Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!
If you know, you know… but for those that don’t the Flipper Zero is a portable multi-tool for nerds. A category I probably fit into. If you don’t have one already, it’s worth getting as they are fun. If you’re into using Raspberry Pi devices, then you will really enjoy the Flipper Zero. If you are non-technical and are looking for something that’s like the hacking tool in the video game “Watch Dogs” then you’re going to be disappointed and you probably fell for one of the cringe-worthy TikTok videos that over hype the device.
I thought I would write up a few tips based on my personal experience with the Flipper Zero.
DISCLAIMER: You are responsible for complying with local laws and other regulations. This includes telecommunications and copyright laws. I do not condone illegal activity or inappropriate use of your Flipper Zero. I provide no warranty or support for any instructions on this page, and if you brick your Flipper you’re on your own.
Before we begin, some general Flipper Zero tips and advice.
Flipper Zero Case
I didn’t get the silicon case, but I did pick up this Knox Gear case on Amazon. This case is made for a digital voice recorder but does the trick. At under US$8, it’s cheaper than the official Flipper silicon case. The case is a little bigger than the Flipper, but it’s the best small hard case I could find on Amazon that will protect your Flipper Zero.
The best way to fit your Flipper Zero is to put it in with the screen facing the soft felt and the stretch strap over your Flipper. That means you use the left side of the case for your Flipper Zero and the right side for USB cables. I slide the USB C microSD reader alongside my Flipper.
Why I got it… this is a hard case with a zipper, so good if you want to throw your Flipper Zero in your backpack and know that it will be safe. As a bonus, it has space for the USB C cable, and I keep my USB C micro SD card reader in there as well. The case may not be perfect but it’s the best I have found.
USB C microSD Card Reader
While you can update your Flipper Zero using USB C and the qFlipper software, a microSD card reader is essential if you want to install custom firmware and additional apps, dumps, etc., on your Flipper. I grabbed this uni USB C microSD Card reader for under US$15 on Amazon. I like it because it has USB C and USB A, great if you work across Windows and macOS devices.
Even if you don’t own (or get) a Flipper Zero, the uni USB C microSD card is the best I have found and I absolutely love that I can use both USB A and USB C. It makes life as a Windows and macOS user a dream.
Flipper Zero microSD Card
Honestly, you can get whatever you want – but I got this Samsung 32GB microSD card for under US$10. You want a fast and reliable microSD card for your Flipper, especially if you’re going to install custom firmware and a lot of apps and dumps.
How to install custom firmware on your Flipper Zero
If you want more fun with your Flipper Zero, you will need to install the ‘unleashed’ or ‘roguemaster’ firmware. I take no responsibility on whether “any” of these or the Flipper itself is legal in your country. So use it at your own risk. I also give no warranty expressed or implied should you brick your Flipper. I also DO NOT provide any technical support. If you get stuck, please go to the Flipper Discord server. The folk there are friendly and helpful.
What’s the difference between unleashed v roguemaster Flipper firmware? There’s a great write-up here, but the TL;DR version is:
- “official” has various region-locks because of legal restrictions
- “unleashed” firmware aka Code Grabber, extends features and removes region-locks (requires some text file edits to fully unlock)
- “roguemaster” firmware is a fork of unleashed and includes a few more experimental features (requires some text file edits to fully unlock)
Unleashed firmware is best for most but for what it’s worth, I am using roguemaster.
You will need to tweak some files in the “sub-ghz assets” and “unirf” folder to truly unlock the roguemaster firmware. I have a zip file in Part 4 (below) that contains all you need to fully unlock the Flipper Zero roguemaster firmware.
REMINDER: You are responsible for complying with local laws and other regulations. This includes telecommunications and copyright laws. I do not condone illegal activity or inappropriate use of your Flipper Zero. I provide no warranty or support for any instructions on this page, and if you brick your Flipper, you’re on your own.
Installing custom firmware on your Flipper Zero is easy, just follow these steps.
Part 1: Prepare your Flipper
- Install the official qFlipper software on your PC or macOS device.
- Connect your Flipper via USB C to your PC and update to the latest factory default firmware.
Part 2: Download Flipper Roguemaster Firmware
- Download the latest roguemaster firmware from GitHub. These instructions include specific tweaks for roguemaster.
NOTE: If you decide to go down the “unleashed” firmware path, you can follow Part 1, 2, 3, and 5 as Part 4 is “roguemaster” specific.
