Quick Answer
Setting up Betaflight means connecting your flight controller to the configurator, telling it which port your receiver uses, setting up your flight modes and switches, checking motor direction and propeller layout, configuring your OSD, and testing your failsafe. Do these steps in order, and always finish with a pre-maiden checklist before your first flight.
Before You Start
Make sure your flight controller already has current Betaflight firmware installed. If you have not flashed it yet, read our guide on how to flash Betaflight firmware first, since a fresh flash usually resets your settings and this guide assumes you are starting from a clean board.
You will need the Betaflight Configurator installed on a computer, and a USB cable that supports data transfer, not just charging.
Step 1: Connect to the Configurator
Plug your flight controller into your computer using USB. Open the Betaflight Configurator, select the correct COM port from the dropdown, and click connect. If the board does not appear, try a different USB cable or port, since a bad cable is a very common cause of connection failures.
Once connected, check the Setup tab. Move the drone gently and confirm the on-screen model tilts the same way. If it does not match, you may need to set the correct board orientation later in the CLI.
Step 2: Configure the Ports Tab
The Ports tab tells Betaflight which UART connection your receiver, telemetry or other devices are using. Find the UART your receiver is wired to, and turn on the correct protocol for it, such as Serial RX for most modern receivers.
Getting this step wrong is one of the most common reasons a receiver does not show up later. Double-check your wiring diagram against the UART you select here.
Step 3: Set Up Your Receiver
Go to the Receiver tab and select the correct protocol for your radio system, such as CRSF for ExpressLRS or Crossfire setups. With your radio powered on and bound to the receiver, move the sticks and confirm the channels move correctly on screen.
If a channel is reversed or mapped wrong, you can usually fix this from your radio's channel mapping settings rather than inside Betaflight itself.
Step 4: Set Up Flight Modes
The Modes tab is where you assign switches on your radio to flight modes like Arm, Angle, Air Mode and Beeper. At a minimum, set up:
- Arm, on a switch that is easy to reach but hard to trigger by accident
- Angle mode, useful for beginners and for a safer first flight
- Beeper, so you can find your drone if it lands somewhere hidden
- Air Mode, usually left on all the time for stable feel at low throttle
Test each switch after setting it up to confirm it triggers the right mode.
Step 5: Check Motor Direction and Propeller Layout
Before you ever add propellers, use the Motors tab to test each motor's spin direction one at a time, at very low throttle, with props removed. Betaflight shows which motor number corresponds to which position on your frame.
Match this to your frame's expected propeller layout so that each motor spins the correct way once props are installed. Getting this wrong is a common cause of a drone flipping immediately on arm.
Never test motor spin direction with propellers attached. Always remove props first.
Step 6: Configure the OSD
The OSD (on-screen display) shows flight data like battery voltage and flight timer inside your goggles. In the OSD tab, choose which elements you want visible and position them on the preview screen so they do not block your view of the flight path.
Battery voltage and RSSI or link quality are the two elements almost every pilot keeps visible at all times.
Step 7: Test Your Failsafe
Failsafe is what your drone does if it loses signal from your radio. In the Failsafe tab, most pilots set this to "Drop" for small acro drones, which cuts the motors, or a controlled descent for larger, GPS-equipped builds.
Test this safely: with props removed, turn off your transmitter while the drone is armed on your bench, and confirm it behaves the way you configured it. Skipping this test is a common mistake that only gets discovered the hard way. If your drone will not arm at all during any of this setup, check our guide on why a drone won't arm for the most common causes.
Pre-Maiden Checklist
Before your first flight on a fresh setup, run through this list:
- Propellers installed in the correct position and direction
- Battery voltage displays correctly on the OSD
- All switches trigger the correct modes
- Motor direction confirmed with props off
- Failsafe tested and behaves as expected
- Blackbox enabled, if your board supports it, so you have data to review; see our blackbox logging guide for how to read it later
Once every item on this list checks out, you are ready for a careful first hover in a safe, open area.