Beta Features
HelixScreen includes several features that are functional but still being refined. These are gated behind a beta flag so they can be tested without affecting the default experience.
Enabling Beta Features
Section titled “Enabling Beta Features”Method 1: Secret tap (recommended)
- Go to Settings → tap the About row to open the About overlay
- Tap the Current Version button 7 times (like enabling Android Developer Mode)
- A countdown appears after 4 taps (“3 more taps…”, “2 more taps…”, etc.)
- A toast confirms “Beta features: ON”
Repeat the same process to disable beta features.
Note: Taps must be within 2 seconds of each other or the counter resets.
Method 2: Config file
Set "beta_features": true in your settings.json.
Method 3: Test mode
Beta features are always enabled when running with --test.
Beta Feature List
Section titled “Beta Feature List”When beta features are enabled, the following appear in the UI with an orange “BETA” badge and left accent border:
| Feature | Location | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HelixPrint Plugin | Advanced panel | Install/uninstall the HelixPrint Klipper plugin for advanced print start control | Functional; plugin manages bed mesh, QGL, z-tilt skipping |
| Configure PRINT_START | Advanced panel | Make bed mesh and QGL skippable in your print start macro | Functional; needs only Beta Features enabled — writes your Klipper config directly via Moonraker, no plugin required |
| Plugins | Settings panel | View installed plugins and their status | Functional; plugin system is early-stage |
| Dev Update Channel | Settings panel | Adds Dev to the Update Channel selector, which otherwise offers Stable and Beta to everyone | Functional; needs update.dev_url set in the config file |
| Macro Browser | Advanced panel | Browse and execute custom Klipper macros | Functional; hides system macros, confirms dangerous ones |
| Z Calibration | Controls panel | Quick-access PROBE_CALIBRATE button (probe Z endstop) — distinct from the graduated Z-Offset Calibration flow |
Functional; requires probe hardware |
| MPC Calibration | Heater Calibration panel | Model Predictive Control calibration as an alternative to PID | Functional; requires Kalico firmware |
| Multi-Printer Management | Settings panel, Navbar, Printer Manager | Add, switch between, and manage multiple Klipper printers from one touchscreen | Functional; switch/add/delete printers with one-tap switching |
Graduated from beta: the Sound System, PID Calibration, Input Shaper, the Spool Wizard, the G-code Console, Probe Management, Z-Offset Calibration, and Timelapse are now available to all users without enabling beta features.
ESP32-S3 Firmware (Alpha)
Section titled “ESP32-S3 Firmware (Alpha)”Besides running on a printer’s host computer (Linux, Raspberry Pi, Android), HelixScreen can be built as firmware that runs directly on ESP32-S3 display panels — the BTT K-Touch class of hardware.
Status: alpha. This is an early, experimental port for developers and early testers. Expect rough edges, missing features, and instability — not for daily use, and not a scheduled release. The Linux, Pi, and Android targets are unaffected and remain the production ones.
What works today:
- Boots to the Home panel; heavier screens load on first visit to fit the panel’s memory
- Live printer status and bed mesh over WiFi through Moonraker
- WiFi setup on first boot: the panel broadcasts its own setup hotspot — join it from your phone to configure the network
- Over-the-air updates, with a fallback slot to recover a bad flash
- All nine languages and the printer image set, packed to fit the panel’s storage
Not yet available on this target: the camera feed and QR features, the 2D G-code view, and the 3D bed mesh view.
There is no release download yet — the firmware is built from the source tree with the ESP-IDF toolchain.
Update Channel Selection
Section titled “Update Channel Selection”The channel selector in Settings → About offers Stable and Beta on every install. Enabling beta features adds a third entry:
| Channel | Description | Needs beta features |
|---|---|---|
| Stable | Production releases (default) | No |
| Beta | Pre-release builds for testing upcoming features | No |
| Dev | Development builds — latest code, may be unstable | Yes |
The update channel can also be set via update.channel in the config file (0=Stable, 1=Beta, 2=Dev).
A stored Dev falls back to Stable while beta features are off; the stored value is
kept, so turning beta back on restores Dev.
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