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Taking and Saving 3DS Screenshots Using Miiverse

Miiverse for Nintendo 3DS allows you to communicate with other gamers and discuss a variety of video games. But there's another feature that is quite helpful: It allows you to take screenshots of certain games and attach them to your Miiverse posts. It will only work for games that have communities on Miiverse...but unfortunately, not all communities allow screenshots. For example, you can't currently post screenshots from Pokemon X & Y. The good news is that screenshots are supported for many popular 3DS games. This includes The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Majora's Mask 3D, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and more.

Update: Miiverse closed on November 7th, 2017, and this Miiverse method will no longer work.

HOW TO TAKE THE SCREENSHOT

Of course, the first step is making sure you have Miiverse on your 3DS. If you don't, you'll need to perform a system update. You must then create a Nintendo Network ID if you don't already have one. If you have a Wii U, you can use your same Nintendo Network ID on 3DS as well.

Then, when you're ready to take a screenshot of a game, press the HOME button. Click the Miiverse icon (showing three green people) in the top-right corner of the touch screen. and Miiverse will (slowly) load and connect to the internet. If the game you're playing has a Miiverse community, it will automatically take you there. You will then be presented with two options: Write Play Journal Entry or Save to Screenshot Album.

Make sure the picture you want (top screen or bottom screen) has the checkmark next to it. If you only care about getting the screenshot, just choose "Save to Screenshot Album." If you also want to write a short description and have the post show on your friends/followers' feeds, choose "Write Play Journal Entry." Either way, you'll still be able to save the picture.

HOW TO SAVE YOUR SCREENSHOT

If you want to save your picture to your computer, the next step is to sign onto Miiverse using your computer. Just head over to http://miiverse.nintendo.net and log-in with your Miiverse username and password. Go to your User Page and you will have the option to View Play Journal or View Screenshot Album. Click whichever method you used in the previous step. You'll then see your screenshots; just click on the one you want and then right-click on the picture and save it! Now your picture is saved to your computer, and you can upload it to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.

If for any reason, the "save image" option doesn't appear when you right-click on the picture, there is still a way to save it. It just depends on which browser you're using. Click here to display further instructions.

Using a tablet instead of a PC? Once you're in Miiverse, tap on your screenshot and hold your finger down. After a second or two, a menu should come up that allows you to save the image to your tablet.

IN-GAME SCREENSHOTS

A few games let you take screenshots in-game without having to use Miiverse at all. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, just press L and R at the same time and a screenshot of the top screen will be saved to your SD card. (You'll still need to use Miiverse if you want a picture of the bottom screen). In Tomodachi Life, just press X to take a picture of the top screen or press Y to take a picture of the bottom screen. Just like with Animal Crossing, those pictures will automatically be saved to your SD card. Super Smash Bros. also allows you to take in-game screenshots.

3DS MENU SCREENSHOTS

With the October 2014 3DS system update, you can now take a screenshot of your 3DS menu.

  • Hold the Y button and press up on the control pad to take a picture of the top screen.
  • Hold the Y button and press down to take a picture of the bottom screen.
  • Hold the Y button and press right to take pictures of both screens.
I hope you've found this guide to be helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to post them in the comment section below.


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Comments

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Frisk-cat hum isabel · Sept 7, 2017

hello im frisk (isabel) ok and i love miiverse ok

Frisk-cat · Sept 7, 2017

@Frisk-cat hum isabel,
h-hello im F-Frisk

byebye i love you guys and girl oh yeha

Frisk(isabel) · Sept 7, 2017

please no,no miiverse

jaelyn · July 18, 2017

how do i take screen shots of other people's posts

Jeff (mod) · July 19, 2017

@jaelyn: The easiest way to take a screenshot of someone else's post is probably to log onto Miiverse using a computer. Then just press "print screen," and crop the picture if necessary.

Jeff (mod) · Feb 2, 2017

It doesn't need to be a PC, but it does need to be a device that lets you save pictures from the web.

cool seal · Feb 2, 2017

why pc :I

Koopa · Dec 28, 2016

Make sure you have a PC before doing this

Kesamn · Dec 13, 2016

The same thing happened to me. I could access miiverse but I couldn't Write Play Journal Entry or Save to Screenshot Album but I think I figured it out! Make sure that miiverse is not restricted in the PARENTAL CONTROL settings.

