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How to update Meshtastic firmware from your phone

Checked against the Mesh+ source and Meshtastic's release list on November 3, 2026.

If your Meshtastic radio has an nRF52840 chip, such as the Heltec Mesh Node T114, the RAK WisBlock 4631 or the LILYGO T-Echo, you can update its firmware from an Android phone with Mesh+: open Node settings, pick a version, tap Install and wait about a minute and a half over a USB-C cable. Your settings, rooms and messages stay on the node. Boards with an ESP32 chip, like the Heltec V3, are updated from a computer at flasher.meshtastic.org.

What you need

• Mesh+ for Android (Google Play or the APK), on Android 12 or newer, with internet access for the download.
• A radio running Meshtastic firmware 2.x on one of the 39 nRF52 boards in Mesh+'s hardware list (118 boards in total).
• A USB-C cable that carries data, or the radio paired over Bluetooth.

Update Meshtastic firmware step by step

1. Open Node settings. Connect your radio in Mesh+ and open Node settings. The board card at the top shows which board Mesh+ recognizes, its chip and the installed firmware, for example nRF52840 · Firmware 2.7.15.
2. Tap Update or open Firmware options. When Meshtastic has published a newer stable release for your exact board, the card shows Update to followed by the version. Otherwise it reads Up to date · firmware options, which opens the same screen.
3. Choose the version. The Firmware screen lists every version Meshtastic publishes for the board, newest first, tagged newest and installed. Switch on pre-releases if you want alpha builds. Picking an older version shows a warning first.
4. Tap Install. Mesh+ downloads the board's update package from Meshtastic's firmware site, restarts the node into update mode, asks for USB permission, erases the old firmware and installs the new one with a progress bar.
5. Wait for the restart. When the bar finishes, Mesh+ says the node is restarting with the new version and reconnects by itself. Your settings, rooms and messages are still there.

Which version you get today

On November 3, 2026, Meshtastic's firmware list at api.meshtastic.org offered 2.7.26.54e0d8d and 2.7.15.567b8ea as stable releases, and 2.8.2.4c89b69 as the newest alpha. Mesh+ compares only the x.y.z part, so a rebuild with a different commit hash never shows up as an update. The update package it downloads for a Heltec Mesh Node T114 is firmware-heltec-mesh-node-t114-2.7.26.54e0d8d-ota.zip from Meshtastic's firmware site, which answered with status 200 when we checked. How the bytes reach the bootloader is the subject of How Mesh+ flashes Meshtastic firmware onto an nRF52 node over a USB cable.

USB or Bluetooth

A cable is the fast way: about a minute and a half. Over Bluetooth the same update takes about 10 minutes, the app has to stay open and the phone has to stay close to the node, and it needs a phone the node is already paired with. If a Bluetooth update is interrupted, the node waits in update mode; plug it in and tap Try again. If the USB transfer hiccups after the node has entered update mode, Mesh+ starts over by itself up to three times before it shows an error.

If the update stops halfway

An interrupted update leaves the node waiting in update mode, and the app can finish it. On Mesh+'s connect screen, tap Node stuck in update mode?, plug the node in and tap Try again. If the node doesn't enter update mode at all, unplug it, double-press its reset button, plug it in and try again. Without a connected radio, the demo mode shows the screens but can't install anything.

Questions

Can I update an ESP32 Meshtastic radio with Mesh+?

No. Mesh+ updates nRF52840 boards, such as the Heltec Mesh Node T114, the RAK WisBlock 4631 and the LILYGO T-Echo. For ESP32 boards such as the Heltec V3, use flasher.meshtastic.org from a computer.

Will an update erase my messages and settings?

No. Your settings, rooms and messages stay on the node. If an update is interrupted, the node waits in update mode and you can try again.

What if the node is stuck in update mode?

On the connect screen, tap Node stuck in update mode?, plug the node in (or keep the phone close if the update was running over Bluetooth) and tap Try again. If the node never enters update mode, unplug it, double-press its reset button, plug it in and try again.

Can I go back to an older Meshtastic firmware?

Yes. Firmware options lists every version Meshtastic publishes for your board, and you can pick an older one. Mesh+ warns you that older firmware may not understand newer settings, and suggests Reset settings if the node acts up.

How long does a Meshtastic firmware update take?

About a minute and a half over a USB cable. Over Bluetooth it takes about 10 minutes, and the app has to stay open with the phone close to the node.

Sources: the Mesh+ source (the Firmware screen and updater, main at commit 0993c10), its README, and Meshtastic's firmware list at api.meshtastic.org, all read on November 3, 2026. Mesh+ is an independent project, not affiliated with Meshtastic LLC. Meshtastic® is a registered trademark of Meshtastic LLC.