TRMNL OG
Charge the Device
Though it may seem silly, the best starting point is to make sure the device is fully charged: Plugged in until the green light on the back (TRMNL OG) turns off.
It's also a good practice to slide it into the OFF position during this charging cycle.
Slide the power switch to ON once it is charged.
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If you do not, please continue with the next step(s) till you've exhausted all options.
Only Works When Plugged In
If the device is responsive when plugged in, but it either:
fails to respond to button presses when unplugged
the green light never turns off
This indicates a problem with the internal battery. If you recently opened the unit, please double-check it is properly plugged into the PCB. If not, look for any signs of battery swelling or burn marks on the battery itself.
Do not keep a faulty battery plugged in continuously! Contact support for further follow-up.
Performing a Soft Reset
An unresponsive device may require a soft reset. There are two ways to trigger the reset:
WiFi Captive Portal Button
Hold the button on the back for 5-7 seconds, then release. This should enter the WiFi Captive Portal mode, like during initial setup, broadcasting a network
TRMNLto connect to via WiFi.Sign-in to the
TRMNLSSID Network to display the captive portal.Press the Soft Reset button.
Long Press to Soft Reset
Hold the button down on the back for 15-20 seconds to perform the soft reset.
Reflashing the Device's Firmware
Reflashing the device overwrites the existing firmware via a USB-C cable and our web flashing utility, which contains the necessary instructions.
Start with the most current firmware, and then step backwards and retest device responsiveness.
If your device was purchased before August 2025 and was working properly before suddenly becoming unresponsive after an update or charging, please refer to our fw1.6.2 troubleshooting guide and follow up with support.
TRMNL X
Soft Reset
If the dock is attached, remove it and invert it so the pins are pointing up. Place the inverted dock near the bottom-left corner of the back of the device and make a small circular motion (no need to touch, the magnet will do the work).
The front screen of the device should automatically change to mostly blank with the loading image in the bottom-right, indicating the reset worked, before loading a screen. You can repeat these steps with no negative impact on the device.
This soft reset will work to take the device out of boot loader mode, flashing mode, or during normal operation, as long as the device has battery charge.
Charge the Device
If the device does not respond to a soft reset, it will need to be charged.
To do so, attach the dock with pins down to the center of the TRMNL logo glyph. It will be pulled into place by the magnets.
Attach a USB-C cable to the dock and to a power source. Your device should start charging immediately. If the device is online, you will see the charge state within your trmnl.com account, in the top-left. In v1.8.2+ of TRMNL X firmware, there will be a battery charging indicator visible on the bottom of the screen.
The dock pins should align properly with the PCB inside the device, regardless of dock orientation. However, if not, see below.
Getting a Good Connection
If charging is not working, there are two orientations that are successful. Thoughtfully adjusting the rotation of the dock can ensure a good connection for your unit. If there is an alignment issue of the PCB mounted inside your unit, then one of these two orientations will work, but the other may not.
Arrow pointing vertically or horizontally, dock screws in an
xpatternArrow pointing at a 45° angle, dock screws in a
+pattern
This rotation can continue all the way around to 90, 135, 180, etc. to find what works for your device without having to open the case and reseat the PCB.
If you are using a power+data USB-C cable (included with Clarity Kit), connecting the cable to a PC and using our flashing guide is another way to verify connectivity with the device showing up as USB JTAG/serial... on the list. This method requires the battery to have charge.
Reconnecting to WiFi
If you need to connect to a new WiFi network, you can trigger the WiFi captive portal by simultaneously pressing the left and right side of the touch bar.
Then, hold the middle button to confirm on the next screen. See our guide with video.
Manually Updating the Firmware
Please see our guide for putting the TRMNL X in flashing mode. The unit must have some battery charge to trigger the mode change.
Contact Support
If the unit continues to be unresponsive, please contact support using the online chat icon in the bottom-right of any page on trmnl.com or by emailing [email protected].