ESP32 WiFiManager: A Practical Way to Configure WiFi Without Hardcoding Credentials

Hi everyone,

I’ve been exploring WiFiManager for ESP32 projects to avoid hardcoding WiFi credentials. It allows users to configure their WiFi through a captive portal, saves the credentials in NVS, and reconnects automatically when the device restarts.

I’m curious about the practical issues that can arise when using this approach, especially when the device cannot connect to a saved network, the captive portal doesn’t open automatically, or the WiFi configuration needs to be reset.

For those who have used WiFiManager in real projects, what challenges have you encountered? Would you recommend it for IoT devices deployed in different locations, or is another provisioning method more reliable?

I’ve covered the implementation and some common considerations in this tutorial at PCBCool: ESP32 WiFiManager Tutorial