Unleashed Firmware for Flipper Zero: A Fork of the Stock Firmware, and What It Changes

The problem Unleashed solves for Flipper Zero owners

The stock Flipper Zero firmware is maintained by Flipper Devices. Unleashed is a fork of it, and the README states plainly that it is a fork of the original (OFW) version of flipperdevices/flipperzero-firmware. The project's pitch is that it is the most stable custom build, adding new features and improvements to the original components while remaining fully compatible with the API and applications of the original firmware.

That compatibility claim is the part that matters. A fork that changes the application API would strand every existing app. Unleashed keeps the API, so apps written against the official firmware are expected to run. The additions sit mostly in the Sub-GHz stack: more protocols, regional TX restrictions removed, extra frequencies, and the ability to save and send captured signals for many rolling code protocols. There is also external CC1101 module support over hardware SPI.

The audience is narrow and specific. You need a Flipper Zero, and you need a reason to leave the vendor firmware. If you only use NFC and RFID, the Sub-GHz additions are the bulk of the value and may not apply to you. The README carries a warning that the software is intended solely for experimental purposes and is not meant for any illegal activities, and that the project is developed independently and is not affiliated with Flipper Devices.

How the fork is structured and where the changes live

The repository layout is inherited from the upstream project. Top-level entries include applications/, applications_user/, assets/, furi/, lib/, scripts/, site_scons/, targets/, and the SConstruct and fbt build entry points. That is the upstream build system, not a replacement. firmware.scons and fbt_options.py sit alongside SConstruct, and fbt and fbt.cmd are the build wrappers for Unix-like systems and Windows respectively.

The Sub-GHz work is where the fork diverges. The README lists changes across three layers: the Sub-GHz library and HAL, the Sub-GHz main app, and separate Sub-GHz apps built by the Unleashed team. At the library level, protocols were added, regional TX restrictions removed, extra frequencies added, and the frequency range can be extended in a settings file. That last item carries an explicit warning in the README that it can damage Flipper's hardware.

At the app level, the changes are interface and workflow features rather than new radio capability. The frequency analyzer was replaced, pressing OK in it feeds the detected frequency into Read modes, and long-pressing OK switches to the Read menu. There is a save-file naming option under Radio Settings where Protocol Names can be set to ON so filenames carry a timestamp plus the protocol name instead of a random name. A received signal can be deleted by holding right in the list.

Separately, the team ships Sub-GHz apps such as Sub-GHz Bruteforce, described as a static code brute-force plugin, with a time delay setting between signals and configurable repeats in the protocols list.

Installing Unleashed firmware and running a first Sub-GHz read

The README does not document a command-line flash. It points to an Installation Guide at /documentation/HowToInstall.md and to a browser-based Web Installer at web.unleashedflip.com. The project also states that DarkFlippers/unleashed-firmware is the only official page, and warns that anyone offering a paid, premium or closed source version is a scammer.

If you build from source instead of using the web installer, the repository ships the upstream fbt wrapper. A typical sequence is to clone the repository and run the build script, which fetches the toolchain and SDK on first run:

git clone https://github.com/DarkFlippers/unleashed-firmware
cd unleashed-firmware
./fbt

On Windows the README's repository layout lists fbt.cmd as the equivalent entry point. The build system is the same one upstream uses, so the usual fbt targets apply; the README does not enumerate them, and you should treat the Installation Guide as the authority for flashing.

Once the firmware is on the device, the first real use is a Sub-GHz read. Open the Sub-GHz app, choose Read, and capture a signal. In the received signal list you can hold right to delete the selected signal. If you want filenames that identify the protocol, enable the option the README describes:

Radio Settings -> Protocol Names = ON

With that on, saved files use a timestamp plus protocol name rather than a random name. The frequency analyzer is also reachable from the Sub-GHz app: press OK on a detected frequency to feed it into Read modes, or long-press OK to jump to the Read menu.