????????????????? · June 26, 2016

I can't choose Write Journal entry OR Save Screenshots! Any suggestions on what I should do?

Jeff (mod) · June 27, 2016

@?????????????????: Which game is it? Some games, especially older games, don't have Miiverse communities. And some others have communities, but don't allow you to post pictures. If that is the case, you sadly won't be able to save your screenshots for that game (unless you have your system modified to have a capture device installed).

Kesamn · Dec 13, 2016

@Jeff,
Make sure that miiverse is not restricted in the PARENTAL CONTROL settings.

Trey · May 11, 2016

I need help with a screenshot

Jeff (mod) · May 11, 2016

@Trey: What specifically do you need help with? Are you able to post it to Miiverse?

Anonymous · Apr 20, 2016

WTF IT DOESNT WORK WHEN I OPEN MIIVERSE IT SAYS ERROR NEEDS TO RESTART

Jeff (mod) · Apr 20, 2016

@Anonymous: Make sure your system (and the game, if applicable) are updated to the latest version.

elise · Mar 21, 2016

ok! so I'm playing Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning and I'm trying to post a picture, I'm doing everything that I'm supposed to, pressing the home button when I'm at a place where I want to have a picture, and then going into miiverse. but for some reason it's not taking me to the community page. I know there's a page and it's functional because people are posting pictures and whatnot there but it's just not working for me. help? please?

Jeff (mod) · Mar 21, 2016

@elise: I don't know for sure what the problem is, but it can't hurt to make sure your 3DS has the latest updates. (Settings / other settings / system update)

Derpy · Feb 20, 2016

It says "You cannot launch Miiverse while the currently suspended software is running".

Jeff (mod) · Feb 21, 2016

@Derpy: Yeah, this method will only work with 3DS games that have Miiverse communities that allow you to post pictures.

balloon · Jan 30, 2016

how do i get screenshots of ds games on my 2ds

Jeff (mod) · Jan 30, 2016

@balloon: Sorry, but I'm not aware of any ways to take screenshots of regular DS games.

Ava · Jan 19, 2016

Thanks I found this usefully.:-):-)

Jenny · Jan 18, 2016

Ok so I've been trying to post a screenshot on Comic Workshop 2 to post on Miiverse but it is not working. There is a community on Miiverse of it. I have asked people on there and they have said the same thing to me as in this passage. Is there another way?

Jeff (mod) · Jan 18, 2016

@Jenny: Check to make sure your Comic Workshop 2 game is updated to the latest version. Apparently there were some bugs/glitches that have been fixed. So if you still have the older version, that could be the problem.

Mist · Oct 10, 2015

@Jeff: I don't get any error messages, but when I press the 'Write Play Journal Entry' button, nothing happens. It just stays there.
I hope this isn't spam <.>

Jeff (mod) · Oct 12, 2015

@Mist: Sorry you're still having trouble with it. As long as your Miiverse account hasn't been banned or anything, it should work. Try going to support.nintendo.com and tell them about the problem you're having. They should be able to help you.

Mist · Oct 10, 2015

@Jeff: It's kinda like I press 'Add/Write Play Journal Entry' but nothing ever happens. I don't get any error messages though. The green border is around the button but I just stare at it and nothing works.

Mist · Oct 9, 2015

I have a New 3DS XL and a Nintendo Network ID but when I try to post pictures of AC:NL on my Play Journal it doesn't work! When I click the 'Save to Screenshot Album' it doesn't work either! Help pls!
From Mist in AUS

Jeff (mod) · Oct 9, 2015

@Mist: Do you get an error message or anything?

Reineko · Feb 21, 2016

@Mist,
I'm having the same problem. Did you ever figure out what the problem was?

Jeff (mod) · Aug 28, 2015

The guide has now been updated to reflect the recent changes to Miiverse.

jessie · Aug 25, 2015

how do you save the sceenshot on a 3ds

Jeff (mod) · Aug 27, 2015

@jessie: As far as I know, there's no way to save Miiverse screenshots to your 3DS. But a few games let you save pictures to your 3DS (on the SD card), including Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Tomodachi Life.

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