EEPROM Update Guide for the Raspberry Pi 4

Last updated: June 11, 2025

If your Screenly Player is stuck on a white screen, it's likely because the EEPROM (bootloader) needs to be updated. Note that this only applies to Screenly Players powered by the Raspberry Pi 4.

This issue commonly occurs when following the guide “How can I self-build a Screenly Player?” without first updating the EEPROM firmware. You can fix this by following one of the two methods below.

Option 1: Update EEPROM using Raspberry Pi Imager (Recommended)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager and launch the program on your computer.
2. Click Choose OS.
3. Select Misc Utility Images.
   
   
4. Select Bootloader (Pi 4 Family).
   
   
   
   
5. Choose SD Card Boot.
   
   
6. Choose your SD card under "Storage" and click Write.
7. Insert this SD card into your powered-off Raspberry Pi and power it on.

8. Wait at least 10 seconds. If the green activity LED blinks steadily and your HDMI display shows a green screen, the EEPROM update is successful.

9. Power off the Raspberry Pi and remove the SD card.
10.  Next, follow the steps here to install the Screenly OS. 

Option 2: Update EEPROM via Raspberry Pi OS Terminal

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you prefer using the terminal or don’t have another device:

1. Download and flash the latest Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) using Raspberry Pi Imager.
2. Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi, boot the device, and complete the initial OS setup.
3. Open a terminal.
4. Run the following command:
   

   sudo rpi-eeprom-update

5. Example output
   

   *** UPDATE AVAILABLE ***
   BOOTLOADER: update available
   CURRENT: Tue Apr 26 10:24:28 UTC 2022
   LATEST: Wed Jan 11 17:40:52 UTC 2023

6. If an update is available, install it:

   sudo rpi-eeprom-update -a

7. Once done, follow the "How can I self-build a Screenly Player?" guide to install the Screenly OS. 

If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact Screenly support.