Brewser DocsNetwork Behaviour
What Brewser connects to and when, and how Offline Mode works
Brewser is designed to do almost everything from your SD card, so it reaches the network only for a few well-defined things. This page lists exactly what those are, explains how Brewser behaves with no connection, and describes the Offline Mode setting for people who would rather their console never starts network traffic on its own.
What Brewser connects to, and when
Only one of these happens on its own. Everything else waits until you ask for it.
| When | What it does | Where |
|---|---|---|
| On boot | A silent catalogue sync, so your app list is up to date | GitHub |
| On demand | Downloading an app you pick from the catalogue | GitHub |
| On demand | Checking for and downloading a Brewser update | GitHub |
| On demand | Telemetry, sign-in, and related cloud features | brewser.io |
The boot catalogue sync is the only thing Brewser starts automatically. App downloads happen when you choose an app, the update check and download happen when you ask for them (see Installing & Updating), and the calls to the site backend at brewser.io cover sign-in, cloud saves and leaderboards, and the anonymous download and rating counts described in Privacy & Your Data.
Brewser never contacts Nintendo's servers. Nothing it does talks to console-manufacturer infrastructure, so using Brewser does not put your console in touch with Nintendo.
Because of this, Brewser works with DNS-blocking setups such as 90DNS. Those setups block Nintendo's own domains, and Brewser never uses them, so the catalogue, downloads, updates, and cloud features all keep working with 90DNS in place.
Running offline
Brewser runs from cache, so you do not need a connection to use it once it is set up. Your downloaded
apps, the catalogue cache, and app storage all live under sdmc:/switch/brewser/.
With no connection, the silent boot sync is simply skipped and Brewser shows the cached catalogue from the last time it synced. Apps you have already downloaded launch and run normally.
The one exception is apps that need the network by nature: streaming and media apps, and home-automation or LAN dashboards. Those cannot work without the connection they depend on. Every other app, being self-contained, runs the same offline as online.
Offline Mode
Offline Mode is a checkbox in the shell's Settings. It is stored as offlineMode in
sdmc:/switch/brewser/configs/config.json and is off by default; you can set it there directly if
you prefer editing the file.
Running offline (above) is what happens when there is no connection. Offline Mode is a deliberate choice: it stops Brewser starting any network activity at all, even when a connection is available.
What it disables
Offline Mode turns off everything Brewser would otherwise start on its own:
- the silent catalogue sync on boot,
- the automatic update check,
- telemetry.
It also disables the Check for updates and Download buttons in the shell, so no network action can be triggered by accident.
You will not be notified of new versions while Offline Mode is on. To update, turn Offline Mode off first, then use Check for updates as described in Installing & Updating.
How you can tell
- The connectivity indicator shows orange whenever Offline Mode is on, regardless of whether you actually have a connection. Green means connected; orange means offline or Offline Mode.
- On boot, a toast reads "You are running Brewser in offline mode".
Who it is for
Offline Mode is for people who prefer that their console never initiates network traffic. With it on, Brewser stays entirely local until you choose to turn it off.
Questions
Is it safe to connect?
Connecting is fine for what Brewser needs. Brewser only talks to GitHub (catalogue and downloads) and brewser.io (telemetry, sign-in, and cloud features), and never to Nintendo's servers. As with any homebrew on a custom-firmware console, there is a general, non-zero risk to your account; see the FAQ on ban risk for the community-standard advice. If you would rather Brewser never starts a connection on its own, turn on Offline Mode.
Does Brewser work with 90DNS?
Yes. 90DNS and similar setups block Nintendo's domains, which Brewser never uses, so the catalogue, app downloads, updates, and cloud features all continue to work.
Why is my indicator orange?
The connectivity indicator is orange whenever Offline Mode is on, whatever your real connection is. It is also orange when Brewser has no connection. Green means connected with Offline Mode off. If you did not expect orange, check whether Offline Mode is ticked in Settings.
Related
- Installing & Updating: how the in-app updater works.
- Privacy & Your Data: what the anonymous counts and cloud features store.
- Networking in Apps: what an app's own
fetchandWebSocketreach. - FAQ: ban risk, 90DNS, and running apps offline.