What was SpotPass used for?

SpotPass let Nintendo 3DS-family systems detect wireless access points and automatically receive information, game data, free software or videos from Nintendo or the software being used. This historical definition comes from Nintendo.

What changed on 8 April 2024?

Nintendo says SpotPass features in Nintendo 3DS software ended alongside functions using online communication on 8 April 2024. Features requiring SpotPass are therefore unavailable.

• SpotPass features in Nintendo 3DS software no longer work.
• Specific consequences vary by game or application.
• The consulted Nintendo sources provide no exhaustive software-by-software list of remaining features.

The date and general consequences are detailed in Nintendo’s announcement on the end of Nintendo 3DS online services.

SpotPass and StreetPass are different

SpotPass ending does not mean StreetPass has ended. StreetPass uses local communication between Nintendo 3DS systems, while SpotPass relied on online communication features. Nintendo says StreetPass remains available after online services ended.

Working StreetPass does not prove SpotPass still works. Conversely, SpotPass ending does not establish that local StreetPass features have disappeared.

Has all 3DS Internet connectivity ended?

No. Nintendo says redownloading owned content and obtaining updates remain possible for the foreseeable future. This is separate from SpotPass and does not reactivate it.

“For the foreseeable future” is not a permanent guarantee: availability may change independently of SpotPass’s closure. Consult Nintendo’s information on redownloading owned content and obtaining updates.

What if old SpotPass content no longer arrives?

Do not automatically assume a settings problem. Historical SpotPass notification settings may remain in the interface or documentation, but their presence does not prove the service works: Nintendo says SpotPass has ended.

Nintendo’s page on historical SpotPass settings must therefore be read alongside the service-closure announcement. If a feature depended on SpotPass, its absence is consistent with that closure. Specific consequences depend on the game or application.

Unofficial services or alternative servers are not a guaranteed continuation of Nintendo’s official SpotPass service.

Summary

• SpotPass: unavailable in Nintendo 3DS software since 8 April 2024.
• StreetPass: uses local communication between consoles and remains available according to Nintendo.
• Offline features: remain usable when they do not require online communication.
• Redownloads and updates: Nintendo says they remain possible for the foreseeable future, without reactivating SpotPass.