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Guides: Using QR Codes on Your Nintendo 3DS

Posted by Corbie Dillard

Sharing Miis is fun and easy

Easily one of the more popular features of the Wii console was the ability to create personalised avatars called Mii characters. Nintendo has brought this unique feature over to the 3DS, with a host of new features that make creating and sharing them not only much easier, but more fun as well.

We know that many of you already know how to share your Mii characters, but for those who haven't yet discovered this function we've put together this guide to help you get the hang of it. Below you'll find a step-by-step explanation of how the QR Code function works and how it can help you not only share your own Mii, but also how to scan other Miis into your system. We've even included a few of our staff Miis to get you started.

The first thing you'll need to do is launch the Mii Maker program found on the HOME menu of your 3DS system. Once inside the program you'll see the QR Code/Image Options. Here is where you'll be able to Scan your QR Code, Save Mii as QR Code or Save Mii as Image. In order to make things easier, these three options are explained in further detail below.

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Scan QR Code

Rather than spend all of your spare time creating different Mii characters for use in various games, Nintendo has offered up an easier way for you to build up your collection of characters via the QR Code. These square barcode-like images that you've likely come across on various Internet message boards and forums can be scanned using your outside 3DS cameras and saved to your SD card for future use. It's as simple as selecting the Scan QR Code option, lining up the square target on your 3DS screen with one of the QR Codes and seeing the corresponding Mii magically pop up on your screen.

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Save Mii as QR Code

In order to share your Mii with other 3DS owners, you're going to have to convert it into a QR Code. To do this all you have to do is select the Save Mii as QR Code option from the menu and then choose the Mii you'd like to convert and save as a QR Code. Pop your 3DS SD Card into your computer and upload the QR Code that you can now share with the world via email, the Internet or even printing it out on paper.

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Save Mii as Image

While displaying your QR Code is sufficient enough for other 3DS owners to add your Mii to their growing collection, you might also want them to see exactly what your Mii character looks like before they scan it into their system. To do this you're going to have to save your Mii picture to your SD card in much the same way you saved your QR Code. Simply click on the Save Mii as Image* option, select the Mii you want to save a picture of and then choose whether you want to save just the _Face or the Entire Mii. You can upload the picture file to your computer and share it just like you did with the QR Code. Many gamers even group the Mii Pic and the QR Code together when posting or emailing them.

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If you haven't already done so, you can post your own QR Code and Mii Pic in our Mii QR Codes forum topic, not to mention scan some of the ones that have already been posted. After all, can you ever really have too many Miis?

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User Comments (35)

pikku

#2

pikku said:

Haha you guys are awesome. Nice article
even though I'm already Pro at this stuff, yo :*

JamieOStaff

#7

JamieO said:

Cheers lots to Corbie, I was distracted by Pilotwings Resort and Ridge Racer 3D, it was not until he got in touch with the Nlife team about this article that I started to dabble in saving/ sharing my Mii and messing around with scanning QR codes.

This is such a fun feature of the 3DS, and what Corbie has written is a fun feature about such a fun feature of the 3DS.
Awesomesauce! :)

Golgo

#8

Golgo said:

Too many default - ie, elegant and petite - noses in that line-up. Suspicious. Where are all the honkers? C'mon, be honest and make with the ugly!

Philip_J_ReedStaff

#9

Philip_J_Reed said:

My Mii is chronically depressed by all the shovelware the rest of the Miis make him review.

Kid_A

#10

Kid_A said:

I hadn't really figured out QR codes entirely when I tried to send my to Corbs so my Mii's not up here.

Rest assured that mine is the most tall dark and handsome of all of them :p

3DS

#12

3DS said:

LMFAO just scanned the first one with my iPod and it came up with this - ‘(X"Øk÷&•îhôúô‡?9Ïc#ú(ç¢éÈ°aV€¦.ý¨NêyÀc¦ÂsxÐyùïIÒ«„4d~7Ke–£bÁÇœWpÚ+¼ai¹UZ øFŠMßÄ£N¾j± «EÐeŠV¹P Ûsð

TeeJay

#14

TeeJay said:

Corbie, you changed your Mii since I got it! It no longer has big eyes. Now it has a look that says: "What're you lookin' at?"
/me rescans a new Corbie

ryanthehedgehog

#15

ryanthehedgehog said:

When I was exploring the Mii Maker when I first picked up my 3DS, I saw the "Save as photo > Mii > Face or Whole Mii" thing, but I did wonder what the QR Codes were about. My sister was playing on the 3DS and showed me how you use the QR Codes, and it's pretty cool. Corbie is now in my Mii Lineup. Btw, Corbie needs to add me !!!! He was on the list..

TeeJay

#17

TeeJay said:

@ James
You should write to Nintendo asking them to release an update that includes your giant nose! Or have the option to elongate any nose in the Mii Maker so it sticks out more. :)

PatrickElliot

#19

PatrickElliot said:

@KidA Me too, I totally missed this! I tried getting the QR codes to work but my 3DS kept telling me my Mii was "Too Gorgeous" to render in code ;)

Philip_J_ReedStaff

#21

Philip_J_Reed said:

@13: Eh, I haven't even bothered seeking out my friend code, or how to use it, or what one can do it with it. Until there's a reason to take this thing online I'm not going to bother.

James

#22

James said:

@Tj92 Both very flattering options, thanks. However, I worry that a realistic representation of my nose in 3D might cause severe distress to many gamers unable to cope with the incredible protrusion of my conk.

Dev

#23

Dev said:

Thanks for the QR codes and article! Now I just need to know one thing, and that's if I have to go to a image site like Photoshop to get these images on my computer as JPG images.

motang

#24

motang said:

It's awesome Nintendo put this into the 3DS, good way to distribute Miis.

James

#25

James said:

@NintyFan Just right-click on the images and "Save As". If you're referring to the images on your 3DS SD card, you just need to copy them across to your computer: no extra software needed!

Benja_Mii_n

#27

Benja_Mii_n said:

I scaned all the NL staff lol. I would give you mine but I don't know how to put my QR code on the internet on the Wii or Computer.

Victoria

#28

Victoria said:

I love how people are using their Miis on Nintendo Life as their avatars. It makes the place so friendly to see all the faces.

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