Before connecting
Use current desktop Google Chrome, an HTTPS BrowserSDR page and an antenna suited to your target band. Close other SDR software and browser tabs using the receiver: one application must have exclusive USB ownership. Check the device compatibility table if your tuner is outside the established profile.
Open Diagnostics to check WebUSB and WebGPU. A missing browser API and a device held by another program are different problems; use the reported status to choose the next step.
Windows: check the receiver interface
An RTL-SDR may need WinUSB on its receiver interface before Chrome can open it. Follow the app’s Windows Setup help or the RTL-SDR quick-start guide. Confirm the selected device and interface before changing a driver; avoid selecting unrelated USB devices. Reconnect the radio after changing driver ownership.
Linux: check permissions and DVB ownership
A DVB kernel driver may claim the radio, or your account may lack USB access. Open Setup help and select Linux for the device-specific recovery steps. Close other tools first. Temporary driver release and a correctly scoped USB permission rule address different causes; use the guidance for the error you actually see.
BrowserSDR cannot execute these steps, inspect your kernel drivers or grant OS permissions. After making a system change, reconnect the receiver and retry. Do not run the browser as root to work around device permissions.
Receive your first FM station
- Open BrowserSDR and select RTL-SDR device.
- Press Connect and select the receiver in the USB chooser.
- Choose a supported rate such as 2.4 MS/s, select WBFM, and set a local FM station’s frequency.
- Press Start receiving. Adjust the channel frequency and volume, and inspect the spectrum and waterfall.
Receiver center defines the sampled RF window. Channel frequency selects the station inside it. Auto re-center keeps the channel in the usable window when enabled. RDS appears only after valid groups have been decoded; a visible spectral peak alone does not identify the station.
If the receiver will not open
- Missing from the chooser: confirm the supported profile, browser API availability and OS driver ownership.
- Already in use: close SDR programs and other tabs, reconnect the device and retry.
- Connected but no useful signal: check the antenna, mode, frequency, rate and local RF conditions.
- Still failing: expand Show recovery steps. Review a diagnostic or compatibility report before manually submitting it.
For independent browser-driver compatibility details, see the WebRTLSDR documentation. Once reception works, capture I/Q for later replay.