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All firmware

Minimal

Microreader

2.0-dev · GPL-2.0

Deliberately minimal, EPUB-only

X3 ✕ X4 ✓ Risk: Medium

Best for: Minimalists who want a fast, focused EPUB reader and are comfortable with PlatformIO.

What it adds

  • Drop EPUBs anywhere on the SD card — it scans recursively from the root, no folder structure needed.
  • Liang hyphenation across 9 languages; custom TTF/OTF fonts via a command-line font script.
  • No apps, sync, games, or BLE — purely a book reader, kept tight to fit the ESP32-C3’s RAM.
  • Desktop SDL2 emulator for tinkering without hardware.

How to install

via web flasher or esptool
  1. 1

    Download the latest microreader firmware.bin from the Releases page.

  2. 2

    Connect an unlocked X4 by USB-C and wake it. In Chrome/Edge, flash the .bin with the CrossPoint web flash tool.

  3. 3

    Or use esptool: esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port <PORT> write_flash 0x0 microreader.bin — a full image at 0x0 (unlike CrossPoint forks, which write the app to 0x10000). PlatformIO is only needed to build from source.

Locked devices & Microreader

Unlocked X4 only. Flash the released firmware.bin over USB with the CrossPoint web flash tool or esptool — Microreader ships no OTA and no SD update.bin, so a locked unit can’t run it and would have no way back.

Not sure if your unit is locked? Read the locked-device safety brief, or the full locked vs unlocked buying guide.

How to go back

For Microreader: Flash stock or another firmware over USB to revert (requires an unlocked device).

  1. 1Re-flash stock — the same web flasher offers official Xteink firmware.
  2. 2Restore a backup — “Write full flash from file” if you saved one first.
  3. 3Swap boot partition — a quick rollback at xteink.dve.al/debug.

On a locked unit you lose the USB safety net — that’s why locked devices stick to CrossPoint/CrossInk.

Heads-up: X4 only and dev-tagged (2.0-dev), not a polished stable build. No OTA and no SD update path — keep a stock build handy and flash on unlocked devices only.

New to flashing? The mechanics are the same across forks. See the five flashing methods on the directory, or the step-by-step flash CrossPoint without panicking guide.

Microreader details verified June 24, 2026 against its GitHub repo, README and releases. PocketInk is independent and not affiliated with Xteink. Firmware names and versions change quickly — check the repo for the latest.