Your Nintendo 3DS may occasionally crash or freeze, preventing you from using it. Performing a hard reset is usually a simple solution, but you may need to do some additional troubleshooting if you continue to experience problems. This article applies to all Nintendo 3DS models, including 3DS XL and 2DS.

If your device freezes while playing a game:

Hold the Power button until the 3DS turns off. This may take about 10 seconds.

Press the power button again to turn the 3DS back on.