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FrogPilot runs on supported comma.ai hardware and replaces the stock openpilot software with dozens of customizable features for steering, gas, and braking. This guide walks you through every step, from pointing your device at the right URL to verifying that everything works correctly on your first drive. The entire process takes about 10-20 minutes with a good Wi-Fi connection.

Before You Start

You'll need a supported device, a compatible car harness, and a Wi-Fi connection to get started.

Supported Hardware

FrogPilot runs on these comma.ai devices:

Device	Status	Notes
comma four	"FrogPilot-Testing" branch only	comma.ai's newest and smallest device
comma 3X	Supported	Previous flagship, widely used in the community
comma three	Supported	Earlier three-camera device, still functional
comma two	Not supported	Discontinued, no longer runs current openpilot
EON / FrEON	Not supported	Original device, long discontinued
Clones	Supported	Community-supported non-comma hardware

What You'll Need

• A supported device (comma four, comma 3X, comma three, or a supported clone)
• A car harness matching your specific vehicle, available at comma.ai/shop
• A mount to attach the device behind your rearview mirror
• A Wi-Fi connection for the initial download (cellular data from comma prime works for updates afterward, but the initial install needs a strong connection)
• A supported car from the comma.ai compatibility list

⚠️ Warning: Installing FrogPilot replaces your existing openpilot installation. All stock openpilot settings will be reset. If you're switching from another fork (like SunnyPilot or DragonPilot), your previous fork's custom settings won't carry over. FrogPilot starts fresh with its own defaults.

Step-by-Step

The installation process involves entering FrogPilot's URL on your comma device, then waiting for the download and reboot to complete.

Fresh Install (New Device)

1. Unbox and power on your comma device. If it's brand new, it will boot into the setup wizard.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi when prompted. Choose a strong, stable network since the download is several gigabytes.
3. Complete the initial setup (language, terms of service, etc.) until you reach the screen asking for a software URL.
4. Enter the FrogPilot install URL:

   frogpilot.download
   

5. Wait for the download to complete. A progress bar shows how far along you are. This typically takes 5-15 minutes depending on your internet speed.
6. The device will reboot automatically once the download finishes. You'll see the comma logo for a minute or two while everything initializes.
7. Look for the FrogPilot startup message on your screen: "Hop in and buckle up!" on top and "Human-tested, frog-approved 🐸" on the bottom. This confirms FrogPilot installed correctly.

Switching from Stock openpilot or Another Fork

1. Go to Settings → Software on your device.
2. Tap "Target Branch" and then tap "SELECT".
3. In the branch selection dialog, you won't see FrogPilot branches listed yet since your device is still pointed at the stock openpilot repository. Instead:
   • Go to Settings → Software and look for the Uninstall option.
   • Uninstall the current software (you can choose whether to do a full factory reset or keep your data).
   • After the device reboots, you'll be back at the setup wizard where you can enter frogpilot.download as described in the fresh install steps above.
4. Alternatively, some users prefer to SSH into the device and manually change the Git remote. This is an advanced approach covered in the SSH section below.

💡 Tip: If you're coming from stock openpilot and your device has already identified your car, FrogPilot will pick up that car identification automatically. You won't need to re-fingerprint your vehicle.

Switching Between FrogPilot Branches

If you already have FrogPilot installed and want to switch to a different branch (for example, from the stable release to Staging):

1. Go to Settings → Software.
2. Tap "Target Branch" → "SELECT".
3. Choose the branch you want from the list (e.g., "FrogPilot-Staging").
4. Tap "DOWNLOAD" when prompted to download the new branch.
5. Once downloaded, tap "INSTALL" to apply the update. Your device will reboot.

⚠️ Warning: Switching branches mid-use can occasionally cause settings conflicts. If you experience odd behavior after switching, try resetting your FrogPilot settings from FrogPilot → System Settings → Utilities.

Branch Selection

For most users, the stable "FrogPilot" branch is the right choice. Other branches trade stability for earlier access to new features.

Branch	Install URL	Stability	Intended Audience	Auto-Updates
FrogPilot	frogpilot.download	Stable	Everyone	Yes
FrogPilot-Development	—	Unstable	Developers only	No
FrogPilot-Staging	staging.frogpilot.download	Beta	Early adopters	No
FrogPilot-Testing	testing.frogpilot.download	Alpha	Advanced testers	No

Branch Details

FrogPilot (stable release) is thoroughly tested and recommended for daily driving. This is the branch you get when you type frogpilot.download during setup.

