screen/minicom/PuTTY Access to the Flipper Console
Picking Your Tool by OS
All three tools do the same fundamental job — open a serial connection to Flipper's USB CDC interface at 115200 baud — the right choice is whichever fits your OS and comfort level.
macOS/Linux: screen
Usually pre-installed, zero setup:
- Find the device: ls /dev/tty.usbmodem* (macOS) or ls /dev/ttyACM* (Linux) before and after plugging Flipper in — the new entry that appears is your device.
- Connect: screen /dev/tty.usbmodemXXXX 115200
- Exit: Ctrl-A then K, confirm with Y — this trips people up the first time since Ctrl-C doesn't exit screen sessions, it just gets sent to whatever's running inside.
Linux/Cross-Platform: minicom
More configurable than screen, with a proper on-screen status line:
sudo apt install minicom minicom -D /dev/ttyACM0 -b 115200First run, configure via minicom -s to set the serial port and speed persistently so you don't need the flags every time. Exit with Ctrl-A then X.
Windows: PuTTY
- Check Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT) after plugging in Flipper to find its assigned COM port number.
- Open PuTTY, select Connection type: Serial, enter the COM port (e.g. COM5) and Speed: 115200.
- Click Open — a terminal window connects directly to Flipper's CLI prompt.
Common Connection Problems
- No device/port appears: try a different USB cable — some cables are charge-only with no data lines, a surprisingly common gotcha with USB-C cables specifically.
- Permission denied (Linux): your user needs to be in the dialout group: sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER, then log out/in for it to take effect.
- Garbled/no output: double check the baud rate is exactly 115200 on both ends — this is the single most common cause of a connection that "opens" but shows nothing readable.
Once Connected
You're at Flipper's CLI prompt regardless of which tool got you there — see the dedicated CLI commands guide for what to actually do once you have a working serial connection.
Related Guides
- How to Build Custom Animations for the Flipper Zero Screen
- Flipper CLI Over USB: Serial Console, Commands, Debugging
- How to Install Custom Firmware and Develop Apps for the Flipper Zero
- How to Use Bluetooth HID on the Flipper Zero for Wireless BadUSB Attacks
- How to Analyze EMV Payment Cards with the Flipper Zero: NFC, APDU Commands, and Security Architecture
- How to Use the Flipper Zero GPIO for Hardware Hacking: UART, SPI, I2C, and Debugging
- How to Build Advanced BadUSB Payloads on the Flipper Zero: UAC Bypass, EDR Evasion, and Anti-Forensics
- How to Hack Infrared Protocols with the Flipper Zero: NEC, RC5, Sony, and Raw Analysis
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