Limits, failure modes and the wrong use case

The most concrete limitation is stated by the project itself. Extending the frequency range through the settings file can damage Flipper's hardware, per the README's own warning. That is not a caveat about performance; it is a caveat about breaking the device. Removing regional TX restrictions is a second boundary, and it is a legal one rather than a technical one. The README's warning that the software is for experimental purposes and not for illegal activity sits directly next to those features, which tells you the project expects users to know their local rules.

There is also the question of what Unleashed does not do. The README frames the fork as compatible with the original API and applications, which means the changes are additive. If you want a different architecture, a different app model, or a different update channel, this is not that. And the fork is not affiliated with Flipper Devices, so vendor documentation and vendor support do not cover it. The README sends you to docs.flipper.net for the official documentation, which is written for the stock firmware.

Finally, the README's own scam warning is a practical constraint. Because the project is free and open source under GPL-3.0, any offer of a paid or closed-source version is not from the project, and users who go looking for one are the target.

Unleashed against Momentum and the rest of the fork field

Unleashed is one of several custom Flipper Zero firmwares. The comparison people ask about is against Momentum, and the difference in approach is visible in how Unleashed describes itself: a fork of the official firmware that stays compatible with the original API and applications, with the divergence concentrated in the Sub-GHz library and app. Momentum is not described in this repository at all, so any claim about how it differs would have to come from its own documentation, not from here.

The same applies to the other forks people search for. The README does not compare Unleashed to Roguemaster or Xtreme, and it does not list them as related projects. What the README does list as companion tools are first-party to the Unleashed effort: qUnleashed, a companion app for mobile and PC; map.unleashedflip.com for viewing Sub-GHz wardriving files and other files with coordinates; wdmap.unleashedflip.com for combining WiGLE-formatted captures from ESP32 Marauder and others; and espflasher.unleashedflip.com, a browser flasher for popular ESP32 modules.

That tooling is the real differentiator you can check without leaving the project's own pages. If your workflow involves wardriving captures or ESP32 modules, the surrounding web tools matter as much as the firmware. If it does not, the comparison reduces to Sub-GHz feature coverage, and you will have to read each fork's own release notes to settle it.

Maintenance cadence, releases and GPL-3.0 implications

The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-09-19. Recent releases are tagged unlshd-093 (2026-09-12), unlshd-092 (2026-08-21) and unlshd-091 (2026-08-15). The default branch is dev, and the README notes that dev builds are built automatically from that branch and are marked unstable, published at dev.unleashedflip.com and via a separate Telegram channel. Release builds are stable and go to GitHub Releases and the t.me/unleashed_fw channel.

The upgrade path the README recommends is the web updater, and it points to CHANGELOG.md for version information, where a version letter (e, space, or c) distinguishes build types. That letter is worth checking before you install a build you found somewhere, because the dev channel and the release channel are different artifacts.

The licence is GPL-3.0. If you redistribute a modified firmware based on this code, the GPL's source-availability terms apply to your distribution. If you only flash it onto your own device, that is not distribution. This is a description of the licence, not legal advice; if you plan to ship a product or a modified build, read the LICENSE file and get proper counsel.

Editorial conclusion

Adopt Unleashed if you own a Flipper Zero, you want the added Sub-GHz protocols and the manual creation of rolling-code remotes, and you can accept regional TX restrictions being removed and the hardware-damage warning attached to extending the frequency range. Do not adopt it if you need vendor support, if you rely on Flipper Devices' own update channel, or if you cannot tolerate a fork that the README says is not affiliated with Flipper Devices. Before flashing, verify which release you are installing: the README points to the Installation Guide and the version information in CHANGELOG.md, where the recommended update option is the web updater and the version letter distinguishes release builds from dev builds. Check that distinction on the device before you rely on any feature.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. DarkFlippers/unleashed-firmware on GitHub
2. License: GPL-3.0
3. Project website
4. README
5. Releases