How can we help?

1. Is there firmware on the ESP32? A new board shows nothing. Install it with the web flasher.
2. Did you pick the right display? ILI9488 and ST7796 look alike; try the other one.
3. Check VCC on 3V3, GND, CS (GPIO 15), DC (GPIO 2), RESET (GPIO 4), MOSI (GPIO 23), SCK (GPIO 18) and LED (GPIO 32) against the wiring step of the build guide.
4. Still nothing: open the app's Serial Terminal (Settings → Serial Terminal) and send HW_INFO. The reply shows which display the firmware found.

The display is an IPS panel. Flash the firmware again and choose IPS instead of TFT.

Wrong key: calibrate again. In the app: Settings → General → Calibrate, then tap the highlighted keys on the deck.

No reaction at all: check the touch wires T_CS (GPIO 21), T_DO (GPIO 19), T_IRQ (GPIO 27), and that MOSI and SCK also reach T_DIN and T_CLK. Make sure the display really has a touch layer.

Keep the SPI wires (SCK, MOSI, CS) short and away from VCC and GND, and check for a loose crimp or a cold solder joint. A better USB cable or port helps when the deck resets under load.

In the app open Settings → General and press Send again next to “Pictures on the Wdeck”. If the storage bar there is full, remove pictures you no longer use. The deck keeps only what fits.

1. Use a USB data cable and plug straight into the PC, not a hub.
2. Close other programs that use the port (Arduino IDE, serial monitors, the web flasher tab).
3. Pick the port by hand in Settings → General → Connection.
4. No port appears at all: install the CP210x or CH340 driver for your board.

The classic ESP32 WROOM-32 DevKit V1 with 30 pins. ESP32-S3 boards work too, with different pins. The app shows them and builds the firmware for that board.

3.5" ILI9488 (the one the case is made for), 4" ST7796, and 2.4–2.8" ILI9341 or ST7789 SPI displays with a touch layer. Smaller panels get smaller keys automatically.

Use 3V3. The logic of these modules runs at 3.3 V and the ESP32 pins are not 5 V tolerant.

PETG is recommended: it stays in shape next to a warm monitor or in the sun. PLA works for a deck in a cool room.

No. Use the web flasher or the Firmware tab in the app. The app downloads its build tools the first time, which takes a few minutes.

Hold the BOOT button on the ESP32 while you press Install and let go when the progress starts. Close the Wdeck app first, because only one program can use the port.

The firmware from October 2026 on gives pictures more room, which clears them and the calibration once when you update from an older firmware. Calibrate on the deck; the app sends the pictures again by itself.

The app is not code-signed, so SmartScreen does not know it yet. Choose More info → Run anyway. You can check the file against the SHA-256 on the download page.

Windows blocks shortcuts sent to programs running as administrator. Run the Wdeck app as administrator too (right-click → Run as administrator, or set it in the file's Properties → Compatibility).

The Discord desktop app must be running, and the Wdeck app must be linked to it in its Discord tab (a small Discord application with a Client ID and Secret; the tab walks you through it). The browser version of Discord cannot be controlled.

In OBS turn on Tools → WebSocket Server Settings, then enter the same port (usually 4455) and password in the app under Settings → General → OBS Studio.

If the app lives in Program Files, Windows asks for administrator permission to replace it. Accept the prompt. Otherwise download the newest version from the download page; your layout stays as it is.

In %APPDATA%\Wdeck (or next to the exe in portable mode). About Wdeck → Open data folder takes you there. Export a layout to a file from the Layouts panel as a backup.

Yes. The app, the firmware and the case files are free under the MIT licence; you only buy the parts.

Not yet. The app is for Windows 10 and 11. The web flasher works on any system with Chrome or Edge.

Anonymous usage statistics and crash reports, which you can switch off in Settings → General → Privacy, and the update check. See Privacy.

The MIT licence allows it. A mention of Wdeck is appreciated.