Awoo Installer
Open-Source Switch Homebrew

Awoo Installer — The Lightweight NSP Installer for Nintendo Switch

A free, no-nonsense homebrew title installer that puts your files on your console and gets out of the way. Install NSP, NSZ, XCI and XCZ packages from your SD card, over USB, or across your network — with zero bloat.

⬇ Download Now Setup Guide
License: GPL-3.0
Price: Free forever
Platform: Switch (CFW)

Get the app

Download Awoo Installer

The latest stable release of Awoo Installer is available for direct download below. The file is provided as a standard .zip archive containing the ready-to-use Awoo-Installer.nro homebrew executable. After downloading, follow the setup guide to install it on your console.

NRO

Awoo-Installer.zip

Latest stable build · Compatible with Atmosphère CFW

⬇ Download Now
VersionLatest
Size~2 MB
LicenseGPL-3.0
FormatZIP archive
PlatformNintendo Switch
PriceFree

Before You Download

  • Your Switch must have Atmosphère custom firmware already installed and working.
  • You need a microSD card with a small amount of free space (the app itself is only around 2 MB).
  • Access to the Homebrew Menu is required to launch the installer after setup.
  • This download contains only the Awoo Installer application — no games or copyrighted material of any kind.

Verify Your Download

After downloading, extract the ZIP file on your computer. Inside you should find a switch/Awoo-Installer/ folder containing Awoo-Installer.nro. If the file structure looks different or the archive is significantly smaller than expected, re-download the file to avoid corruption during installation.

Having Trouble?

If the download does not start automatically, right-click the button above and choose "Save link as…". On mobile, tap and hold the button to reveal the save option. For any post-download issues, jump to the troubleshooting section.

Overview

What Is Awoo Installer?

Awoo Installer is a free and open-source homebrew title installer for the Nintendo Switch. Built by developer Huntereb and released under the GPL-3.0 license, it was created with a single, refreshingly honest philosophy: install your files quickly, reliably, and without any of the clutter that has crept into other installers over the years. There are no storefronts, no advertisements, no locked features, and no telemetry — just a clean tool that does exactly one job and does it well.

At its core, Awoo Installer takes title packages in the NSP, NSZ, XCI and XCZ formats and installs them directly to your console's system memory (NAND) or to your microSD card. It is based on the proven installation code from Adubbz's Tinleaf project, which means the underlying engine has been battle-tested by the Switch homebrew community for years. What Awoo adds on top is a modern, readable interface, broader format support, and multiple flexible transfer methods so you are never stuck with a single way of moving files to your console.

Because the entire codebase is publicly available, anyone can inspect exactly what the application does, compile it themselves, or contribute improvements. In a scene where several popular installers are closed-source, that transparency is one of the biggest reasons the community continues to recommend Awoo Installer as a trustworthy first choice — especially for newcomers who are setting up custom firmware for the first time and want tools they can verify.

It is important to understand what Awoo Installer is not. It is not a game store, it does not download content from the internet on its own, and it does not include or link to any copyrighted material. It is a local installation utility, comparable to a package manager: you supply the files, and Awoo handles the process of getting them properly registered and installed on your system.

Why users choose it

Key Features of Awoo Installer

Every feature in Awoo Installer exists to make installation faster, more flexible, or more reliable. Here is what you get out of the box:

SD

SD Card Installation

Drop your files anywhere on your microSD card and install them directly. Awoo scans folders recursively, so you can keep your library organized however you like.

USB

USB Installation

Connect your Switch to a PC with a USB-C cable and stream installations straight from your computer using companion tools — no need to copy large files to the SD card first.

LAN

Network & LAN Install

Install over your local network from a PC, phone or NAS. Awoo can also pull files directly from a plain HTTP URL, which is ideal for self-hosted home servers.

NSZ

Compressed Format Support

NSZ and XCZ compressed packages are decompressed on the fly during installation, saving significant space on your SD card and shortening transfer times.

HDD

Hard Drive Support

Install from an exFAT or FAT32-formatted USB hard drive or flash drive connected to the dock — perfect for large libraries that would never fit on a microSD card.