TIP: If you are using the ‘unleashed’ firmware you want the zip file with the word “update” in it, if you’re using roguemaster, just get the non-source code zip file.
- Put the microSD card in the card reader (trust me it’s easier).
- Create a folder on the microSD card called “update.”
- Extract the contents of the zip file to the update folder.
- Put the microSD card back in your Flipper
Part 3: Install Flipper Unleashed / Roguemaster Firmware
- From the main Flipper Screen (not any of the menus) do the following…
- Press DOWN and then LEFT, and you will be in the microSD browser.
- Scroll down, find and select the ‘update’ folder.
- Scroll down and find the ‘update’ file and select ‘Run in App’.
- Wait patiently!
- The firmware is updated!
Part 4: Fully Unlock Roguemaster Firmware
Important: Part 4 only applies if you have installed the roguemaster firmware. There are different settings you need to edit for unleashed. Using these files on anything other than roguemaster may create issues.
Roguemaster DOES NOT remove Sub GHz restrictions by default, to do that you need to edit the following files. This needs to be done after EVERY roguemaster firmware update. I cannot and do not vouch for the legality of the following tweaks in your local jurisdiction. In short, you’re on your own and I accept no responsibility or liability (nor do I condone any illegal behavior).
To fully unlock roguemaster you need to (at least) edit:
- extend_range.txt
- setting_frequency_analyzer_user
- settinger_user
If you plan to use uniRF Remix, you will also need to edit some files in the unirf folder.
Fortunately, you can download all the files you need pre-edited here. These files work with the roguemaster firmware ONLY. To use, just unzip and copy the zip file contents across to your Flipper, being sure to replace the folders (and folder contents).
These files are current as of firmware 0.64.5-0818-RM (August 2022). I can’t promise I will update this regularly, again, or at all. If you want to mirror these files, please do; the zip file is under 5kb in total.
Part 5: Install custom NFC, IR, sub GHz, DB’s, and more on your Flipper
If you’re looking for dumps of interesting NFC, IR, sub GHz, DB codes, Games, Apps, and the like, I recommend the Awesome Flipper Zero GitHub. If you’re in a hurry, here are the Flipper-compatible dumps, and all the NFC dumps are here. I can’t vouch for the legality of everything in your country, so use it at your own risk!
I recommend installing any of the dumps above using the microSD in a card reader (again, get this one). You copy files to the same folder name on your Flipper. So if you download NFC dumps, put them in the nfc (lower case matters) folder of your Flipper. You can have subfolders under a core Flipper function e.g. nfc -> tags
To access (most) of the custom DB, apps, content, etc. on the home screen of your Flipper you need to go to the Flipper’s microSD browser.
To access the Flipper microSD browser:
- Tap DOWN, and then go LEFT or RIGHT to view various specific functions e.g. Sub GHz, NFC, etc.
- You can scroll UP/DOWN as needed, SELECT will open a Folder
- To run an app/dump, press SELECT, “Run In App” to execute the dump.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you’re downloading or transferring files from the Flipper Dump Github repo, and you’re on Windows, Windows Defender may falsely-flag files as high-risk malware. You may want to disable Windows Defender to ensure you can transfer everything. This can be done in Windows Security -> Virus & threat protection -> Managing Settings -> then toggle ‘off’ everything. Just remember to turn it back on later!
On macOS, be aware that macOS can make using your Flipper a little messy because of the way macOS creates various Desktop Services (DS Store) files. If you have the option, I would recommend transferring files to your Flipper on Windows over macOS.
If you get stuck or make a mistake, the best thing to do is Factory Reset your Flipper, format the microSD card, and start again from the beginning. I even had to do that a few times as I was learning the ropes – no harm, no foul. But you will LOSE any codes you have saved or imported yourself (i.e., not only those you downloaded).
To Factory Reset your Flipper Zero
- From the Flipper Home Screen, SELECT, then SELECT Settings, SELECT Storage, SELECT Factory Reset
- To format the microSD card, from the Home Screen, SELECT, then SELECT Settings, SELECT Storage, SELECT ‘Format SD Card.
Finally!
Stay safe and legal, have fun, and enjoy!
Any and all advice, guides, and reviews are unbiased and based on my personal experience. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions, which helps support my website. This does not have an impact on posts or my opinion of any reviewed products. If you find this post helpful and want to say thanks, please buy me a coffee or take a look at my book on Amazon. It keeps this page ad-free. Thank you!