NOTE: This is not a guide to region change your 3DS. This only changes your locale setting in System Settings > Other Settings > Profile. See Plailect's Region Changing Guide if you want to change your device's region.

I saw this trick on an old YouTube video a while ago, but since it was deleted I thought I would share it here. It's how to change your locale setting to China, Japan, or South Korea regardless of what region your 3DS is! All you need is access to the Homebrew Launcher or Luma CFW. It's kind of useless (unless you want to play with a specific region in an online game like Animal Crossing or something, which is obsoleted by RyDog's Animal Crossing NTR Plugin anyway), but hey, it looks cool!

Please note that this doesn't work for any other regions you select using the apps in this guide (TWN, EUR etc.) because CHN, JPN, and KOR are the only regions which automatically write their default locale region to your profile upon launching System Settings before the app crashes (all the other regions don't have this functionality and System Settings will just crash without changing anything)

For Homebrew Users:
1. Ensure that you have HANS on your SD card in the /3ds folder (it's included in the Homebrew Starter Kit that can be downloaded here)
2. Launch the Homebrew Launcher.
3. Select "HANS" as the homebrew you want to launch.
4. When prompted to select an app, scroll using the left/right D-Pad until you see "System Settings".
5. Press A
6. Set the HANS configuration to the following:

Region: CHN (for China), JPN (for Japan) or KOR (for South Korea)
Language: --
FW Version Spoof: NO
N3DS CPU Clock: 268Mhz
Code -> SD: NO
Romfs -> SD: NO

*Use left/right D-Pad to select options and down/up D-Pad to scroll down menu

7: Highlight "OK" and press A
8: A glitched screen will appear. Force shutdown your 3DS by holding down the Power Button until the power LED turns off.
9: Turn on your 3DS again.
10. Launch System Settings.
11. Go to Other Settings > Profile and if successful your locale setting should be changed

For Luma Users:
1. Ensure that you have Luma Locale Switcher by Possum installed on your 3DS (CIA file download here)
2. Launch Luma Locale Switcher.
3. Select "Titles"
4. Press Y to show NAND titles.
5. Scroll down the menu until you see "System Settings". Highlight it and press A
6. Select "Change Region"
7. Select CHN (for China), JPN (for Japan) or KOR (for South Korea)
8. Press any button.
9. Press B two times, and then press the START button
10. Turn off your 3DS
11. Turn on your 3DS while holding the SELECT button. This should launch the Luma configuration screen.
12. Ensure that you have "Enable game patching" turned on.
13. Press the START button
14. Launch "System Settings"
15. This will cause an exception handler screen (or "An error has occurred" pop-up)
16. Turn off your 3DS
17. Turn on your 3DS again while holding the SELECT button. This should launch the Luma configuration screen (again).
18. Turn "Enable game patching" off.
19. Press the START button
20. Launch System Settings.
21. Go to Other Settings > Profile and if successful your locale setting should be changed

NOTE: If you want game patching to be enabled but also want to use System Settings without it crashing, repeat steps 2 to 5, but instead of selecting "Change Region", select "Use System Default". This will not change the locale setting on your profile.

Haven't tested the Homebrew method on firmware 11.9.0 yet, but I'm 99% sure it still works since the method has worked for a few years now without a problem. Thank y'all!

Finished Result: https://imgur.com/a/fEyG2k2

 

[ThoD]

Guide is proper and all, but I gotta ask, what is even the point with this when we have region free patching from Luma, EULA setter for online play with out-of-region games and so on without any hassle? Just curious a bit

 

[PigeonPigeon]

Guide is proper and all, but I gotta ask, what is even the point with this when we have region free patching from Luma, EULA setter for online play with out-of-region games and so on without any hassle? Just curious a bit

Because it looks swag

 

[Midou360]

Nice!

 

[flipnote214]

how about locale setting to US (eng)?

 

[PigeonPigeon]

how about locale setting to US (eng)?

It unfortunately doesn't work with the USA region, only CHN (China), JPN (Japan), and KOR (South Korea)

 

[lynbutnot]

Is there a way to change it back? Stupidly not knowing about the ACNL country spoofer, I did this, and now I can't open Flipnote (error code 0xc8804471, it has something to do with an incorrect region I think) and Homebrew is in Japanese. Flipnote's the major problem, I can read Japanese okay, but it would be nice to have them both back the way they're supposed to be. Can I fix this at all?

 

[lone_wolf323]

Is there a way to change it back? Stupidly not knowing about the ACNL country spoofer, I did this, and now I can't open Flipnote (error code 0xc8804471, it has something to do with an incorrect region I think) and Homebrew is in Japanese. Flipnote's the major problem, I can read Japanese okay, but it would be nice to have them both back the way they're supposed to be. Can I fix this at all?

Did you make a nand backup with the console in us before switching to jp?

 

[lynbutnot]

Did you make a nand backup with the console in us before switching to jp?

I do have one, I'm pretty sure, but it isn't recent. I think I made it about a year ago. Will that still work?

 

[sailr]

I'm going to try, but will he change the flag in the game?