Questions about hörbert

Requirements:

1. You need access to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi at your location.

2. Your hörbert must have the latest firmware version (Butterfly2) installed. The model hörbert 3.0 already has this firmware version or a newer one. Here’s the link to the -> Instructions for a firmware update.

How to activate the podcast function for your hörbert

• Start the Browser Set Mode for hörbert -> Explanation video
• Click on “WLAN” in the main menu. Activate the WLAN there and enter the WLAN name and password.
• Choose in the “Advanced Settings” at what time hörbert should wake up silently and download new episodes. Use a time when hörbert is definitely not being used.

• Add podcasts to playlists:
  • Select one of the colourful playlists in the main menu where you’d like to save a podcast URL.
  • Click on the “+Podcast” button
  • If you know the URL, enter a name for the podcast here and type or copy the URL into the designated field and select “save”
  • You can also start a keyword search for a podcast, select the right podcast from the results list and “Save”.
  • Define at this point as well how many podcast episodes should be kept:

• Once you’ve clicked “Save”, hörbert downloads the control file for the podcast. In the playlist, this control file is displayed together with the preview of the podcast episodes.
• If you then click on the download icon in the parent control file, hörbert downloads the entire number of episodes displayed. This can take several minutes depending on the podcast length.

• If you want to download just a single episode first, click on the download symbol to the right of the desired episode.
• hörbert then automatically downloads the other episodes at the previously set wake-up time, provided it’s connected to the home Wi-Fi at that moment and was switched off beforehand. If it’s currently playing and in use, no new episodes will be loaded.

We wish you lots of fun with your favourite podcasts!

Requirement:

• Your hörbert is already running the new BETA version of the Butterfly2 firmware from October 2025. hörbert 3.0 (release March 2026) definitely has it.
• If needed, here’s how to update to the new BETA version -> Firmware update

People who use hörbert, especially small children who often press all the buttons just for fun, must not end up in hörbert’s SET mode by accident. That’s why we’ve come up with a method that can’t be triggered “by mistake”.

Here’s how to get into hörbert’s SET mode without unscrewing him:

• Press the rotary knob on top and keep it pressed.
• Wait 5 seconds (hörbert may start playing)
• Now additionally press the dark green button.
• Hold both buttons for at least 10 seconds, then first release the rotary knob and afterwards the dark green button.
• hörbert is now in SET mode and opens his own WiFi network for you.
• Connect your smartphone, tablet or computer to hörbert’s WiFi. The WiFi password is: hoerbert
• Then start a web browser on your device and enter the following address: http://hoerbert.local
• Now you’ll see hörbert’s Browser Set Mode on your screen:

In the Browser Set Mode you can now make all the settings for hörbert. For example:

activate/deactivate WiFi, Bluetooth and the voice microphone, edit playlists, add podcasts or web radio stations, and much more.

Here you’ll find an overview of the options in the Browser Set Mode: BLOG ARTICLE BROWSER SET MODE

Requirement: You have a hörbert model without a toggle switch.
If you want to upgrade your hörbert 2011 (old model with toggle switch), order the Upgrade Kit for self-retrofitting now, or have hörbert upgraded by us in our workshop.

How you perform a firmware update depends on which firmware is running on your hörbert. If your firmware is older than November 2024, you must use the manual method (further below). It’s most convenient if your hörbert already has the “Butterfly” firmware or newer.

Firmware Update via WLAN through the Browser Set Mode

Start the Browser Set Mode (click here to get to the explanatory video)

Activate and configure hörbert’s Wi-Fi function in the Wi-Fi menu item:
Select your Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only) from the list of available networks and enter your Wi-Fi password.
Tip: If you want to use hörbert as a podcast player: Set under “Advanced Settings” when hörbert should automatically search for new podcast episodes. Choose a time when hörbert isn’t being used, e.g. at night. hörbert won’t make any sounds when updating podcasts.

Then select “General” from the main menu and open the Advanced Settings there. Click on “CHECK for updates NOW” to bring your hörbert’s firmware up to the latest version.

Wait until the update has been carried out. You can recognise this when hörbert automatically exits the Browser Set Mode. Please don’t switch hörbert off and wait until it plays content through its speaker again.

Done! You’re now using the latest firmware with the current functions and bug fixes!

TIP: BETA VERSIONS

We’re constantly developing hörbert’s firmware further. We test new functions in BETA versions that aren’t yet stable or mature. If you’re curious, and you have a backup copy of your memory card, you can also have a look at these BETA versions:

To do this, download the BETA firmware as a file. You mustn’t unpack the downloaded file, as it’s simply loaded onto hörbert as a .bin file:
To do this, click on “Select file“, then search for the downloaded .bin file, and then click on “Update“.

Manual firmware update via memory card

1. Download the latest firmware file “hoerbert_firmware.bin” on this page: hörbert Firmware
2. Don’t unpack the downloaded file, it will be loaded onto hörbert as a .bin file.
3. Insert the memory card into your computer now and drag and drop the file onto the card.
   Place the file directly on the card, and not in a subdirectory.
   The file must be named exactly like this: hoerbert_firmware.bin
4. Properly eject the SD card and put it back into hörbert.
5. Check out our explanatory video for the further steps with hörbert or continue directly with points 6 to 10.
6. Remove one of the four batteries or rechargeable batteries from the battery clips or the separate battery compartment, and unplug the USB charging cable if your hörbert has the charging function.
7. Wait at least 20 seconds until hörbert is completely powered off.
8. Press the SET button inside hörbert and hold it down, whilst you now reinsert the last battery/rechargeable battery.
9. Hold down the SET button for another approx. 50 seconds until the LED on the SET button flashes quickly. Now you can release the SET button.
10. Wait at least 10 seconds before you switch on hörbert.

