The Pixel contains an ESP32 that can do 2.4GHz WiFi. The app store and a few of the preinstalled apps need WiFi to work, so let’s set it up.

A fresh Pixel will try to connect to a network called "PixelBadge" with also "PixelBadge" as password. You can use your phone as a hotspot to give your badge internet access, but it's nicer to connect it to a real WiFi network.

There are two ways of connecting to your own WiFi, which are explained below.

Setup via USB

The easiest way to configure WiFi is via the neat USB serial menu:

  • Open a serial connection to your badge as in the previous step. A menu will show.
  • Using the arrow keys on your computer, navigate to Settings > Configure WiFi.
  • Here, you can either scan for active networks, or manually type an SSID. Type in your password, and the badge will save the credentials.

Setup via the Pixel itself

It’s also possible to configure WiFi directly on the badge. It’s a bit more time consuming, but handy if you don’t have a device near to access the USB menu.

  • In the launcher app (the one that the badge boots into), scroll down into the Set up wifi app and start it.
  • The app will scan for access points, and show them to you. Select the right one with up/down, and confirm with A.
  • Now, you need to input your password. This is done by cycling through a big character set with up/down for each character. Switch character with left/right, and confirm with A once you’re done.