Client Application Loader

Everything needed to go from an empty box to a running device – on this one page, in order, no account and no sign-in required. If something below doesn't work, the fix is almost always the very first step.

Step 1 – Get a device

This has been built and tested against the ELEGOO 2-Pack ESP32 2.8-Inch Touch Display. Already have one? Skip to Step 2.

One honest caveat: this loader was developed and measured against a specific board (an LCDWIKI E32R28T) from the same "Cheap Yellow Display" family the ELEGOO board belongs to - same screen, same touch controller, same general design, but a different manufacturer. The ELEGOO board itself is confirmed to work with this same detect-the-board-automatically approach. What hasn't happened yet is this specific loader being flashed onto real hardware at all, of either board - so if Step 5's display comes up blank or scrambled after flashing where everything else in this guide succeeded, that's the thing to report, not a sign this particular board was the wrong choice.
Use Chrome or Edge on an actual Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. An iPhone or iPad cannot do this, in any browser, including Chrome or Edge for iOS – Apple does not allow it on those devices at all. Android phones and tablets, and Safari or Firefox on any computer, don't work either. The browser feature this needs (WebSerial) only exists in Chrome and Edge, version 89 or newer, running on a real computer with a USB port.
Step 2 – Install the USB driver

This is the step almost everyone gets stuck on, so do it before plugging the device in. Windows in particular will not show the device at all until this is installed – not a broken cable, not a broken device, just a missing driver.

Pick the download for your computer:

Windows macOS Linux

These come directly from WCH, the company that makes the chip. If you'd rather follow pictures than a zip file, Adafruit's step-by-step driver guide covers the same install with screenshots.

Step 3 – Plug in the device

Use a real USB data cable (some cables only carry power - if nothing happens in the next step, try a different cable before anything else) and plug the device straight into the computer, not through a hub if you can avoid it.

Step 4 – Flash it

Download the firmware file first, then open the flashing tool and select it - the tool runs entirely in your browser and never uploads anything anywhere.

Download CAL.ino.merged.bin

  1. Open Espressif's official flashing tool in a new tab (it opens automatically in Chrome/Edge).
  2. Click Connect and choose the device from the list the browser shows. If nothing shows up, Step 2's driver isn't installed yet - go back and install it, then unplug and replug the device.
  3. Set the flash address to 0x0 and choose the file you downloaded above. This one file contains everything - there is nothing else to select.
  4. Click Program and wait. This takes a minute or two - do not unplug the device or close the tab while it's running.
  5. When it says finished, unplug the device and plug it back in. It should show a splash screen and then ask to join your WiFi.
Step 5 – Connect it to your WiFi

The device raises its own WiFi network for a few minutes after flashing. On your phone, open WiFi settings, join the network the device's screen shows, and a page for entering your household WiFi name and password should open automatically. If it doesn't, open a browser on your phone and go to 192.168.4.1.

If something isn't working

The downloaded file opened in some other program instead of doing anything useful
That's fine and expected - don't double-click the downloaded file. It's not meant to be opened directly; some other program on your computer may claim files that end in .bin for itself, which has nothing to do with this. Leave it where it downloaded and select it from inside the flashing tool in Step 4 instead.
No device shows up in the browser's connect window
The driver from Step 2 isn't installed, or the cable is power-only. Try a different cable and confirm the driver installed without an error before trying again.
Programming fails partway through
Unplug the device, plug it back in, and start Step 4 again. Nothing is damaged by a failed attempt - the device simply keeps whatever it had before until a flash finishes completely.
The device doesn't show a WiFi network to join after flashing
Give it about 30 seconds after the "finished" message, then unplug and replug it once. If it still doesn't appear, the flash likely didn't complete - go back to Step 4.
The screen is blank, scrambled, or shows garbled colors after a flash that otherwise finished normally
Unplug and replug once first, since that alone fixes it more often than not. If it's still wrong after that, the device isn't damaged, but this specific unit needs a closer look - contact whoever gave you this device.
None of the above fixed it
Contact whoever gave you this device. Nothing about this device or its setup requires signing in anywhere or creating an account of your own to get this far.