Done! From now on you can carry out future firmware updates quite easily via WLAN through the browser Set Mode.

Note: With an older hörbert model 2011 with a toggle switch for turning it on/off, recordings are not possible. You can have your hörbert upgraded by us, or upgrade it yourself with our DIY Upgrade Kit for hörbert 2011 if you want to make recordings with it.

Listening to and recording internet radio with hörbert 3.0

• Connect your mobile phone, tablet or computer to hörbert’s WiFi by switching him on and pressing the Set button inside. hörbert opens his own WiFi network.
• hörbert will now appear on your device as a WiFi network. Connect to it. The WiFi password is: hoerbert
• Start an internet browser on your device, e.g. Chrome or Firefox. Enter the following web address there: http://hoerbert.local
• hörbert’s Browser Set Mode opens.
• In Browser Set Mode, go to the menu item “WIFI” and tick the “activated” box.
• Select your home WiFi from the list there and enter the WiFi password. Then click on “Save and test”.
• In Browser Set Mode, go to the menu item “PLAYLISTS” and select a playlist that you want to enable for web radio recordings. All recordings from the internet will then be saved there one after the other at the end.
• Store at least one valid web radio URL for this playlist. To do this, open the content list of the playlist you have enabled for web radio recordings in Browser Set Mode. Click on “+ RADIO” at the top of the title list.
• A keyword search for radio stations opens, from which you can choose.
• If you know the exact streaming URL, you can also enter it in the text line below and save it.
• Exit Browser Set Mode. After a few seconds, hörbert will start playing through his loudspeaker again.
• Select the playlist with the web radio URL and click your way through to it.
• hörbert indicates the search for the home WiFi and for the URL with an ascending sequence of tones and then plays the radio station after a few seconds.
• Start a recording by pressing the black and then the grey button at the same time until the red light at the microphone opening at the front lights up. You can then let go of the buttons.
• To stop the recording, press the black button again.
• The recording is saved at the end of the playlist that you previously enabled for web radio recordings in Browser Set Mode.
• If you have a hörbert with only three large playlist buttons, you don’t have a black or grey button to start and stop the recording. In that case, you first have to change the recording mode in Browser Set Mode under “Expert menu” in the “Recording settings“, so that a recording starts, for example, when you press and hold a playlist button. And the recording stops when you press a playlist button again. For more on this, see our manual for hörbert with Butterfly firmware from page 39 onwards.

If your hörbert 2021 doesn’t have the Butterfly firmware yet, an internet radio recording works as follows:

You can either upgrade to the Butterfly firmware if you want to use the simple method via Browser Set Mode (see above). Or you can proceed as follows:

• If the Butterfly firmware or newer isn’t installed on your hörbert yet, you’ll need a computer and the hörbert software to edit the memory card. You can find the current hörbert software on our website in the “Service” section under “Software Downloads“.
• Download the software and install it on your computer.
• Start the hörbert software. Select the correct hörbert model without a toggle switch.
• The hörbert software recognises the card and displays it as a drive. Select the SD card as the drive in the hörbert software and click on “Read card“.
• Click on the coloured button on the screen that you want to enable for internet radio recordings.
• At the bottom of the content window, select “Save internet radio recordings here“.
• Click on the green plus sign to the right of the word “URL”.
• You will now get a new text line at the end of the title list and can enter the streaming URL of your radio station there by double-clicking on the line. You need to know the URL; there’s no search for a suitable URL here. Save with “Enter”.
• Close the window using the green tick.
• In the hörbert software main menu, go to “Extras” and then to “Configure WiFi connections“.
• You can now store up to 5 WiFi networks by entering the WiFi name (without spaces) and the password and saving them.
• Eject the card properly using the green “Eject card” button and wait until the hörbert software tells you that you may now disconnect the card from the computer.
• Put the SD card back into hörbert.
• Switch hörbert on and wait until he plays.
• Then press the SET button inside; hörbert goes silent and is in SET mode.
• Now press the orange button on the front of hörbert for about 10 seconds to read the WiFi data into the device. You’ll hear a confirmation tone once hörbert has managed this.
• Then you can press the SET button inside again and wait until hörbert plays.
• Now select the button with the radio station. Navigate your way to the station.
• hörbert indicates the WiFi and station search with an ascending sequence of tones. It may take a few seconds before hörbert plays the station.
• Start a recording by pressing the black and grey buttons at the same time until the red light at the microphone opening at the front lights up. You can then let go of the buttons.
• To stop the recording, press the black button again.
• The recording is saved at the end of the playlist that you previously enabled for internet radio recordings in Browser Set Mode.
• If you have an accessible hörbert with only three large playlist buttons, you don’t have a black or grey button to start and stop the recording. In that case, you first have to change the recording mode in Browser Set Mode under the “Expert menu” in the “Recording settings”, so that a recording starts, for example, when you press and hold a playlist button. And the recording stops when you press a playlist button again. For more on this, see our manual for hörbert with Butterfly firmware from page 39 onwards.
• However, in order to be able to use Browser Set Mode, you first have to install the Butterfly firmware on your hörbert. With a 3-button hörbert, the home WiFi can also only be saved via Browser Set Mode.
• Here you’ll find all the information about the firmware update.