FrogPilot-Development is the active development branch for contributors and developers. It isn't listed in the branch selector for regular users and can break at any time.

FrogPilot-Staging receives upcoming features before they reach the stable branch. Think of it as a beta test: most things work, but you might encounter occasional rough edges. Install via staging.frogpilot.download.

FrogPilot-Testing is the bleeding-edge alpha branch where new features land first. Expect bugs and frequent changes. Install via testing.frogpilot.download.

💡 Tip: New users should always start with the stable FrogPilot branch. You can always switch to Staging or Testing later once you're comfortable with the system.

⚠️ Warning: The Development branch can dramatically change driving behavior between updates. Never use it for daily driving unless you're a developer actively working on FrogPilot.

First-Boot Setup

The first time you open FrogPilot's settings, it guides you through choosing your comfort level with how many options you want to see.

Tuning Level Prompt

When you tap the FrogPilot tab in Settings for the first time, FrogPilot automatically evaluates your experience level based on your recorded driving hours and suggests a starting tuning level. You'll see one of these messages:

• Less than 10 hours of openpilot experience: FrogPilot suggests Minimal and welcomes you as new to openpilot
• 10-100 hours of openpilot but new to FrogPilot: FrogPilot suggests Minimal and welcomes you as new to FrogPilot
• Over 100 hours of openpilot but under 100 hours of FrogPilot: FrogPilot suggests Standard and acknowledges your openpilot experience
• Over 100 hours of FrogPilot: FrogPilot suggests Advanced and recognizes your FrogPilot experience

You can always change your tuning level later. Here's what each level reveals:

Tuning Level	What You See	Who It's For
Advanced	Detailed controls for driving behavior, model tuning, and visual customization	Experienced users who want fine-grained control
Developer	Everything, including debug tools and experimental values	Seasoned enthusiasts and contributors
Minimal	Core toggles only: basic steering, gas/brake, and appearance	Brand new users who want simplicity
Standard	All commonly-used settings with sensible groupings	Most users after a few weeks of driving

⚠️ Warning: Selecting Developer triggers a warning dialog: "These settings are risky and can drastically change how openpilot drives. Only change if you fully understand what they do!" Changing these settings without understanding them can make the driving experience unpredictable.

Until you confirm a tuning level by tapping through the welcome prompt, FrogPilot internally treats your tuning level as Developer (level 3) so that all settings are accessible. Once you confirm, your chosen level takes effect and hides any settings above that level.

Auto-Expanding Descriptions

The first time you open each FrogPilot settings panel, all toggle descriptions automatically expand so you can read what every option does. You'll see an alert explaining: "All toggle descriptions are currently expanded. You can tap a toggle's name to open or close its description at any time!"

This only happens once per panel. After your first visit, descriptions stay collapsed by default and you tap to expand the ones you're curious about.

Startup Messages

When FrogPilot boots successfully, you'll see these messages on the driving screen before you start driving:

• Top: "Hop in and buckle up!"
• Bottom: "Human-tested, frog-approved 🐸"

These replace the stock openpilot messages ("Be ready to take over at any time" / "Always keep hands on wheel and eyes on road"). If you see the FrogPilot messages, your installation succeeded. You can customize these later in FrogPilot → Theme and Appearance → THEME.

Automatic Updates

FrogPilot can keep itself up to date automatically, but only on the stable release branch.

Automatically Update FrogPilot

Property	Value
Default	On
Tuning Level	Minimal
Location	Settings → Software → Automatically Update FrogPilot

When On, FrogPilot checks for updates when your car is parked (or off) and you have an internet connection. If an update is found, it downloads automatically in the background. You'll see a notification on the Software panel when an update is ready to install.

Key restrictions:

• Branch restriction: Automatic updates only function on the stable FrogPilot branch. On Staging, Testing, or Development branches, this toggle has no effect. You'll need to check for updates manually on those branches.
• Backup protection: If a system backup is currently in progress (or was recently created), automatic updates are temporarily paused until the backup completes. This prevents updates from interfering with your backup data.
• Network awareness: On metered connections (like a mobile hotspot), FrogPilot skips automatic downloads unless it's been more than 3 days since the last update check, or you manually request one.

The toggle only appears in the Software panel when you're on a release branch.