SIG

Signature Handling

Optional signature patch awareness lets the installer work with standard-cryptography packages, with clear warnings so you always know what is being installed.

Beyond the headline features, Awoo Installer includes a number of quality-of-life touches that make daily use pleasant: batch installation for queuing multiple files at once, a clear progress display with real transfer speeds, the ability to choose between NAND and SD as the install destination for every operation, and a lightweight theme that stays responsive even on the original Erista hardware. The interface is deliberately minimal — big readable text, obvious controls, and nothing between you and the task at hand.

Compatibility

Supported File Formats

Awoo Installer handles all four of the common Switch title package formats, which means you will almost never need a second installer or a conversion tool:

.NSP .NSZ .XCI .XCZ

NSP (Nintendo Submission Package) is the standard eShop-style container and the most common format for homebrew distribution and personal backups. XCI (NX Card Image) is a full dump of a physical game cartridge. The NSZ and XCZ formats are community-created compressed versions of NSP and XCI respectively — they can shrink files by 20–60% depending on the content, and Awoo Installer decompresses them automatically during installation so you never handle the extraction yourself. This built-in NSZ support is a major advantage over older installers that require you to convert compressed files back to their full size before installing.

Getting started

How to Download and Set Up Awoo Installer

Before you begin, make sure your console meets the basic requirements. Awoo Installer is homebrew software, so it will only run on a Nintendo Switch that already has a custom firmware environment set up:

  • A Nintendo Switch capable of running custom firmware (an unpatched V1 unit, or a modded console).
  • Atmosphère custom firmware installed and bootable — the most widely used open-source CFW for the Switch.
  • A microSD card with a few hundred megabytes of free space for the app itself, plus room for whatever you plan to install.
  • Access to the Homebrew Menu (usually opened by launching an app while holding the R button).
  • Optionally, signature patches if you intend to install packages that use standard cryptography.

Installation Steps

  1. Download the latest release. Visit the official Awoo Installer source repository and download the most recent Awoo-Installer.zip from the Releases page. Always use the official repository — third-party mirrors may bundle outdated or modified builds.
  2. Extract the archive. Unzip the file on your computer. Inside you will find a switch folder containing the Awoo-Installer directory with the .nro application file.
  3. Copy to your SD card. Insert your Switch's microSD card into your computer and merge the extracted switch folder with the existing switch folder on the root of the card. The final path should be /switch/Awoo-Installer/Awoo-Installer.nro.
  4. Reinsert and boot. Put the SD card back into your console and boot into Atmosphère as you normally would.
  5. Launch from the Homebrew Menu. Open the Homebrew Menu (hold R while launching a title for full-memory access, which is strongly recommended for installers) and select Awoo Installer from the list. You are ready to go.

Updating is just as simple: download the newer release and overwrite the old files on your SD card. Your settings are preserved, and there is nothing to uninstall or migrate.

Daily use

How to Use Awoo Installer

Once launched, the main menu presents each install source as a clearly labeled option. Whichever route you choose, the flow is the same: pick your source, select one or more files, choose NAND or SD card as the destination, and confirm.

Installing From the SD Card

Choose Install from SD card, browse to the folder containing your NSP, NSZ, XCI or XCZ files, and select what you want. You can multi-select to queue several packages in a single batch — Awoo will process them one after another and report the result of each. This is the simplest method and the best starting point for first-time users.

Installing Over USB

Select Install over USB, connect the console to your PC with a quality USB-C data cable, and run a compatible transfer tool on the computer (community tools such as ns-usbloader work well and are cross-platform). The files stream directly from your PC to the console, which is a huge convenience when your SD card is nearly full or when you are testing builds repeatedly.

Installing Over LAN or the Internet

The network option lets your Switch receive files from any device on the same network. Point the companion app on your PC or phone at the IP address Awoo displays, or use the URL mode to give Awoo a direct HTTP link to a file hosted on your own local server or NAS. For large libraries stored on a home server, this is by far the most comfortable workflow — no cables, no card swapping.

