Quick Start: BirdNET‑Pi Setup Wizard

Welcome!
This guide helps you configure your BirdNET‑Pi in a few minutes. It works on phones, tablets, and computers.

What you need

Your BirdNET‑Pi powered on
Your home/school Wi‑Fi name and password
A phone, tablet, or computer with a web browser

1) Connect & open the wizard

Power on the BirdNET‑Pi and wait ~60 seconds.
Join the temporary Wi‑Fi network broadcast by the device.
Default name: BIRDNET-PI-SETUP (or similar).
Open your browser and go to http://10.42.0.1:1234.
You should see the blue setup screen. Click Start setup.

2) Configure in four steps

Step 1 – Wi‑Fi details

Enter your Wi‑Fi name (SSID) and password (case‑sensitive).
Leave IP mode on DHCP unless you know you need a static IP.
Click Next.

Step 2 – Device & location

Pick a short hostname suffix (e.g. 01 or Garden). Final hostname becomes BIRDNET-PI-<suffix>.
Set your location by searching an address or dropping the map pin.
Click Next.

Step 3 – Optional extras

BirdWeather code if you want to share detections online.
Web UI password to protect the interface (recommended).
Optional RTSP camera/mic URL and Flickr API key for photos.
Click Next.

Step 4 – Confirm & finish

Review the summary. Click Finish to apply settings.
Wait while the device reboots (about 30–60 seconds).

After setup

The device reboots and joins your Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet) network.
Open the BirdNET‑Pi web page via its IP/URL to view detections.
You should now see live bird detections. 🎉

Troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
Setup page doesn’t load	Connect to the BIRDNET-PI-SETUP network and open `http://10.42.0.1:1234`. If you changed networks, re‑join the setup Wi‑Fi.
Cannot join home Wi‑Fi	Double‑check SSID/password (case‑sensitive). Move the device closer to your router.
No detections / no audio	Check microphone/camera cabling and power. Verify input settings in BirdNET‑Pi.
Forgot the Web UI password	Reconnect to the setup AP and run the wizard again to set a new one.

Need help?

See the project on GitHub: Nachtzuster/BirdNET‑Pi. For issues with this setup wizard, open an issue in your fork’s repository.

© 2025 – Community edition guide • Last updated {{ "2025‑08‑09" }}