Swapnote, known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions and in Japan, is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS family. Swapnote was released on December 21, 2011, in Japan and December 22, 2011, in Europe, Australia and North America via the Nintendo eShop. It can be downloaded at no additional cost and is pre-installed on newer systems. Swapnote is the successor to the PictoChat app for the Nintendo DS line. In November 2016, Nintendo released a successor called Swapdoodle. Features Swapnote allows users to send hand-written/drawn messages to either registered friends online via SpotPass or other users locally via StreetPass. The app also allows users to freely embed pictures and sounds into their messages, and change the position and the orientation of the picture and sound icons. Features are unlocked as players continue to send letters, such as the ability to hand-write/draw 3D messages, with additional stationery and features unlocked by spending Play Coins. Additional stationery can be obtained via certain Nintendo related events, such as using specific software, or by saving them from other people's messages. Updates On July 5, 2012, Nintendo updated the Swapnote application to feature six different colors of ink, with only one color being available per message. On April 11, 2013, Nintendo updated Swapnote yet again, including the ability to take photos or record audio directly through the application, as well as the ability to undo drawings, and use different colors on each page of a message. On December 15, 2020, Nintendo of America released a software update titled "Swapnote Remastered" with instructions on how to perform the update on their support website. This was then documented on Nintendo of Korea's support website as well on December 16. Discontinuation On October 31, 2013, Nintendo abruptly suspended SpotPass functionality of Swapnote, presumably after an incident in Japan where minors were sharing Friend Codes with people who had exploited the messaging service to allegedly exchange pornographic imagery. The application has since been delisted from the Nintendo eShop. Additionally, the Special Notes service, which were also sent via SpotPass to promote Nintendo games, has also been suspended. Nintendo issued an apology to those who had been using the application in a responsible manner. Nikki A unique, female Mii character known as Nikki acts as the software's hostess and mascot. By standard, Nikki is featured in the tutorial messages that appear when users start-up and use the app