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Why Isn't My Raspberry Pi 4 64-bit?

All Raspberry Pi 4 boards have 64-bit capability, but the default OS uses a 32-bit kernel. Learn why and how to switch to 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS.

64-bit OSRaspberry Pi 4By Vilros

The short answer

The Raspberry Pi 4 included in all Vilros kits does indeed have 64-bit capacity.

There are no Raspberry Pi 4 boards that do not have 64-bit capacity.

The reason it is showing as 32-bit is because the default operating system image uses a 32-bit LPAE kernel and a 32-bit userland.

Why it shows as 32-bit

The Raspberry Pi 4 uses a Broadcom BCM2711 SoC with a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 processor. The hardware is fully 64-bit capable.

However, for compatibility reasons, the default Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian) has historically shipped with a 32-bit operating system, even on 64-bit hardware.

Why 32-bit was the default:

  • Compatibility with older Raspberry Pi models (Pi 2, Pi 3) which had 32-bit CPUs
  • Support for legacy 32-bit software and libraries
  • Slightly lower memory usage for 32-bit applications (beneficial on 1GB/2GB models)

Note: As of 2022, Raspberry Pi OS now offers official 64-bit images, and 64-bit is recommended for the 4GB and 8GB Pi 4 models.

You can read more about this on the official Raspberry Pi website under the announcement of the 8GB Raspberry Pi 4.

How to run 64-bit OS

If you would like to run the 64-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS, you can access the image via the official Raspberry Pi downloads:

Option 1: Use Raspberry Pi Imager (recommended)

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager
  2. Select "Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)" from the operating system list
  3. Flash it to your microSD card
  4. Boot your Pi 4 with the new 64-bit OS

Option 2: Download manually

Download the 64-bit image directly from the official Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit downloads and flash it manually with Balena Etcher or similar tools.

Verify 64-bit: After booting the 64-bit OS, open a terminal and run:

uname -m

If it shows aarch64, you're running 64-bit. If it shows armv7l, you're running 32-bit.

Benefits of 64-bit OS

When to use 64-bit:

  • 8GB Pi 4: Essential to access more than 3GB per process (32-bit has a ~3GB per-process limit)
  • 4GB Pi 4: Recommended for better performance and future-proofing
  • 2GB Pi 4: Optional (32-bit is fine for most use cases, but 64-bit works)

Performance benefits:

  • Better performance for memory-intensive applications
  • Support for 64-bit-only software (some Docker images, databases, machine learning frameworks)
  • Improved performance in certain workloads (encryption, compression, scientific computing)

When to stick with 32-bit:

  • Running legacy software that only works on 32-bit
  • Using older or low-RAM Pi models (1GB/2GB) where 32-bit uses less memory
  • Compatibility with certain proprietary drivers or libraries

You can read more about the differences in this article: Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit vs 32-bit comparison.