Quick Start

Wake your ZerryBit device, connect it to Wi-Fi, and choose how you'll drive it.

ZerryBit is a battery-powered e-ink display. This guide takes it from asleep in the box to showing its first screen.

The setup forks right at the start: use it with the ZerryBit app (recommended) or run it in Self-Host mode against your own server. Both paths then share the same Wi-Fi setup. The whole thing takes about five minutes.

Have your Wi-Fi network name and password handy, and keep the charging cable nearby in case the device needs power to wake.

Watch the full setup, start to finish.

The video shows the older setup flow

It was recorded on firmware 1.0, where you connected to Wi-Fi first and chose the app or Self-Host at the end. Since firmware 1.1 the order is reversed (you choose first), and Wi-Fi can also be set up from a phone or computer. The steps below describe the current flow; the video is still useful for seeing the device and app in action.

Step 1 — Wake the device

The device ships asleep.

  1. Press the Zerry button to begin setup.
  2. The welcome screen appears.

Nothing happens on the screen? Sleepy ZerryBit might need a spark. Plug in the charger, then press the Zerry button again.

Step 2 — Choose how you'll use ZerryBit

The device asks "How will you use ZerryBit?" with two choices:

  • Use with the app (recommended) — the standard, cloud-connected experience.
  • Self-Host mode (for advanced users) — drive the device from your own HTTP server.

If you pick Use with the app, the device shows a download QR code for each app store — a good moment to install the app while you continue:

If you pick Self-Host mode, confirm the "Are you sure? Self-Host mode requires manual setup" prompt with Yes.

Step 3 — Connect to Wi-Fi

The device scans for nearby 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks and lists them. There are two ways to get connected — pick whichever you prefer:

Option A — On the device

  1. Select your network from the list.
  2. An on-screen keyboard opens; type your Wi-Fi password using the Zerry button and press —>.

Option B — From your phone or computer

If you'd rather type the password on a real keyboard, choose "Enter Wi-Fi details on another device" at the top of the network list:

  1. The device opens its own temporary hotspot named ZerryBit setup and shows two QR codes.
  2. Scan the left QR code to join the hotspot (or join it manually — the numeric password is shown on the device's screen).
  3. A setup page opens in your browser automatically on most phones. If it doesn't, scan the right QR code or browse to http://192.168.4.1.
  4. On the page, tap Look for WiFis, pick your network, type the password, and hit Connect.
  5. The page tells you to watch the device's screen — the hotspot closes and the ZerryBit joins your network.

This works from any phone, tablet, or computer with a browser; no app needed.

After connecting, the device briefly checks for firmware updates and may install one — it continues by itself afterwards.

From here the two paths finish differently.

Finish — Use with the app

You install the app, create an account, and pair the device by scanning a QR code.

  1. Install the ZerryBit app if you haven't yet (store links in Step 2 above).
  2. Create your account. Open the app and sign up with your email address. We'll email you a confirmation link — click it, then return to the app and sign in.
  3. Pair from the app. The device now displays a unique pairing QR code, with its MAC address and pairing code printed just below it. Tap the + at the top of the app to open the QR scanner, then scan the code on the device's screen.
    • No camera available? Choose manual entry instead and type the MAC address and pairing code shown beneath the QR code.
  4. Set up the device. The app opens a setup screen where you name the device, pick an icon, and choose a refresh interval.
  5. Confirm on the device. The app prompts you to press —> on the ZerryBit one last time. Press it — the device starts running and is now connected to the app.

That's it — your ZerryBit is paired and will refresh on the schedule you chose.

Finish — Self-Host mode

Self-Host mode turns the device into a thin client of an HTTP server you run: it POSTs to your server on every wake, and your server replies with an image to show.

After the Wi-Fi setup, the device shows a QR code linking to the Self-Host guide and then its Self-Host Setup screen. Everything from there — sending the configuration, the request and image formats, and a complete example server — is covered in the Self-Host guide.

Don't want to write a server? The Home Assistant add-on is a ready-made self-host server with a visual dashboard builder.

Next steps

  • Self-Host — the complete protocol: config fields, the wake request, and the image reply format.
  • Home Assistant — run ZerryBit Engine as your self-host server and build dashboards from your Home Assistant entities.

App

Set up the ZerryBit app and pair your device with it.

On this page

Step 1 — Wake the deviceStep 2 — Choose how you'll use ZerryBitStep 3 — Connect to Wi-FiOption A — On the deviceOption B — From your phone or computerFinish — Use with the appFinish — Self-Host modeNext steps