Incognito mode in modern browses is a special mode where your browsing history is not recorded.

The recent ban wave that hit CFW users is believed to have happened due to custom made CIAs installed and run from the 3DS Home Menu.

After that, some people who didn't get banned started being more cautious. Aside from disabling Spotpass and Friendlist "Playing" options I've been avoiding to run any custom made CIAs on my 3DS.

The new Luma 8.0 with HBMenu2.0 helped a lot with this, since the apps run throught it don't get logged if you use the set app entry point option.

But there are some apps that don't have a 3dsx version or don't work very well. This is an option I started using for those cases.

What is needed

• CFW
• Godmode9

What does this do?

• We will rename the PTM savegame so the system creates a new one without the previous information of your used titles.
• This way, any CIA Homebrew run during this window of time will be logged in this temporary PTM save and won't affect your previous PTM save.

Why would I do it?

• I do it to leave my activity log and PTM "clean", looking like a retail unit.

WARNING: READ THIS BEFORE STARTING

• IF YOU CHANGE THINGS OTHER THAN THOSE WRITTEN HERE WITH GODMODE9 YOU MAY BRICK YOUR SYSTEM.

STEP BY STEP

TURNING "INCOGNITO" MODE ON

• 1. Boot into GodMode9.
• 2. Select "[1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND"
• 3. Select "data"
• 4. Select the id of your system (32 characters hexadecimal folder name)
• 5. Select "sysdata"
• 6. Select "00010022" (This is the PTM save data folder)
• 7. You will find a single file named "00000000" there. Hold R then press X, this will prompt you to rename the file. Rename it to "10000000" (You will be asked to unlock writing to SYSNAND CTRNAND).
  
• 8. Press START to reboot the system.
• 9. DO NOT OPEN THE ACTIVITY LOG DURING THIS TIME (If you do it'll merge your temporary PTM data with your activity log save data).
• 10. Install and/or launch any CIAs needed. Use them to your heart's content. (Remember to keep Wifi turned off just to be safer).

Please note: Any game time played during this time frame will not be added to your activity log unless you run the activity log during the "incognito" mode. Again, please do not do that. You will make me cry.

TURNING "INCOGNITO" MODE OFF

• 1. Finish using your homebrew CIA. Optional: Uninstall every custom CIAs before proceeding.
• 2. Turn the 3DS OFF and boot GodMode9.
• 3. Select "[1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND"
• 4. Select "data"
• 5. Select the id of your system (32 char hexadecimal folder name)
• 6. Select "sysdata"
• 7. Select "00010022" (PTM save data folder)
  
• 8. There will be 2 files inside the folder. Navigate to the "00000000", press X confirm to delete it. You will be asked to unlock SYSNAND writing.
  
• 9. Navigate to the "10000000" file. This is your original PTM save file that we renamed earlier.
  
• 10. Hold R and Press X to rename. Rename it to "00000000"
• Press START to reboot the system.
• Profit.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Vote for sticky

 

[phalk]

Vote for sticky

Thank you for your words, but I really don't this this is sticky worthy. I just wanted to share something I've been doing that could be helpful to others. =)

I know that probably there are other logs aside from PTM and Activity Log (the icon caches for instance) but this way at least the activity log can be clean of homebrew titles.

 

[RHOPKINS13]

It would be awesome if we could get this implemented as a payload that does the work for you. Would also be cool if it swapped out your friend code seed with a dummy one while in "incognito" mode, just so you don't have to worry about your good one being banned. Plus have the ability to wipe the activity log like Cthulu does built-in.

It's too bad there's no quick and easy way to hide / unhide custom CIAs, aside from perhaps keeping them on a separate emuNAND.

 

[phalk]

It would be awesome if we could get this implemented as a payload that does the work for you. Would also be cool if it swapped out your friend code seed with a dummy one while in "incognito" mode, just so you don't have to worry about your good one being banned. Plus have the ability to wipe the activity log like Cthulu does built-in.

