Build a To-Do List You'll Actually Check: ePaper + ESP32 Walkthrough
Of all the projects I've built for the channel, this is the one people message me about the most: a WiFi-connected to-do list on a crisp, paper-like e-ink display that doesn't glow at you from across the room and doesn't die if you forget to charge it for a week. I still use mine daily. Here's how you'd build your own, and why each part is doing what it's doing.
Why e-paper for a to-do list?
E-ink (also called e-paper) only draws power when the image changes. Once your task list is on the screen, it stays there — no backlight, no refresh, no battery drain — until you update it again. For something you glance at all day, that's the opposite of a phone notification: calm instead of demanding. It's also just genuinely pleasant to look at, more like a printed card than a screen.
What you actually need
I get asked constantly what parts were in the original build, so I put together the E-Paper To-Do List Video Kit with exactly what's in the video — nothing more, nothing you have to go hunting for separately. It comes in two board options depending on how you want to power and program it: an ESP32-C3 SuperMini or a QT Py ESP32-S2, both small enough to disappear into a wristlet or a desk stand. If you'd rather source the e-paper module on its own to design your own enclosure, we also stock the 2.13″ WeAct e-paper module separately.
The build, in short
1. Wire the display. The e-paper module talks over SPI, so you're connecting a small handful of pins — CS, DC, RST, BUSY, plus power and ground. This is the fiddly-but-forgiving part: take it slow, double check against the diagram in the kit, and you won't fry anything.
2. Flash the firmware. I build and flash all my projects in PlatformIO rather than the Arduino IDE at this point — more control over library versions, fewer mystery build failures. If you're new to PlatformIO, there's a short series on the channel that walks through getting your first ESP32 project building cleanly, including the platformio.ini gotchas that trip people up. However, if you want to stick with Arduino - just copy the code in the main file, and paste it into your .ino sketch. The code works on both platforms!
3. Connect it to WiFi and pull your task list. The version in the video pulls tasks over WiFi so the display updates without you touching a button. You can simplify this to a hard-coded list if you just want the display working first, then layer networking on once the basics are solid — that's genuinely the better order to learn it in.
4. Mount it somewhere you'll actually see it. Desk stand, fridge, inside a jacket pocket for an on-the-go version — the whole point is a glance-and-go display, so put it somewhere your eyes already land.
For the full build with wiring diagram and code, watch Build This Genius To-Do List Gadget (ePaper + ESP32) on the channel. If you want a faster, more general primer on e-paper displays with ESP32 before diving into the full project, the E-Paper Display Tutorial covers the display basics in just a few minutes.
Where people usually get stuck
Two things trip up almost everyone the first time: using the wrong driver for their specific e-paper panel (there are several similar-but-not-identical WeAct modules, so match yours to the library exactly), and forgetting that most e-paper displays need a full refresh occasionally to clear ghosting from partial updates. Both are covered in the video, but if you get stuck, the comments are genuinely the fastest way to reach me.
This is a great weekend project if you've already got one or two ESP32 builds under your belt, and a very satisfying “first real project” if you're newer and comfortable with basic soldering. Either way, you'll end up with something you actually use every day — which, if I'm honest, is rarer than it should be for maker projects.