your console
Launch FBI
Navigate to SD
-> cias
Press A while Anemone3DS.cia
is selected, then select Install and delete CIA(s)
Wait for the process to complete
Exit FBI
What You Need
The latest release of The latest release of Anemone3DS (the .3dsx
file)
Section I: Prep Work
Insert your SD card into your computer
Copy Anemone3DS.3dsx
to the 3ds
folder on your SD card
Insert your SD card into your console
Power on your console
Section II: Extdata Setup
For Anemone3DS themes to work properly, you must create theme extdata. You can do this from the HOME Menu.
From the HOME Menu, tap the top-left HOME Menu settings button
Tap "Change Theme"
Set your theme to anything other than the default
Allow the 3DS to create the theme extdata
Exit the theme menu
Section III: Anemone3DS
Open Anemone3DS
If you don't already have a theme, press Right Shoulder to enter the QR code scanner, then scan a QR code from Theme Plaza to download a theme
Alternatively, you can place themes downloaded from the website (in .zip
format) into sd:/Themes/
. Create the folder if it does not already exist
See the top screen for instructions on what to do. Here are some examples of what Anemone3DS is capable of:
If you want to just install one theme with its background music, hover over the theme, hold A , hold D-Pad Up , then release A
If you want to install one theme without its background music, hover over the theme, hold A , hold D-Pad Right , then release A
If you want to shuffle multiple themes, press B to select the themes you would like to shuffle (up to ten), hold A , hold D-Pad Down , then release A
Once you've made your selections, press Start to exit Anemone3DS
You will be booted to the Sleep Mode screen
Press Home to return to the HOME Menu
Your custom theme has been applied!