Frequently asked questions
Everything about assembling, connecting and living with your Reachy Mini, in one place.
Getting started & assembly
5 questions
Most makers report between 1.5 and 2 hours, up to 4 depending on your experience level. The kit ships with a printed user guide, a step-by-step video and a digital assembly guide - no soldering required.
Open the getting started guideNot really - testers describe it as fun, simple and satisfying. Cable routing and torqueing parts correctly are the trickiest steps, so take your time there and follow the video closely.
Yes, completely normal. The kit intentionally includes spare cables and screws in case some parts get damaged or lost during assembly. You do not need to install them.
First, make sure the 7V-5A power supply is plugged in: USB alone cannot power the motors. Then check that every cable is fully inserted - loose power cables are the most common cause of "motor not responding" errors. If it still doesn't move, update the software and restart both the robot and your computer.
Full troubleshooting guideNo. On the Wireless version the daemon already runs on the embedded Raspberry Pi, and on the Lite version the desktop app manages it for you. If the desktop app doesn't support your system, the Python SDK is a fully supported alternative.
Wireless & Lite
5 questions
The Wireless version has a Raspberry Pi CM4 built in and runs standalone, without a computer. The Lite version connects to your Mac, Linux or Windows machine over USB and uses it for processing. Both share the same mechanical design, camera and audio capabilities.
The electronics architecture differs between the two versions, so a direct upgrade isn't possible. You can always get a Wireless unit separately if you want standalone capabilities.
No - Wireless units don't expose the robot over USB the way the Lite does. Join the robot to your Wi-Fi network and control it remotely with the SDK, SSH into the embedded Raspberry Pi to run code on board, or use a USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter for a tethered link.
The robot advertises itself over mDNS, which works on most home and office networks but can fail on enterprise, conference or hotel networks. Check your router's DHCP client list for the robot's IP address, or use the desktop app - it can discover the robot on the local network.
Many of these networks isolate clients from each other, so two devices on the same Wi-Fi cannot talk. The simplest workaround is a mobile phone hotspot with both the robot and your computer connected to it. A USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter also works for the Wireless version.
Software & apps
5 questions
Everything is open source and free. You get the SDKs, the desktop app, and access to the entire library of community-built apps.
Browse the app storeThe fastest path is the JS SDK: one self-contained web app, nothing to install on the robot. The documentation walks you through creating, testing and publishing your app.
Read the create docsYes. The daemon exposes a REST API (FastAPI) with WebSocket support for real-time state updates. When the daemon is running, interactive docs live at localhost:8000/docs - useful for generating clients, plugging the robot into your AI tools, or building an MCP server.
Yes, based on MuJoCo. It is still a work in progress, but you can run your code against the simulator without a physical robot.
Make sure the robot is logged in to your Hugging Face account from the desktop app, and that no other web app is currently connected to it. Restarting your browser or clearing its cache also helps.
Hardware & safety
4 questions
Commands outside the limits are automatically clamped to the nearest safe pose: body yaw ±180°, head pitch and roll ±40°, head yaw ±180°, and the difference between body yaw and head yaw must stay within ±65°.
Yes. The Wireless version ships with a proper battery charger, and the battery integrates a BMS with a temperature sensor.
There is no percentage readout - a known limitation of the design. The LED tells you when it's time to charge: green, then orange, then red.
Yes. STL files are available in the repository so you can print parts yourself, full STEP files are planned, and the community shares custom skins on Discord in the "Pimp my Reachy Mini" channel.
Shipping, warranty & refunds
4 questions
All orders ship DAP (Delivered At Place): shipping costs and any local import duties, taxes or customs fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the product price.
Unpack everything first - some parts come pre-assembled inside others. If something really is missing or damaged, email [email protected] with photos, your order or invoice number and your full name.
Before shipping, contact [email protected] for a 100% refund. After shipping, you have 30 days to return your package - contact sales with proof of delivery and your invoice or receipt number.
If a part is broken or malfunctioning, Pollen's after-sales team determines whether it is a hardware defect covered by warranty, and the manufacturer provides repair or replacement parts.
Still stuck?
The full troubleshooting guide covers motors, audio, camera and connection issues in depth - and the team and community are active on Discord every day.