Docs / MagWLED-1 / Firmware & Setup

Device won't boot / bootloops after firmware update

FAQs

If your MagWLED-1 gets into a state where:

  • The green PWR LED is on, but no WLED-AP hotspot appears
  • Plugging it into a computer causes repeated USB connect/disconnect sounds
  • The WLED web installer sees the device appear and disappear repeatedly

…the device is stuck in a boot loop, most likely due to incompatible firmware.

Common cause

Installing firmware from the WLED website directly (not from install.magwled.com) can result in this state. There was also a known boot mode incompatibility between MagWLED firmware builds 0.15.0 and 0.15.3 that has since been fixed.

How to recover

  1. Hold the onboard power button while plugging the device into USB. This forces the ESP32-C3 into flash mode (the bootloader), bypassing the bad firmware.
  2. With the device in flash mode, open install.magwled.com in Chrome or Edge.
  3. Install the latest MagWLED firmware.
  4. Unplug and replug the device — it should now boot normally and the WLED-AP hotspot should appear.

Why not use the WLED installer?

The stock WLED firmware works on the MagWLED-1 in a basic sense, but it does not support MagWLED-specific hardware like the onboard power button. Always use install.magwled.com to ensure full hardware compatibility.