Skip to content

Install Firmware (No Toolchain Required)

Flash the latest firmware directly from this page over USB. No PlatformIO, no dependencies, no build errors — just a cable and a supported browser. Work top to bottom through the three steps below.

You need a desktop Chromium browser

Flashing uses Web Serial, which only works in Chrome, Edge, or Opera on desktop. It does not work in Firefox, Safari, or any mobile browser. Use a data USB cable, not a charge-only one.

Connect your board

Plug the ESP32 into your computer. The installer auto-detects which board you have (WROOM, C3, or S3) — but the S3 sometimes needs one extra step to enter flashing mode.

Just plug it in with a USB data cable. Nothing else to do — continue to Flash the firmware.

Many ESP32-S3 boards won't show up in the browser's device picker until you manually put them into download mode:

  1. Hold the BOOT button.
  2. While holding BOOT, press and release RESET (sometimes labelled EN).
  3. Release BOOT.

The board is now waiting for a flash. Continue to Flash the firmware. After flashing finishes, press RESET once to boot the new firmware.

Still not detected?

Install the CP210x or CH340 USB-serial driver for your OS, then retry. More fixes on the troubleshooting page.

If Wi-Fi / Update options are missing: Logs & Console, then Back

Clicking Install or Update Firmware Only opens the serial connection, and that restarts the board — expected, but it means the flasher checks for the running firmware while the board is still booting, and occasionally loses that race. When it does, the menu only shows Install and Logs & Console.

The fix takes two clicks: choose Logs & Console, give it a beat, then press Back. The Update Firmware Only, Wi-Fi, and Visit Device options will be there.

Don't close the dialog and re-click Install to retry — closing it resets the board again, restarting the same race. Logs & Console → Back re-checks over the open connection without a reset, so it works every time.

(A plain factory Install is always available and needs none of this — just click it.)

Flash the firmware

Checking for the latest release…

Connect to Wi-Fi

Right after flashing finishes, stay on this page — a Wi-Fi setup form appears automatically, in the same browser tab, over the same USB cable. Pick your network, enter your password, and the display connects immediately. No second device, no unplugging.

Once connected, you'll get a link straight to the device's IP address to open its settings page.

Form didn't appear? Same two-click fix

The Wi-Fi form is driven by the same service as the Update/Visit Device options, so the same trick applies: choose Logs & Console, give it a beat, then press Back. If it still doesn't show, reboot the board once (unplug/replug, or Restart Device under Logs & Console) and try again — a fresh boot restarts the 5-minute window the flasher relies on. Failing that, use the manual fallback below.

Browser doesn't support this, or the form doesn't appear

Some browsers can flash firmware but not do live Wi-Fi setup, and very old firmware won't support it either. Fall back to manual setup:

  1. On your phone or computer, connect to the Wi-Fi network Split Flap Display.
  2. Open http://192.168.4.1 in a browser.
  3. Enter your home Wi-Fi credentials and save. The display will reboot and connect.
  4. Once connected, find it on your network via http://<name>.local (shown in the settings page), or check your router's client list.

See the live serial log any time

With the board plugged in, click Install again and choose Logs & Console from the menu. This opens a live serial monitor right in your browser — handy for watching the boot sequence, confirming the board reached Homing, or diagnosing a board that isn't behaving.

Troubleshooting

Device not detected, driver issues, or nothing happens after flashing? See the troubleshooting page.

Erase the board completely (advanced)

Wipe the ESP32 back to a blank chip with no firmware at all. This is different from Install above (which erases and reinstalls) — use this only if you want to repurpose the board for something else, or hand it off blank.

This leaves the board with nothing on it

A full erase removes the firmware itself — the board will do nothing until you flash it again. To reset a board you intend to keep using, use Install at the top of the page instead.