Hacking Hiding icons/title id/ apps/ folder in 3DS home screen

[ofayto]

Hi everyone.
I have a question that I need help from you guys.

Is there any way for me to hide folders/ icons/ app/ title id (more specifically, luma updater, FBI, Homebrew menu, etc) inside my 3DS Home menu?
Is this even achievable?

My current 3DS info:
- Followed https://3ds.guide/ from stock to boot9strap. Currently having Godmode9, Luma, FBI, Themely, etc by following the guide.
- Now at Emunand sys 11.4, with the original stock version at v 11.3 and below (I guess you guys call it SysNAND?)
- Installed an official theme via Themely, with BGM in my 3DS

Thanks in advance to all out there helping newbies out. ^ ^
Really appreciate the help you guys provide =)

 

[Stovven]

Hi everyone.
I have a question that I need help from you guys.

Is there any way for me to hide folders/ icons/ app/ title id (more specifically, luma updater, FBI, Homebrew menu, etc) inside my 3DS Home menu?
Is this even achievable?

My current 3DS info:
- Followed https://3ds.guide/ from stock to boot9strap. Currently having Godmode9, Luma, FBI, Themely, etc by following the guide.
- Now at Emunand sys 11.4, with the original stock version at v 11.3 and below (I guess you guys call it SysNAND?)
- Installed an official theme via Themely, with BGM in my 3DS

Thanks in advance to all out there helping newbies out. ^ ^
Really appreciate the help you guys provide =)

turn off spotpass, if you really want to hide these apps, use a 3dsx version of it, if you want to use them as a cia, change the titleid of the apps, i dont know how though

 

[Ryccardo]

Visibleness is an attribute inside the icon/smdh, located inside the exefs, located inside the main content (ncch/cxi) of your title(s) of interest

So yes, it's possible to edit any title to make them not appear on Home (thus being only launchable through another application)

 

[ofayto]

Visibleness is an attribute inside the icon/smdh, located inside the exefs, located inside the main content (ncch/cxi) of your title(s) of interest

So yes, it's possible to edit any title to make them not appear on Home (thus being only launchable through another application)

Omg. Finally someone answered my question ><!

Thanks for the reply!!!
I'm a complete newbie here.
So sorry for my ignorance m(_ _)m

How do I go about peeking into exefs, which is located inside the main content?
What additional tool do I need to achieve this? And where could I edit the visiblity attribute? Editing it via a PC or through my 3DS directly?

Sorry for bombarding a ton of question
> <
Thanks for the time you took to read through my post and replying back to it.
╰(*´︶`*)╯

 

[Ryccardo]

You use standard 3DS romhacking tool (ctrtool, 3dstool, makerom) to go from cia to icon and back (see the "CXI" link in my signature for a basic idea)

Then you use a hex editor to edit the "icon", go to address 2028, and unset the least significant byte (see https://www.3dbrew.org/wiki/SMDH for an explaination of the "icon" file, I understand it's not too obvious for a first timer)

Good luck!

 

[ofayto]

You use standard 3DS romhacking tool (ctrtool, 3dstool, makerom) to go from cia to icon and back (see the "CXI" link in my signature for a basic idea)

Then you use a hex editor to edit the "icon", go to address 2028, and unset the least significant byte (see https://www.3dbrew.org/wiki/SMDH for an explaination of the "icon" file, I understand it's not too obvious for a first timer)

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the prompt reply and for the explanation! m(_ _)m

I'll try to read through the stuff right now and post back here again for the update!

Once again, thank you so much!!!
(I can't find the "thanks" button, only "like" button ＿|￣|○)

 

[ofayto]

turn off spotpass, if you really want to hide these apps, use a 3dsx version of it, if you want to use them as a cia, change the titleid of the apps, i dont know how though

I'm sorry for not seeing you post Stovven >.<
I've installed Luma updater, FBI, Themely, HBLauncher loader and DSP1 as Cia files, following the 3ds.guide website.
I don't know how to use 3dsx version of it....
What is the difference between 3dsx and cia?

Once again, sorry for not noticing you post >.<!
Thanks in advance.

 

[ofayto]

@Ryccardo: Hello, I'm here with an update...
After looking through https://gbatemp.net/threads/very-sm...es-vcs-screen-resolution.401087/#post-6535550 , I am totally at a lost...

You mentioned in the first line that "Use the trinity instead (ctrtool-3dstool-makerom), making sure to include partition 2:"... What is this partition 2? I tried opening up ctrtool-3dstool-makerom via my laptop. However, the exe just flashes and ended within a second, leaving me clueless in what I could do about it...

Also, you mentioned "Fully decrypt (cryptofix) the cia with D9 or alternatives"... how am I able to decrypt the cia which I have already installed into the 3DS SD card (more specifically, Luma updater, FBI, Themely, HBLoader, etc...and the folder which I created to put all of these files into)...

