Problems getting Homebrew to appear outside of the Homebrew Launcher (homebrew won't appear on the HOME menu)

[Jediweirdo]

I recently got a 3DS after homebrewing my Wii U, but I can't seem to get the homebrew to show up on the home screen. Or frankly, anything that's not the default system apps. Looking at data management, everything is there and recognized by the 3DS. If I go to the homebrew launcher by injecting it into a system app, I can then open a manually installed version of FBI and launch apps that way. The apps work fine and as expected, from my limited testing/knowledge. I tested the SD card for corruption by taking photos through the camera app, but there was no problems. I don't think it's a ticket issue, as I can still launch the apps when I do it through FBI (correct me if I'm wrong about what bad tickets stop you from doing). Luma and Godmode9 are running as expected and show no signs of corruption.

Any ideas as to what caused this? I followed the setup guide from 3ds.hacks.guide, so I'm fairly certain I set it up correctly. I can still read, save, etc. with the SD card in both my PC and the 3DS, so I doubt it's corrupted. However, the only hint I have about why this might be happening concerns the SD card. Every time I exit to the home screen after using FBI to launch an app, I get an error saying no SD card is inserted. Afterward, it still boots me to the home screen, and the 3DS continues to recognize and use the SD card as if nothing had happened. When I open the camera app to test functionality by taking photos, it also says that the SD card is read-only. However, it still saves and loads photos as if nothing were wrong. So at least for now, assume that my SD card is functional and suggest fixes that don't involve me driving to the store to buy a new SD card. Thanks

 

[SimsCrafterZ]

3dsx files are not displayed in the menu, only CIA files.

 

[Kwyjor]

I get an error saying no SD card is inserted.
...
When I open the camera app to test functionality by taking photos, it also says that the SD card is read-only.

Why in the world do you think it's reasonable to "assume that your SD card is functional" when your unit is brazenly telling you the contrary?

Copy everything off your SD card (Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier is recommended when there's a possibility of corruption), format the card, test the empty card with h2testw, and copy everything back again. If the test fails or if you can't format the card, then you should get a new card (and copy everything to the new card after formatting and testing it). Sometimes copying everything back again is enough to fix problems.

This is the only way to be sure there's nothing wrong with your SD card.

 

[Jediweirdo]

Why in the world do you think it's reasonable to "assume that your SD card is functional" when your unit is brazenly telling you the contrary?

Because I specifically wanted to try different solutions first than to run to Target to get a new SD card. If it wasn't an SD card-related issue, it would save me time/money. Hence, I wanted to try solutions that didn't tell me to buy a new SD card first before biting the bullet.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

3dsx files are not displayed in the menu, only CIA files.

I think I have both, with me just installing the homebrew launcher version of FBI to troubleshoot (since homebrew running from the HBL works fine for whatever reason). I say "I think" because I downloaded them using the setup script in the "finalizing setup" section of the 3ds Hacks guide. Does it not install Homebrew accessible from the homescreen? That would be annoying if it didn't.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

If the test fails or if you can't format the card, then you should get a new card (and copy everything to the new card after formatting and testing it).

This was the result of the H2testw test:

Test finished without errors.
You can now delete the test files *.h2w or verify them again.
Writing speed: 11.2 MByte/s
Reading speed: 19.8 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4

Is the only possible cause for this a bad SD card?

 

[lone_wolf323]

Because I specifically wanted to try different solutions first than to run to Target to get a new SD card. If it wasn't an SD card-related issue, it would save me time/money. Hence, I wanted to try solutions that didn't tell me to buy a new SD card first before biting the bullet.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

I think I have both, with me just installing the homebrew launcher version of FBI to troubleshoot (since homebrew running from the HBL works fine for whatever reason). I say "I think" because I downloaded them using the setup script in the "finalizing setup" section of the 3ds Hacks guide. Does it not install Homebrew accessible from the homescreen? That would be annoying if it didn't.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

This was the result of the H2testw test:

Is the only possible cause for this a bad SD card?

Was that test done on a fully empty sd card? It shows that what was tested was ok.

 

[Jediweirdo]

Was that test done on a fully empty sd card? It shows that what was tested was ok.

I did a full format (which set every byte on the card to 0 instead of just marking the space as unused), but it's a small card with ~2GB max capacity (which should be more than enough since there's only the bare minimum homebrew files on it). I am now 99% sure the problem isn't with the SD card. Is there any other issue that could be preventing Homebrew from appearing on the home screen despite being detected in data management?

 

[Kwyjor]

So, now that you've tested the card, have you tried copying everything back again? Assuming the Finalizing Setup script actually completed successfully, you can leave the NAND backup off the SD card, as noted at the end of https://3ds.hacks.guide/finalizing-setup.html#section-iv-setup-script .

If it wasn't an SD card-related issue, it would save me time/money.

If your unit is giving you SD card-related messages, you may safely assume it is an SD card-related issue and not some sort of hallucination.

but it's a small card with ~2GB max capacity

https://3ds.hacks.guide/faq.html does say you need at least 1.5 GB of free space, but I doubt anyone's extensively tested things with a 2 GB card lately. Even if it somehow works, you're really not going to be able to do very much with 2 GB.

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

Because I specifically wanted to try different solutions first than to run to Target to get a new SD card. If it wasn't an SD card-related issue, it would save me time/money. Hence, I wanted to try solutions that didn't tell me to buy a new SD card first before biting the bullet.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

I think I have both, with me just installing the homebrew launcher version of FBI to troubleshoot (since homebrew running from the HBL works fine for whatever reason). I say "I think" because I downloaded them using the setup script in the "finalizing setup" section of the 3ds Hacks guide. Does it not install Homebrew accessible from the homescreen? That would be annoying if it didn't.

Post automatically merged: May 11, 2026

This was the result of the H2testw test:

Is the only possible cause for this a bad SD card?

You are clearly experiencing some other issue but Homebrew just appearing on the home menu by default without extra steps is mostly just a Wii U (and a few Sony systems) thing and a modern change at that. But yeah 3DSX files in the "3DS" folder are for applications you run through the HB menu and will only ever appear in the HB menu. If you want them on the homescreen you install the .cia version through FBI. Basically its just a choice of how you want homebrew to be accessed and that method changing how you go about installing it.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I did a full format (which set every byte on the card to 0 instead of just marking the space as unused), but it's a small card with ~2GB max capacity (which should be more than enough since there's only the bare minimum homebrew files on it). I am now 99% sure the problem isn't with the SD card. Is there any other issue that could be preventing Homebrew from appearing on the home screen despite being detected in data management?

Are you sure the titles are not hidden in a folder or on the last page of the home menu or something and you simply missed them? It sounds like there's no reason why they wouldn't show up.

 

[Kwyjor]

If you want them on the homescreen you install the .cia version through FBI.

The issue is that the Finalizing Setup script is supposed to do this automatically.

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

The issue is that the Finalizing Setup script is supposed to do this automatically.

Ah thats a newer thing so I'm not certain what it does.