Manual Updates

To manually check for and install updates on any branch:

1. Go to Settings → Software.
2. Tap CHECK to look for available updates.
3. If an update is found, tap DOWNLOAD to begin downloading.
4. Once downloaded, tap INSTALL to apply the update. Your device will reboot.

💡 Tip: Updates only download while the car is off or in park. If you're driving, you'll see a message that says "Updates are only downloaded while the car is off or in park."

Map Data Update Schedule

Don't confuse FrogPilot software updates with map data updates. Map data (used by Speed Limit Controller) has its own update schedule found in FrogPilot → Navigation → MAP DATA:

Property	Value
Default	Monthly
Options	Manually, Weekly, Monthly
Tuning Level	Minimal

• Manually: maps only update when you tap the download button
• Weekly: maps auto-update every Sunday
• Monthly: maps auto-update on the 1st of each month

Post-Install Verification

After installation, run through this checklist to make sure everything is working correctly.

Step-by-Step Checklist

1. Confirm the correct branch is active:

   • Go to Settings → Software and check the "Current Version" field. It should show the branch name (e.g., "FrogPilot") along with the version number and commit date.
   • The "Target Branch" should display the branch you intended to install.

2. Check your startup message:

   • Reboot the device if needed. You should see "Hop in and buckle up!" and "Human-tested, frog-approved 🐸" on the main screen. If you see stock openpilot messages instead, FrogPilot didn't install correctly.

3. Set your Tuning Level:

   • Tap the FrogPilot tab in Settings. If this is your first time, you'll see the tuning level suggestion prompt. Confirm or change the level.

4. Verify car identification:

   • Start your car with the device connected via the harness. Wait for the device to identify your car. This usually takes a few seconds.
   • Go to FrogPilot → Vehicle Settings → VEHICLE SETTINGS. You should see your car's make and model displayed. If the fields are empty, see Troubleshooting below.

5. Check device calibration:

   • Drive in a straight line above 15 mph for a few minutes. The device needs to learn the camera's mounting angle relative to the road. You'll see a calibration progress percentage on screen until it completes.

6. Check connectivity:

   • Go to Settings → Network and confirm you're connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
   • If you have comma prime, verify your device shows as connected in comma connect.

7. Take a short test drive:

   • Drive a familiar route for 5-10 minutes. Make sure steering assistance engages properly when you press the cruise control button on your steering wheel.
   • Check that the driving screen shows the path overlay and your speed.

⚠️ Warning: Some advanced settings (like steering tuning values) automatically populate from your car's parameters the first time your car is successfully identified. You may need to complete a short drive before all settings show their correct values for your specific vehicle.

SSH / Advanced Access

SSH gives advanced users remote command-line access to the device for troubleshooting and development. Most users don't need this.

Enabling SSH

Property	Value
Default	Off
Tuning Level	Minimal
Location	Settings → Network

To enable SSH access:

1. Go to Settings → Network on your device.
2. Enable the SSH toggle.
3. Tap SSH Keys and enter your GitHub username. FrogPilot will fetch your public SSH keys from GitHub and authorize them on the device.

⚠️ Warning: Never enter anyone else's GitHub username. This grants full remote access to your device. A comma.ai employee will never ask you to add their username.

SSH requires either comma prime (which includes a cellular data plan and always-on connectivity) or a local network connection (Wi-Fi). With comma prime, you can SSH into your device from anywhere using the IP shown in the device settings.

Limitations

FrogPilot inherits openpilot's car compatibility requirements and adds its own feature-specific requirements on top.

• FrogPilot only runs on comma.ai hardware (comma three, comma 3X, and comma four). It can't be installed on phones, tablets, or other computers.
• Your car must be on the openpilot supported vehicles list. FrogPilot doesn't add support for unsupported car models.
• Some FrogPilot features require your car to support specific capabilities. For example, Neural Network Feedforward requires a pre-trained model for your specific car, Zorrobyte Steering Sensor support only applies to certain Toyotas, and Smart Driver Support Unit features are limited to specific Toyota models. These features silently stay hidden or disabled on unsupported vehicles.
• Features that control gas and braking (like Conditional Experimental Mode, Speed Limit Controller, and Curve Speed Controller) require your car to support openpilot-controlled gas and braking. On cars where only the factory cruise control handles gas and braking, these features aren't available.
• The comma pedal (an aftermarket throttle device) is no longer manufactured. If your car needs one for full openpilot functionality, you'll need to find one secondhand.