Can I just delete those files altogether (Luma updater, FBI, Themely, HBLoader, etc) via the 3DS Data manager through settings, if I do not plan on using them any longer? This is getting way too complicated when I just want to hide those files >.<
And if I do need them back, how do I install them back? (since FBI has been uninstalled via Data manager, how could I get CIA files "hblauncher_loader.cia", "lumaupdater.cia", "FBI.cia", "DSP1.cia", "Themely.cia" reinstalled?)

I'm sorry for bombarding questions again >.<
Just a newcomer trying to learn things ...
Thanks in advance...

 

[t33st33r]

You use standard 3DS romhacking tool (ctrtool, 3dstool, makerom) to go from cia to icon and back (see the "CXI" link in my signature for a basic idea)

Then you use a hex editor to edit the "icon", go to address 2028, and unset the least significant byte (see https://www.3dbrew.org/wiki/SMDH for an explaination of the "icon" file, I understand it's not too obvious for a first timer)

Good luck!

Hi,
I am going to try it using ninfs (because it is easier for me).
My will is to mod Activity Log to hide the icon. I extracted a CIA of it using the .tmd file of the title. I used GodMode9 to extract it.

My question is about the use of the hex editor:
I open the file named "icon" and goes to address 2028. If I understood the flags are contained in those 4 bytes. So I limit to 2028-2031.
But... I'm not sure of what may I do next. The bitmask value is 0x0001 but I don't know how to apply it. Could you guide me with that? Thanks in advance.

PS: My english is not good: I don't know what do you mean with "the least significant byte".

 

[Deleted-236924]

Hi,
I am going to try it using ninfs (because it is easier for me).
My will is to mod Activity Log to hide the icon. I extracted a CIA of it using the .tmd file of the title. I used GodMode9 to extract it.

My question is about the use of the hex editor:
I open the file named "icon" and goes to address 2028. If I understood the flags are contained in those 4 bytes. So I limit to 2028-2031.
But... I'm not sure of what may I do next. The bitmask value is 0x0001 but I don't know how to apply it. Could you guide me with that? Thanks in advance.

PS: My english is not good: I don't know what do you mean with "the least significant byte".

Take for example 81 00 00 00. This is little-endian, so make that 00 00 00 81.

Convert this to binary, you get 10000001.

Shitty picture:

1 means the option is enabled, 0 means it's disabled. In this case you can see that visibility flag (0x0001) is enabled, along with "uses save data" (0x0080.)

If you wanted to hide it from home menu, you would set the first bit to 0, and you'd have 10000000.

Convert that back to hex, and you get 00 00 00 80. Back to little-endian, and you have 80 00 00 00.

So, essentially, if all you wanted was to hide a title from the home menu, you don't need to worry about the calculations, and you can just subtract 0x1 from the byte at 0x2028 (because toggling the visibility flag only affects the least significant bit, so it'll only ever add or subtract 1 from the final number.) If you ever wanted to change other flags though, this is how it all works.

 

[t33st33r]

Perfect explanation. I'd give you 5 stars if I could.

 

[t33st33r]

I couldn't be able to make ninfs work. Windows version requires WinFSP and I cannot installit because something is wrong with Windows Installer on my OS and the installer is a MSI package.

So I made a search for an alternative and I found GabrieloRomToolsGUI. I did it all but something went wrong.

The preview of the package that FBI shows have the same icon, the same TitleID and the same TitleName but once installed I get this:

so I think it did something I couldn't expect. That's a problem with closed source software.

You use standard 3DS romhacking tool (ctrtool, 3dstool, makerom) to go from cia to icon and back (see the "CXI" link in my signature for a basic idea)

Could you repost that link? I'd like to know how to do it using your method.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted-236924]

Note that nand apps need to be encrypted before installing, or you get something like this. You can encrypt the .cia in GodMode9, and it should be sufficient.

If it still doesn't work after that, then something may be wrong with the program, yeah.

It's also possible that you may need to clear the home menu icon cache afterwards (unrelated to this problem, but if you don't clear the cache, then the app may still show on the menu due to the old icon data still being present.)

 

[t33st33r]

Note that nand apps need to be encrypted before installing, or you get something like this. You can encrypt the .cia in GodMode9, and it should be sufficient.

If it still doesn't work after that, then something may be wrong with the program, yeah.

It's also possible that you may need to clear the home menu icon cache afterwards (unrelated to this problem, but if you don't clear the cache, then the app may still show on the menu due to the old icon data still being present.)

I know there is an option in GodMode9 to make a CIA from a TMD. GabrieloRomToolsGUI didn't create any file with a tmd extension in the process so I tried doing the same thing with one of the files it extracted (directly from the CIA). They were contents.0000.0000000a and contents.0001.0000000d. The one I used to extract and edit the icon is the first one (the second one couldn't be extracted). I copied the folder /titles/00040010/00022200/content (0004001000022200 is the Activity log system-app) to a new place and replaced 00000000.tmd with a renamed contents.0000.0000000a. After that I tried building a CIA using GodMode9. Built worked but the result was the same one: A good preview (in FBI) but a black icon without TitleName (in home screen).

