What the panel is telling you

The panel says what’s going on in words on the screen, or in the ticker along the bottom. Find the words you see below. Your panel’s own six characters, like 2f6a70, and its own IP address stand in for the examples here.

While it starts and sets up

These show on the start-up screen, under GAME DAY. On the 128x64 panel the QR code sits on the left half with the words beside it. On a single 64x64 panel the words and the QR code take turns.

The panel says	What it means	What to do
Starting	The panel has power and is starting up.	Wait a few seconds.
SETUP / Game Day / app, with a QR code	The panel has no Wi-Fi network yet.	Set it up in the Game Day app, or scan the QR code. See Set up your panel.
Join WiFi / Game Day / 2f6a70	The panel’s own hotspot is up, named `Game Day 2f6a70`.	Join that network from any phone or laptop to set it up without the app.
Connecting to and a network name	The panel is joining a network it already knows.	Wait.
JOINING and a network name	The app sent the panel a network, and it’s joining it.	Wait. If the name is wrong, pick again in the app.
A QR code with Scan for Game Day app	The panel joined your Wi-Fi.	Scan it to open the app, or wait for the address.
Open gameday-2f6a70.local	The panel’s device page address.	Open it in a browser on the same Wi-Fi.
Looking up scores	The panel is loading its first scoreboard, at start-up or after you change the team. It shows for up to 10 seconds.	Wait.

The panel says	What it means	What to do
Unplug it to rejoin saved Wi-Fi	The panel is in setup after a Wi-Fi reset and still knows its old networks.	Set it up on a new network, or unplug it and plug it back in to go back to the old one. It goes back by itself after 15 minutes.
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When the Wi-Fi is the problem

The panel says	What it means	What to do
Wi-Fi lost / open app, with a QR code	The panel has been off its Wi-Fi for more than about 10 seconds.	If the router or internet is down, wait: the panel rejoins by itself. If you changed the router or the password, give the panel the new one in the app. See New router or Wi-Fi password.

The panel says	What it means	What to do
Wi-Fi needs sign-in / use home or a hotspot, with a QR code	The network wants a sign-in on a web page, like many bar, hotel and dorm networks. The panel can’t sign in.	Set it up on a home network or a phone hotspot. The message goes by itself once scores come through.
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On the scoreboard

These show on the board or in the ticker.

The panel says	What it means	What to do
Pick a team in the Game Day app or at and an IP address	Nobody has picked a team or a mode yet.	Pick one in the app, or open that address in a browser. See Pick your team.
Getting ready	The panel is on Wi-Fi but hasn’t set its clock yet. It can’t read scores before it has.	Wait a few seconds. If it lasts, see Troubleshooting.
Can’t reach ESPN	The panel is on Wi-Fi but gets no answer from ESPN, where the scores come from.	Check the internet connection. The panel keeps trying.
no update yet at the end of the ticker	Three reads from ESPN in a row failed, and none has worked since the panel started.	Check the internet connection.
no update for 12 min at the end of the ticker	Three reads in a row failed. The score on the board is from that many minutes ago.	Check the internet connection. The board catches up once a read works.
No upcoming game	ESPN lists no next game for your team.	Nothing. Between seasons the panel shows a clock instead, below.
Looking for a live game	In Live games, the panel is checking what’s on. With one league picked, it names it, like Looking for a live NHL game.	Wait.
No live games right now	In Live games, nothing is being played in the leagues you picked.	Nothing. The panel shows today’s later games and recent final scores, and picks up the next game when it starts.
No live NFL games, showing CHI	In Live games with nothing on, the panel shows your own team until a game starts.	Nothing.
Favorites: add teams in the app or on the page	The panel is in Favorite teams with no favorites.	Add favorites, or switch to My team. See Favorite teams.
Later today	A card before the games still to come today, each with both logos, the start time and the TV channel.	Nothing.
Yesterday’s NHL scores, or another day and league	A card before that day’s final scores.	Nothing.
Next: BOS at NYR Thu 6:00 PM	No game is left today. This is the next one.	Nothing.
A clock, with Next: and a date, or only the date	Your team is between seasons. The clock is in your team’s colors, or gray with no team picked. Under it is the next game once it’s on the schedule.	Nothing. See Brightness and the clock.
Postponed, Canceled or Suspended	The game ended without being played out.	Nothing.
Sat TBD	ESPN hasn’t set the game’s start time yet.	Nothing. The time shows once ESPN has it.

A panel with no team picked also brings the app’s QR code back over the board for 13 seconds every 3 minutes, until you pick one.

When you hold the button

The button on the controller shows the panel’s address and resets it. See Buttons and resets.

The panel says	What it means
On your phone, open the address or the IP address then pick your team	You held the button for about 1.5 seconds. The address shows for 20 seconds. On a 64x64 panel it shows the address over two lines, then the IP address and pick a team.
Keep holding to reset Wi-Fi, with a bar filling	You’ve held it for 5 seconds. Let go now and nothing resets.
Wi-Fi reset / restarting	You held it for 10 seconds. The panel forgets its Wi-Fi and restarts into setup.

Nothing resets until you let go, and the screen says what letting go will do.

The panel says	Let go and
Keep holding / Wi-Fi reset / in 5s, counting down	Nothing resets.
Release to reset Wi-Fi, then Hold 10s to erase all, counting down	The Wi-Fi resets. The panel says Wi-Fi reset / restarting.
Release to erase all, then Hold 10s to cancel, counting down	Factory reset. The panel says Erasing all / restarting.
Release to cancel	Nothing resets.
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Icons in the corner

A small icon pulsing slowly in the top right corner means the panel is holding its brightness down. Every two minutes the bottom line says why, for 15 seconds.

You see	What it means	What to do
An orange thermometer and Too warm, dimming	The panel is running hot and has dimmed itself.	Keep it out of direct sun and give it air behind it. It goes back to your brightness as it cools.
A red plug and Check power supply	The panel restarted twice in a row because its power dipped, so it keeps its brightness low.	Use the power supply that came with it, not a phone charger or a USB port. Then press Clear on the device page.

Red, green, blue and white screens

If the whole panel lights red, green, blue and white in turn, then a white line runs down it and a screen of details ends with Press button, the panel is running its factory check. Press the button on the controller once. The panel says Button OK and goes back to normal.

During an update

The panel shows no message of its own while it updates. It restarts when the update is done and comes back on its start-up screen. The device page shows how the update is going. See Updates.

The device page says	What it means
Update available and a version	A newer release is out. Press Install to install it.
Installing and a version	The update is running. Keep the panel powered. The page reconnects when the panel is back.
You’re up to date	The panel has the latest release.
Could not reach the update server. Try again in a minute.	After you tap Check for updates, the check didn’t get an answer.
Not checked yet	The panel hasn’t checked for updates since it started. It checks a few seconds after its clock is set, or tap Check for updates.

The device page says	What it means
The update to a version didn’t take and the panel went back to another	The new version crashed as it started, so the panel went back to the one it had. It won’t install that version on its own again. Install tries it once more.
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