WiiConnect24

Internet service for Nintendo's Wii home video game console

WiiConnect24 is a discontinued feature of Nintendo Wi Fi Connection for the Wii. It was first announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid 2006 by Nintendo. It enabled the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console was on standby. For example, in Animal Crossing: City Folk, a friend could send messages to another player without the recipient being present in the game at the same time as the sender. On June 27, 2013, Nintendo shut down WiiConnect24. Consequently, the Wii channels that required it, online data exchange via Wii Message Board, and passive online features for certain games (the latter two of which made use of 16 digit Wii Friend Codes) were all rendered unusable. The Wii U does not officially support WiiConnect24, therefore most preloaded and downloadable Wii channels were unavailable on the Wii U's Wii Mode menu and Wii Shop Channel, even prior to WiiConnect24's shutdown. On the shutdown date, the defunct downloadable Wii channels were removed from the Wii Shop Channel. WiiConnect24 was succeeded by SpotPass, a different trademark name for similar content pushing functions that the Nintendo Network service could perform for the newer Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles. SpotPass shut down alongside the Nintendo Network on April 8, 2024. In 2015 and 2020, fan made services, called RiiConnect24 and WiiLink (which, as of 2023, are maintained by the same team) respectively, were established as a replacement for WiiConnect24, aiming to bring back WiiConnect24 to those who have a homebrewed Wii console. The services currently offer online access to most channels using the functionality, as well as sending messages to other users in the Wii Message Board.

WiiConnect24 was used to receive content such as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, emails, updated channel and game content, and notifications of software updates. If the Standby Connect mode of WiiConnect24 is enabled, this content can also be received when the Wii is left in standby mode. While running in standby mode with Standby Connection enabled, the Wii uses about 9.6 watts, compared to 1.3 watts without WiiConnect24. WiiConnect24 can still be turned on or off via the setup interface. If it is on, the user is allowed to enable or disable Standby Connect mode. While the console is in standby, the power LED indicates the current status of the standby connection; red indicating Standby Connect is off and yellow indicating Standby Connect mode is on. If the power button on the console is pressed and held down for three to four seconds, the Wii goes into standby mode with Standby Connect off. If the Wii is cut off from power and power is later restored, it goes into standby mode with Standby Connect mode off, and WiiConnect24 will not operate until the console is turned on. The Wii's optical drive will glow a neon blue colour when Wii Message Board data has been received through WiiConnect24 in Standby Connect mode and, with firmware 3.0 and above, it will briefly flash when the console is turned on. The brightness level of this blue light can be changed via the Setup Interface with the options of Bright, Dim, or Off. The flowing light on the Wii is timed with the bird call of the Japanese bush warbler. When game messages are received with pictures, the player can view and customise them in the Photo Channel. The player would also be able to send them to other Wii consoles. Nintendo would also send messages to players, which they could opt out of.

During an interview with the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Publications, Nintendo's CEO, Satoru Iwata, revealed that the WiiConnect24 could be used for the downloading of demos for the Nintendo DS (this was later revealed to be the Nintendo Channel). According to Nintendo's European micro site for the Wii, WiiConnect24 could be used to send SMS messages "to family members that are out and about", and exchange pictures and messages with other Wii users.

On June 28, 2013, Nintendo discontinued all WiiConnect24 services. The Wii Shop Channel closed on January 30, 2019, and remaining video on demand services on Wii also ended on that date.