Congrats on receiving your TRMNL! We're stoked to have you.
When you take the device out of the box, it may already have content on the screen. This does not* mean the device is turned on -- e-ink is cool like that.
Step 1 - Turn on TRMNL
Flip the power switch to ON from the back of your TRMNL device.
If the screen doesn't refresh with a "snow" effect, the battery may be drained. In this case, plug TRMNL in with the included USB-C cable and restart your device using the OFF/ON switch on the back.
Step 2 - Connect to WiFi
As the device screen says, use your phone or a nearby computer to find and connect to the WiFi network named "TRMNL," which will broadcast from your turned on device.
After connecting, a WiFi portal will appear. Wait a moment while TRMNL scans for available networks, or plug credentials into the SSID/Password box directly. Click Connect to share these credentials with your TRMNL device.
(Your WiFi credentials are never sent to our servers)
Troubleshooting
Wifi network not listed? Like many IoT devices, TRMNL requires a 2.4ghz network. If you only have 5ghz enabled on your router, you can usually enable dual band with no changes required for your existing devices.
WiFi portal closing unexpectedly? On your phone or computer, click "forget network" (or similar feature), then restart your device and re-connect to TRMNL WiFi.
If you're using an iPhone > Personal HotSpot, make sure to toggle on "Maximize Compatibility" (beneath your editable WiFi Password field)
Step 3 - Register your Device
After adding your WiFi credentials, TRMNL will restart and show a setup message.
If you don't have a TRMNL account yet (different from your online shopping profile), register at https://usetrmnl.com/signup. You'll be asked for a Device ID, and in this input box provide the ID from your TRMNL's screen.
If you already have a TRMNL account, select Add New from the top-right dropdown picker while logged in.
Step 4 - Connect Plugins
From the TRMNL website, visit the Plugins directory and start connecting data you'd like to show on your device. After your first plugin is connected, you're ready to rock.
Simply restart your device by toggling it OFF/ON, or click the small button beneath the power switch to force refresh your display. This tells TRMNL to request content from our web application.
You can also set up a special function, which is triggered by double clicking the button on the back of your TRMNL device.
Step 5 - Enjoy!
TRMNL keeps you focused but informed, aware but not distracted, and in sync, async.
Feel free to modify the refresh rate, enable sleep mode, and more from the Devices > Edit page in your TRMNL account.
If you have questions about the setup process, email us at [email protected].