One of the major pain points of the modern smart home is its digital nature. Whether it’s controlling your smart lights, robot vacuum, smart lock, or thermostat, there’s a good chance you’re using a smartphone for most of your interactions. That makes it less than ideal for other members of the household — or even guests — to make changes to your setup. This is where Flic comes into play, as the company offers a lineup of physical buttons and dials so everyone can use your favorite smart devices without the need for a digital interface.
I’ve been testing out both the Flic Smart Buttons and Flic Twist, and while they lack certain functionalities, they’re bound to be a fun addition to most smart homes. That’s especially true if you use Alexa or HomeKit, as both platforms work with the innovative smart buttons.
The Flic app makes setup a breeze
Setting up my Flic system was surprisingly easy. Despite having multiple boxes with various products, I was able to get everything working — and create my first automation — within minutes. My setup included a Flic Twist, Flic Smart Buttons, and a Flic Hub.
The Flic Twist is essentially a dial that can be pressed or rotated to actuate various features, such as changing the volume on your smart speaker or dimming your lights. The Smart Buttons are your standard push buttons, allowing you to program three different functions (press, double press, or hold). The Flic Hub, meanwhile, acts as a central brain for all the action, and it’s required for the Flic Twist. The Flic Smart Buttons can either be synced to the Hub or directly to your smartphone.
Once my devices were synced, setting up actions was remarkably simple. You can create actions directly from the Flic app without the need to load up secondary applications. For example, I was able to program my Flic Twist to control my Sonos smart speaker without opening the Sonos app at all. Within seconds, I could play, pause, and adjust the volume of my smart speaker with the Twist — a pretty impressive feat compared to other controllers, which require extensive programming via third-party apps.
Your mileage may vary depending on what exactly you’re trying to sync with the Flic setup, but I’ve found it to be a streamlined experience that’s free of common headaches associated with the smart home.
Lacking key functionality
The biggest drawback to the Flic is its overall functionality. The company has made big strides over the years, supporting names like Alexa and Matter — but it’s still missing key brands like Google Home. Certain functions are also restricted based on the Flic device you’re using, and some products aren’t even supported by Flic Twist or its twisting feature. For a list of compatible products and actions, check out the Flic Applications list.
Another major drawback is that you can only program a few controls at a time for each Twist or Button. On the Twist, I have it so that twisting its dial adjusts the volume of my speaker and pressing its button toggles the music on or off. It still has “Double Push” and “Push & Twist” actions available, which means you can have a total of four actions assigned to the $80 device.
Compare that to the Linxura Smart Controller, which can control up to 52 devices thanks to a built-in display. It also doesn’t require a hub. Linxura works with Google Home, which is ideal for my current setup, though the bigger appeal is having the option to create automation for dozens of gadgets with a single device.
Programming the Flic is a bit easier than the Linxura, and I’d argue the Flic Twist looks better. But when it comes to overall functionality, it falls a bit short of the competition.
Physical buttons for a digital smart home
Whether or not you’ll get any use out of the Flic largely depends on your specific smart home. If you’re working with products it supports — like Sonos, HomeKit, or Alexa — you’ll find plenty of ways to implement the Twist and Smart Buttons into your lifestyle. Programming the devices takes just a few minutes, and the mobile companion app is easy to navigate.
Bringing physical buttons and dials into your smart home is a wise decision, and it’s surprising how useful they can be when deployed correctly. It’s a bit of a bummer you can only program a handful of actions to your Flic devices at once, but if you’re looking to give your whole family a simple way to access your most-used functions, a Flic product could be a worthwhile investment. The brand is constantly adding new features and compatibility — and with Matter support, it should remain useful for the foreseeable future.