The Easy Guide to Getting Started with Your New Raspberry Pi 4

A step-by-step guide to turn on and set up your brand new Raspberry Pi 4. Learn how to connect the device, install an operating system, and get it ready for your first project. …


Updated October 30, 2023

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A step-by-step guide to turn on and set up your brand new Raspberry Pi 4. Learn how to connect the device, install an operating system, and get it ready for your first project.

  1. Before you begin, make sure you have the following items ready:

    • A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B or later (8GB or above recommended)
    • An SD card with at least 8 GB capacity (we recommend using a Class 10 or higher for better performance)
    • An HDMI cable to connect your Raspberry Pi to a monitor or TV
    • A USB-C power supply (5V, 3A or higher) or a micro USB cable and adapter (2A or higher)
    • An Ethernet cable if you want to connect it to your network without WiFi

  2. Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi using a card reader or built-in slot, depending on your model.

  3. Connect the HDMI cable to your monitor/TV and one end of the USB-C power supply to the Raspberry Pi. If you’re using a micro USB cable instead, connect it to the other end of the adapter.

  4. Open the Raspberry Pi Imager software on your computer (available for Windows, macOS, and Linux).

  5. Select “Choose OS” and choose one of the following options:

    • Raspberry Pi OS (recommended) if you want to start with a ready-to-use operating system
    • Raspberry Pi OS Lite if you prefer to install additional software yourself
    • Other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian

  6. Click “Choose SD Card” and select the SD card you inserted in step 2.

  7. Click “Write” to start writing the selected operating system image onto the SD card. This may take a few minutes, depending on your computer’s performance and the size of the SD card.

  8. Once the process is complete, safely remove the SD card from your computer.

  9. Connect the Ethernet cable (if using) to your Raspberry Pi and your router/modem, then plug in the power supply. The Raspberry Pi will boot up and display a splash screen on the monitor.

  10. Wait for the desktop environment or command line interface to load. By default, the username is “pi” and the password is “raspberry”. You can change the password by typing passwd in the terminal.

  11. Connect your Raspberry Pi to a WiFi network using the Settings menu (Raspberry Pi OS) or by editing /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf file (other distributions).

  12. Update the software repositories and packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
  1. Reboot your Raspberry Pi for changes to take effect:
sudo reboot

Now you have successfully turned on your Raspberry Pi 4 and set it up with an operating system. You can start exploring the vast range of projects and applications available for this versatile device!