Flipper Zero is a popular hacking tool and digital pet.
It’s become famous due to TikTok videos purporting to show Flipper Zero users using the device to hack gas station price screens, car doors, and restaurant TVs.
While much of the hype is exaggerated (it’s not a magical device that can just hack anything), Flipper Zero is a useful tool that will help you listen in on radio communications around you.
It can do some cool stuff, like replicating a remote for a TV, either at home or in a public space.
While Flipper Zero comes with its own firmware, there are several third-party firmware you can install on the device. Flipper Zero even encourages you to do so, as long as you have the know-how.
Third-party firmware allows you to optimize and customize your Flipper device.
Let’s take a look at the 3 most popular firmware you can install on your Flipper Zero.
The short version: There are three popular firmware alternatives for Flipper Zero: Xtreme, Unleashed, and RogueMaster.
Read on to learn what each one does.
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Best Flipper Zero Firmware
1. Xtreme Firmware
Xtreme is one of the most popular alternatives to the stock firmware that comes with your Flipper Zero. It also contains some code bits from another popular firmware called Unleashed, which we will look at next.
It places an emphasis on stability and customization and improves the graphics of your device. To ensure stability and reduce bugs, the entire code has been carefully written so that any app or add-on you use won’t cause instability while using the device.
In terms of customization, there’s a lot you can do once you install the Xtreme firmware.
One option is changing the name of your Flipper Zero. Other options for customizing the interface and graphics include changing the menu layout and lock screen style
In general, the interface is improved compared to the original stock interface, with quick toggle options in the control center. It even comes with a management app.
Many of the customization options you will get with Xtreme are not available with the other two popular Flipper Zero firmware, which is why I chose it as the #1 option on our list.
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Another benefit of using Xtreme over the other firmware discussed below is that it has turned the BadUSB application (which doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity) into a BadKB application that allows you to easily toggle between Bluetooth and USB protocols.
In the other firmware, you would have to use two separate apps for the different protocols.
You can also change your device’s Bluetooth MAC address, device name, and the keyboard layout. Spoofing the device name and MAC address on Bluetooth mode can help you avoid detection.
Also, Xtreme now includes support for BadBLE attacks. This is an exploit related to Apple’s Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support, allowing for BLE Spam attacks and endless connection requests to Apple devices.
Another cool feature is the enhanced RGB backlight options, including rainbow mode.
One of the most amazing things you can experience after installing Xtreme, though, is the asset packs and animations that come with it. You can install asset packs on your Flipper and easily switch between different icons and animations.
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Pokémon, CyberDolf, and Ligma are just some of the asset packs available.
While the stock firmware has three levels, Xtreme has 30, which you can tie to your animations, unlocking new animations with each level you reach. It makes playing with the Flipper more exciting.
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2. Unleashed Firmware
Unleashed is another top third-party Flipper Zero firmware. It is a fork of the original Flipper Zero firmware source code.
So, what are some of the differences that you will see compared to the original source code?
For one, it supports extra sub-GHz frequencies, and you can also change the frequency range of your Flipper (do it at your own risk, as it has the potential of ruining the hardware). External CC1101 module support is also added.
With the main sub-GHz app, you can analyze new frequencies, save your last frequency, and more.
Some of the extra apps released by the Unleashed team include Sub-GHz Remote and Sub-GHz Bruteforce.
Also, check out the extra apps and games made available by the community for Unleashed, all included in the Extra Pack. For example, chess, dice, Etch-a-Sketch, Sudoku, and Simon Says are some of the additional games you can download to your Flipper Zero with Unleashed installed.
You can download both the Base Pack and the Extra Pack here.
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3. RogueMaster Firmware
Finally, we have RogueMaster. While not as well-known as Xtreme or Unleashed, it is still a great alternative firmware to the stock Flipper Zero firmware.
It includes support for things like BLE Spam attacks, which we already discussed earlier.
Let’s take a look at some of the other features that RogueMaster has changed or added to the original Flipper Zero firmware.
It has additional animations, such as painting speech bubbles and a sub-GHZ scanning image with Pikachu.
There is a wide range of assets and animations you can add to your Flipper Zero. They include dolphin animations, NFC assets, and sample Music Player tunes.
In terms of functionality, RogueMaster has improved on the BadUSB feature, adding assets and an “ignore DUCKY_LANG” command to retain compatibility with scripts. It has also improved NFC and infrared functionalities.
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When it comes to levels, RogueMaster has 10x the number of levels the original firmware has: 30 instead of 3. In addition, the max deed XP per action type was increased from 15 to 45.
In terms of settings customization, RogueMaster has added things like a battery meter on desktop, charge cap settings, storage info for an SD card, and auto-lock options.
There is also a wide range of games available once you have RogueMaster installed. They include chess, blackjack, dice, Game of Life, Flappy Bird, Hangman, Minesweeper, and these other games.
Also, you can install many plugins to add functionality to your Flipper. They include a Barcode Scanner Emulator, an Advanced Wifi Sniffer, a Calculator, an Analog Clock, and these other plugins.
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Final Thoughts
While installing third-party firmware on your Flipper Zero requires some technical skills, it’s well worth it.
It will allow you to get more games and play around with your Flipper, adding additional functionalities such as BLE Spam attacks and Wifi sniffing.
Get the most out of your Flipper Zero with one of the three firmware listed above!