Troubleshooting

Solutions to the most common issues people encounter during and after installation.

Q: FrogPilot installed, but my car isn't being identified. The Vehicle Settings page shows blank fields.

A: Car identification (fingerprinting) happens automatically when you start your car with the device connected. Make sure the harness is securely plugged in and the OBD-C cable is connected to the device. Start the car and wait 30-60 seconds. If identification still fails, go to FrogPilot → Vehicle Settings → VEHICLE SETTINGS and manually select your car's make and model. You can also enable "Disable Automatic Fingerprint Detection" (at Advanced tuning level) to lock in your manual selection.

Q: FrogPilot seems to be missing a lot of features I've read about. I only see a few basic toggles.

A: Your tuning level is likely set to Minimal, which hides most settings. Go to FrogPilot → Tuning Level and select Standard or Advanced to reveal more settings. Standard is recommended for most users. Also remember that some features only appear when your car supports them. For example, gas and braking features won't show up if your car only supports steering through openpilot.

Q: How do I know which features my specific car supports?

A: After your car has been identified, go to FrogPilot → Vehicle Settings → VEHICLE SETTINGS and tap Vehicle Info → VIEW. This panel shows whether your car supports openpilot-controlled gas and braking, radar data, blind spot monitoring, stop-and-go, and other capabilities. Features that require unsupported capabilities are automatically hidden from your menus.

Q: I switched branches and now some features are missing or behaving differently.

A: Different branches may have different features or different defaults. After switching branches, go to FrogPilot → System Settings → UTILITIES and consider resetting your toggle settings to FrogPilot defaults. Also confirm your tuning level is set appropriately, since it controls which settings are visible. Some features available on Testing or Development branches may not yet exist on the stable branch.

Q: I want to go back to stock openpilot. How do I uninstall FrogPilot?

A: Go to Settings → Software and tap Uninstall. You'll be asked whether you want a full factory reset (which deletes all settings and saved data) or a basic uninstall. After the device reboots, you'll be back at the setup wizard where you can enter openpilot.comma.ai to install stock openpilot.

Q: My device is stuck on the comma logo and won't boot after installing FrogPilot.

A: This usually means the download was incomplete or corrupted. Hold the power button for 10-15 seconds to force a hard reboot. If the device boots into recovery, connect to Wi-Fi and re-enter frogpilot.download to reinstall. If the device still won't boot, try performing a factory reset by holding both volume buttons during boot (exact procedure varies by device model, check comma.ai's support page for your hardware).

Q: My settings aren't saving. They reset every time I reboot.

A: This can happen if the device's storage is full. Check your available storage in FrogPilot → System Settings → DEVICE CONTROLS. If storage is very low, delete old drive recordings from FrogPilot → System Settings → DATA, or remove downloaded map data from FrogPilot → Navigation → MAP DATA. If storage isn't the issue, try rebooting the device from Settings → Device → Reboot.

Q: Software updates aren't downloading even though I have the Automatically Update FrogPilot toggle on.

A: Automatic updates only work on the stable FrogPilot branch. If you're on Staging, Testing, or Development, you'll need to check for updates manually via Settings → Software → CHECK. Also verify that your device is connected to the internet (Settings → Network), and that your car is parked or off since updates don't download while driving.

Q: SSH isn't connecting even though I enabled it and added my GitHub username.

A: First, verify your GitHub account actually has SSH public keys uploaded (check github.com/YourUsername.keys in a browser; it should show your keys). Make sure the device and your computer are on the same network, or that you're using comma prime for remote access. Check that the SSH toggle is still enabled in Settings → Network. If it was recently enabled, wait a minute for the SSH service to start. Try rebooting the device if the connection still fails.

Q: The "Automatically Update FrogPilot" toggle is hidden in my Software panel.

A: This toggle only appears when you're on a release branch (the stable FrogPilot branch). If you're on Staging, Testing, or Development, the toggle is intentionally hidden because automatic updates aren't supported on those branches. Switch to the stable branch if you want automatic updates.

Q: The screen shows the stock openpilot startup messages instead of the FrogPilot messages.

A: This means FrogPilot didn't install correctly, or your device is running stock openpilot. Go to Settings → Software and check the "Current Version" field. If it doesn't mention "FrogPilot", you're still on stock openpilot. Follow the installation steps above to switch. If you recently attempted to install and it appears to have succeeded, try rebooting the device once more.