Installing From a USB Hard Drive

Dock users can plug an exFAT or FAT32 hard drive or flash drive into the dock's USB port and select Install from USB hard drive. Awoo reads the drive directly, which makes it the go-to method for archiving and restoring very large collections of personal backups.

Alternatives

Awoo Installer vs Tinfoil vs Goldleaf

The Switch homebrew scene has three well-known installers, and choosing between them mostly comes down to philosophy. Here is an honest side-by-side look:

AspectAwoo InstallerTinfoilGoldleaf
Open sourceYes (GPL-3.0)NoYes
NSZ / XCZ supportYes, built inYesLimited
USB installYesYesYes (Quark)
Network / URL installYesYesNo
Extra features / shopsNone — installer onlyMany, incl. shop systemFile manager extras
Resource footprintVery lightHeavierLight

In short: pick Tinfoil if you want an all-in-one package and do not mind closed-source software; pick Goldleaf if you want a general-purpose file manager that can also install; and pick Awoo Installer if you want a fast, transparent, auditable tool whose only job is installing your files correctly. Many experienced users keep Awoo as their primary installer precisely because its simplicity leaves less room for things to go wrong.

Fix common issues

Troubleshooting Awoo Installer

The app crashes on launch

The most common cause is launching the Homebrew Menu in applet mode (through the Album) instead of full-memory mode. Installers need the extra RAM, so always open the Homebrew Menu by holding R while launching a game or title. Also confirm you are on a reasonably current version of Atmosphère, since very old CFW builds can be incompatible with newer homebrew.

"Failed to install" or signature errors

If an installation fails partway through, first re-download or re-transfer the file — corruption during copying is the usual culprit. Signature-related errors typically mean the package uses standard cryptography and your system lacks the relevant patches; Awoo will warn you about this before installing.

USB install is not detected

Use a proper USB-C data cable (many cheap cables are charge-only), try a different USB port on the PC, and make sure the companion tool on the computer has the correct drivers installed. On Windows, installing the libusbK driver via Zadig resolves most detection problems.

Installed titles do not appear

Restart the console after installation. If a title still refuses to appear or launch, verify the file was complete and valid, and check that your firmware version meets the minimum required by that particular package.

Questions & answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Awoo Installer free?

Yes, completely. Awoo Installer is open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license. There are no paid tiers, donations walls, or unlockable features, and the full source code is publicly published for anyone to read or compile.

Does Awoo Installer work without custom firmware?

No. Like all Switch homebrew, Awoo Installer requires a console running custom firmware such as Atmosphère. A stock, unmodified Switch cannot launch homebrew applications at all.

Is using Awoo Installer safe for my console?

The application itself is stable, widely used, and auditable. The general risks of the homebrew scene still apply, however: running custom firmware can lead to a ban from online services, and installing corrupted or malicious packages from untrusted sources can cause problems. Stick to files you created or trust, keep backups of your NAND, and you will be in good shape.

Is Awoo Installer legal?

The software is legal open-source code. What matters is how you use it. Installing homebrew applications and backups of games you personally own is broadly considered acceptable in most regions. Downloading and installing commercial games you have not purchased is piracy, is illegal, and is not something this site or the Awoo project supports in any way.

Can Awoo Installer download games?

No. Awoo Installer has no store, no browser, and no download service. It only installs files that you provide yourself via SD card, USB, hard drive, or your own network sources.

Awoo Installer vs Tinfoil — which should I use?

If you want a minimal, open-source tool that just installs files, use Awoo. If you want a larger feature set and do not mind closed-source software, Tinfoil may suit you. Many users keep both, but for pure installation reliability and transparency, Awoo Installer is the community's frequent recommendation.

Where should I download Awoo Installer from?

Always from the official source repository's Releases page. Random file-hosting mirrors may serve outdated versions or tampered builds, so the official source is the only one worth trusting.

Legal note: This is an independent, unofficial informational website about the open-source Awoo Installer project. We do not host, distribute, or link to any copyrighted game files, and we do not condone piracy in any form. Awoo Installer should only be used with homebrew software and legal backups of content you own. This site is not affiliated with Nintendo or with the Awoo Installer developers. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.