It's too bad there's no quick and easy way to hide / unhide custom CIAs, aside from perhaps keeping them on a separate emuNAND.

If I had the time I could study how GodMode9 mounts the CTRNAND Filesystem and try doing that, but I fear it would be too much for me sadly.
If anyone could do that it would be indeed fantastic. =) A payload to turn on and off the "incognito" at the Luma firm chainloader.

 

[Aletron9000]

Wow, this could be very useful. thanks!

 

[RHOPKINS13]

Actually, the more I think about it, there's very little reason I can find not to simply do this with emuNAND.

 

[Ricken]

Thank you for your words, but I really don't this this is sticky worthy. I just wanted to share something I've been doing that could be helpful to others. =)

I know that probably there are other logs aside from PTM and Activity Log (the icon caches for instance) but this way at least the activity log can be clean of homebrew titles.

It might not be sticky worthy, but it's gonna be pretty relevant for quite a while
Kinda like when @Swiftloke had a sticky up for a while about downgrading on 11.(3?).. This could probably end up stickied

 

[phalk]

Step 7 was missing on the "TURNING OFF" section. Please refresh the page before proceeding if you were doing this right now.

 

[Deleted User]

Would it be worth doing this if you where already banned and have a different lfcsb?

 

[phalk]

Would it be worth doing this if you where already banned and have a different lfcsb?

Try resetting your PTM and Activity Log first. https://gbatemp.net/goto/post?id=6405182#post-6405182

 

[Deleted User]

Try resetting your PTM and Activity Log first. https://gbatemp.net/goto/post?id=6405182#post-6405182

Ok.Just to be shure though,I delete both \00010022\ and \00020212\ folders off the ctrnand with godmod9 correct? Or do you just delete the files within the folders and just leave the folders there.

 

[phalk]

Ok.Just to be shure though,I delete both \00010022\ and \00020212\ folders off the ctrnand with godmod9 correct? Or do you just delete the files within the folders and just leave the folders there.

I don't know if it makes any difference but delete the files and keep the folders.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't know if it makes any difference but delete the files and keep the folders.

Thanks,ill try this out once I make a NAND backup

 

[RustInPeace]

I didn't read the whole tutorial, but basically can you keep this incognito mode off forever? You mentioned "window of time," how much is that?

 

[phalk]

I didn't read the whole tutorial, but basically can you keep this incognito mode off forever? You mentioned "window of time," how much is that?

You can keep it as long as you want, as it's not really an incognito mode hence the commas. We are really just making a backup of our PTM file and using a temporary one to log your homebrew use then we delete this temporary save and restore the previous backup with no record of the homebrew and any other app usage after the backup was made. The "window of time" is for as long as you keep your temporary ptm save.

 

[HamBone41801]

As stable as gm9 is, i think it would be pretty safe to edit the payload for automated tasks. also, does this reset after rebooting? is there any reason to turn it off after its on?

 

[phalk]

As stable as gm9 is, i think it would be pretty safe to edit the payload for automated tasks. also, does this reset after rebooting? is there any reason to turn it off after its on?

If you want homebrew out of your logs and want to keep your previous played games history then you must restore the backup AKA turning it "off".

If you just want homebrew off your logs and dont care about your play history you just need to delete PTM savegame (00010022) and Activity Log save (The titles are 00020212 for US 00020202 for JPN or 00020222 for EUR if I'm not mistaken).

 

[iAqua]

Vote for sticky

Agreed, also replying to bump, thank you @phalk.

 

[PrometheusG.]

So you don't lose your mii plaza stuff with the method in the link? -> ( https://gbatemp.net/threads/activity-log-reset.429082/#post-6405182 )
When I reset the activity log with deleting these files with GodMode9, if I open the activity log it will be empty, like I bought the system today? will this sound any alarm to Nintendo servers?
Can I then use the "Incognito mode?"

Thanks