![]() ![]() ![]() Well, with the toggle option, you can technically have six as a single input method can work as both an on/off or start/end command.įlic's buttons were, and still are, the easiest smart buttons on the market to use and the response time is also rapid. With Flic it's a simple one, two or long tap control method - so each button can have three actions applied to it. There's also an IR blaster option too, for adding in controls for your dumb tech like speakers and TVs.Īnd, with the new Flic 2, Shortcut Labs (the Swedish company behind the button) are also opening up the platform so as developers can create their own apps to customise the button's capabilities. Gaps can also be filled with IFTTT, and Logitech Harmony controls and recipes as well. ![]() Once the button is paired you simply have to give it a name and then assign some smart actions and routines to it.įlic's compatibility list is huge with big names such as Hue, Lifx, Sonos, Ecobee, Trådfri and Chromecast all supported. That's as easy as opening up that app and long pressing the button. Once you've got the Hub up and running - or, indeed you decide to use your phone as a hub - your next job is syncing up a Flic 2 button to it. So, while it doesn't have an official wall mounting kit, it's small and light enough to hide away or stick to a wall using a sticky tab or two.įlic 2 Smart Button: Setting up and services The Hub LR is pretty small, smaller than a pack of cards, and is powered with Micro USB. Setting up the hub is as easy as firing up the Flic app and pairing it to your home Wi-Fi network or, even easier than that, sticking in an Ethernet cable for a wired connection. The new Flic 2 buttons will work with the original hub, but you'll want to get the the new Flic Hub LR for a longer Bluetooth range. Therefore, the preferred option is to sync the buttons to a dedicated hub. That method has its flaws you need to allow the app to run at all times and it'll only work if it's in Bluetooth-range of your phone. In the box you'll also get some stickers you can pop on to personalise the buttons a bit.įlic 2 Smart Buttons, like the originals, can run independently, using your smartphone (and the Flic app) as a hub. anywhere you want really - and there's even a new metal clip option if you want to carry one around on a belt or keyring. They take CR2032 cells instead of CR2016s, meaning a battery life of up to a whopping three years.įlic buttons are designed to be stuck on side tables, light switches, walls. They're a bit bigger than the original and that means more room for a bigger battery. They're now much more solid looking and feeling, with a more prominent reclined button part. The buttons themselves have had a bit of a redesign. However, smart home buttons working with HomeKit, such as those from Eve and Fibaro, have proved a bit naff in the past - thanks to the lack of a toggle option within Apple's ecosystem - so it's not that big of a loss (for me, at least). Official word is that is will go live in early 2020 so we await an update with bated breath. Were those hopes realised after living with some Flic 2 smart buttons, paired with the new Flic Hub LR?Īnd, how does the new Alexa Routine trigger functionality improve the Flic package?įlic 2 Smart Button: Design and installationįirst thing's first, let's get the Apple-shaped Elephant in the room addressed - the HomeKit compatibility of the Flic Hub LR, which was a big part of the Kickstarter campaign, has failed to materialise. I was already huge Flic fan and user, and the addition of long range Bluetooth, alongside double the battery life, a more durable design and promised HomeKit compatibility meant that I had high hopes that one of the top smart buttons would be taken to a vastly improved level. The second-generation Shortcut Labs Flic 2 Smart Button hit Kickstarter back in 2019 and is now shipping worldwide, alongside a new Hub, boasting an improved range (thanks to Bluetooth 5). Update: We first published this review in early 2020, but we've updated it because the Flic smart home button now has a massive new weapon in its arsenal: it can act as a trigger for Alexa Routines. ![]()
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