主菜单界面是N3DS的核心之一。从这里我们可以运行游戏，观看视频，管理朋友列表以及更改设置。开机启动时它是最先出现的，除了进行系统设置修改时，它一直在3DS模式下后台运行。
版本信息
| 系统版本 | 固件版本 | 更新日期 | 修改记录 | CDN可用性 | CDN发布日期 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0-0 | 0 | 2011.2.26 | 首发3DS自带固件 | 可用 | 2011.2.18 |
| 1.1.0-0 | ? | ? | 从部分游戏卡带进行升级 | 不可用 | N/A |
| 1.1.0-1 | 0 | 2011年2月某日 | 一般性bug修复
在主菜单加入了3D视频选项（仅加入了一段时间） |
可用 | 2011.3.1 |
| 2.0.0-2 | 1029 | 2011.6.6/7 | 来自官方的升级信息：（DSiWare文件管理没有说明，但是是可用的）加入了任天堂eshop ，可以使用网络浏览器。加入系统转移。可以进行对DSiWare文件的完全管理。可能进行自动的系统升级（需要连接无线网络）。 | 可用 | 2011.6.6 |
| 2.1.0-1 | ? | ? | 通过某些游戏卡带进行升级，这个固件貌似是基于2.0.0-2编辑的，目的应该是把系统版本为1.1.0-1的3DS升级，但是2.0.0-2固件更新的所有特征都没有出现。虽然这个固件的版本高于2.0.0-2, 网络浏览器似乎被删除，E-Shop没有出现，示范用视频依旧存在。但是2.0.0-2中重新设计的主菜单界面，DSiWare管理及其他特性在这个固件中均有出现。 | 不可用 | ? |
| 2.1.0-3 | 2049 | 2011.6.15 | 修正了Ridge Racer静止的bug。 | 可用 | 2011.6.15 |
| 2.1.0-4 | ? | 2011.7.25 | 提高了系统稳定性，进行了一些小的系统修改。 | 可用 | ? |
| 2.2.0-4 | ? | 2011.11.6 | 改进了Friend List. 通过诸如马里奥大陆3D的卡带升级（日版）。 | 不可用 | ? |
| 3.0.0-5 | 4111 | 2011.12.7 | Added 3D video recording to the camera title, updated Mii Streetpass Plaza, downloaded 3DS titles transfer between systems, improved eShop, home menu QR code scanning with QR codes containing URLs. Nintendo Zone is now always accessible, 3D video streaming support was added to NZone. | Available | December 7, 2011 |
| 3.0.0-6 | 4111 | December 21, 2011 | Home menu wasn't updated, only StreetPass Mii Plaza and a system title were updated. From Nintendo's system update page: "System stability improvements and other adjustments". | Available | December 21, 2011 |
| 4.0.0-7 | 5131 | April 24, 2012 | Add folders to Home Menu, game patching added, buy more expensive games than 1000 yen.(JPN) | Available | April 24, 2012 |
| 4.1.0-8 | 5131 | May 14, 2012 | From changelog: "improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments". Once updated to 4.1.0-8, the parental-controls PIN is no longer required for future system updates. | Available | May 14, 2012 |
| 4.2.0-9 | 6146 | June 26, 2012 | Improved eShop safety for entering credit-card info, and behind the scenes improvements. Stored CC info will be deleted by this updated eShop, and can be re-entered again. | Available | June 26, 2012 |
| 4.3.0-10 | 6146 | July 24, 2012 | Updated eShop, bad word list and NZone hotspot list updated. | Available | July 24, 2012 |
| 4.4.0-10 | 6146 | September 19, 2012 | NZone hotspot list updated and TWL_FIRM updated for blocking flash cards. | Available | September 19, 2012 |
| 4.4.0-10 | 6146 | October 17, 2012 | China-only, the *only* updated title was System Settings. This title was updated to a version already available in TWN/KOR. | Available | October 17, 2012 |
| 4.5.0-10 | 6146 | December 4, 2012 | Flash-card block via updated TWL_FIRM and whitelist. NZone hotspot list updated as well. | Available | December 4, 2012 |
| 5.0.0-11 | 7172 | March 25, 2013 | Various eShop changes, many other system titles including NATIVE_FIRM was updated as well. | Available | March 25, 2013 |
Auto-Boot Kiosk Function
The system checks the game's banner to determine whether the gamecard can be auto-booted. When the Home Menu is initially loaded by NS, it checks Slot-1 for a Kiosk Demo cartridge. If one is found, it will load the application on the cartridge and the home menu will not remain running in the background, or at least not in an operational state. Kiosk demos up to (but not including) New Super Mario Bros 2, utilised a combination, of blocking the functionality of the 'Home' button and kiosk auto-boot to enforce a "kiosk environment". Pressing the power button in this environment caused a shutdown, and the home menu is inaccessible. However if the home menu is fully initialised and then one of these kiosk demos is launched, the environment is the same as if it was auto-booted, except, pressing the power button brings the user to the 'Grey sleep page' instead of shutting down.
From the New Super Mario Bros 2 demo and onwards, a new kiosk environment was introduced. The 3DS will auto-boot the card like before. However, both 'Home', and 'Power' buttons will cause a shutdown when pressed, and the kiosk demo will automatically quit after a set period of time of inactivity causing a shutdown. If the home menu is fully initialised and then the kiosk demo is loaded, the 'Home' and 'Power' act as they would with a normal retail game (the home menu is accessible). But the game will still quit after a set period of time of inactivity, but will instead quit to the home menu.
Attempting to launch kiosk demos on a 3DS which doesn't have the same region encoding, will result in the 3DS will printing "An Error has Occurred" when attempting to auto-boot a such kiosk demo. And not showing the application on the home menu (the latter also happens with regular retail games).
Auto-boot cartridges, can bypass some of the functions of the Home Menu. Auto Booted software:
- Does show usage history in the activity log
- Bypasses Parental controls
- Bypasses Forced Game Card Updates
- Bypasses Initial 3DS Setup
- The console does not have a friends list presence.
锁区
Home Menu有锁区控制的功能。所有Title的锁区区域都在ICN data中。一共有6个锁区区域：日本，美国，欧洲(包括澳大利亚)，中国，台湾，以及韩国。还有一个使Title免受锁区的值，使其能在任何版本的3DS上运行。
锁区效果
每个3DS Title——不管游戏被存储在哪里(NAND/SD卡/游戏卡带)，都会被Home Menu检查，非本区域的Title会被Home Menu拒绝显示，而用户不会收到相关提醒。然而,非本区域SD卡的Title，会在检查过程中"闪现"。对于那些不需要从Home Menu界面启动的Title(比如kiosk demos)，Home Menu会声明发生了错误并停止启动Title。