PS: @gaberilde could you help me with this? please

 

[t33st33r]

I have found a new option in GodMode9 that is literally a CIA encription... I am going to try this and update this post with results.

Similar result: Black Icon, empty name but this one has a banner (the official animated Activity log banner).

PS: I didn't mention any information about the banner but this is the first tryout having a banner.

 

[Ryccardo]

Could you repost that link? I'd like to know how to do it using your method.

Thanks in advance.

Don't remember which one exactly it was (and it's not really "my method" - just the "obvious" application of ctrtool/3dstool/makerom )
These are the posts I wrote that I could find on the topic, especially the first which is the most applicable:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/very-sm...es-vcs-screen-resolution.401087/#post-6535550
https://gbatemp.net/threads/help-ho...thout-exefs-and-exheader.426662/#post-6350023
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-convert-pack-app-files-into-cia.507570/#post-8056632
https://gbatemp.net/threads/is-it-p...itouth-using-3ds-builder.429218/#post-6416401
https://gbatemp.net/threads/the-100...nual-for-developer-tools.424460/#post-6324206

All of these are older than the bootrom being dumped, so at that time these programs did not do decryption/encryption and you had to do it on the console with D9 or GM9; nowadays they do but it's actually a disadvantage for the non-expert user since you will get complaints, so I suggest also knowing about the "ignoresign" and testkeys ("-t test" or something? haven't used it in 2 years) options for makerom and encrypting in GM9

 

[Deleted-236924]

This might not necessarily help, but there could be a possibility that the blank icon data is still in cache somehow. Does the app launch correctly if you try to start it, or do you get an error?

I'd try clearing everything related to icon cache, in my experience something like this may be needed when changing icon flags, for the system to properly recognize the new ones. Doesn't take very long to do, so it's worth doing before taking the time to mess with other editing tools, just in case it actually solves the problem.

https://github.com/Ryuzaki-MrL/Cthulhu/releases

 

[t33st33r]

Don't remember which one exactly it was (and it's not really "my method" - just the "obvious" application of ctrtool/3dstool/makerom )
These are the posts I wrote that I could find on the topic, especially the first which is the most applicable:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/very-sm...es-vcs-screen-resolution.401087/#post-6535550
https://gbatemp.net/threads/help-ho...thout-exefs-and-exheader.426662/#post-6350023
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-convert-pack-app-files-into-cia.507570/#post-8056632
https://gbatemp.net/threads/is-it-p...itouth-using-3ds-builder.429218/#post-6416401
https://gbatemp.net/threads/the-100...nual-for-developer-tools.424460/#post-6324206

All of these are older than the bootrom being dumped, so at that time these programs did not do decryption/encryption and you had to do it on the console with D9 or GM9; nowadays they do but it's actually a disadvantage for the non-expert user since you will get complaints, so I suggest also knowing about the "ignoresign" and testkeys ("-t test" or something? haven't used it in 2 years) options for makerom and encrypting in GM9

I got lost with all this information. I don't know what to do. I wish somebody makes a tutorial that works with actual versions of everything.
I found this but it seems to be outdated. I recently used that method and I got the same result (with banner). This method is based on ctrtool, 3dstool and makerom (the main "script" launches these tools).

One of your links gave me an idea. If a CIA's product code can be changed and could be possible to change TitleID too... maybe all this work will get better results if we base on a dummy CIA. Is it possible to make a non-system CIA works as a system one? What I mean is... I am talking about taking a non-system app (a dummy one... well... not the app... its CIA), mod it (changing the icon, the visibility, the ProductCode, the TitleID and the TitleName). And make it appear and install as system-app.
Is this possible?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

This might not necessarily help, but there could be a possibility that the blank icon data is still in cache somehow. Does the app launch correctly if you try to start it, or do you get an error?

I'd try clearing everything related to icon cache, in my experience something like this may be needed when changing icon flags, for the system to properly recognize the new ones. Doesn't take very long to do, so it's worth doing before taking the time to mess with other editing tools, just in case it actually solves the problem.

https://github.com/Ryuzaki-MrL/Cthulhu/releases

The result I got through GabrieloRomToolsGUI didn't boot (got stuck on Nintendo ·DS animation... after last frame).
Recently I used HackingTookit9DS (it is based on ctrtool, 3dstool and makerom) and got a working (it boots) black icon.

I've blanked the shared icon cache (using Cthulhu) every single attemp and those were the results. Anyways thanks for the mention.

 

[universales]

I have no idea how to hide an app.
I have the file "icon.bin" of the application, is this the file to be edited with a hex editor?
In all the hexadecimal code, what lines do you edit to hide it?
Thank you