Flic is a customizable smart button that lets you control your smartphone with a single press. Find out how Flic works today in our review.
What Is Flic?
Flic is a smart device that recently raised nearly $1 million on Indiegogo. The smart device describes itself as a “do anything” button. You can place it in your car, your home, or anywhere, then set up the button to control specific tasks on your smartphone.
Flic comes with a free clip that lets you easily attach it just about anywhere. You can place it on your backpack strap, for example, or on the strap of your purse.
Today, you can buy Flic from Amazon or from the official Flic website at a price of around $35. The smart button is made by a Swedish startup company. It first launched back in 2014.
How Does Flic Work?
Using Flic is straightforward. The device has three commands:
- Click
- Double Click
- Hold
You click the button once, double click it twice, or hold down the button to perform each respective command.
You might use a single click to turn on your thermostat, for example, and a double click to call an Uber, and use a hold to control your lights.
So far, Flic lets you control over 40 different devices and apps.
All of the usual smart platforms have already been added to the Flic app – including Philips Hue (to control your lights), Sonos (to control your Sonos speakers), and Uber (to order a ride). Spotify, Bose, Facebook, Gmail, Logitech, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Maps, Apple Music, Runkeeper, and IFTTT are also all supported by Flic.
How To Setup Flic
Setting up Flic is also designed to be as easy as possible.
- First, you download the Flic app to your iOS or Android device.
- Then, you connect your Flic button (or multiple Flics) to the app using Bluetooth.
- Finally, you add your shortcuts. You can add three shortcuts to each Flic (single click, double click, and hold).
Based on most reviews online, Flic is genuinely that easy to setup – although it doesn’t always connect to your devices via Bluetooth that easily. Many customers have reported major connectivity problems getting Bluetooth to work – but we’ll talk about that more in the review section below.
Flic Pricing
Here’s how Flic’s pricing works on the official website:
- One Unit: $35 USD + shipping
- 3 Units: $87.50 + Free shipping
- 4 Units: $105 + Free shipping
- 6 Units: $140 + Free shipping
Four different color options are available, including turquoise, green, black, or white. When buying the multi-unit packs, you can choose to order them all in the same color, or indifferent colors (most people use different colors so you can keep your commands separate).
All purchases come with a 14 day money back guarantee.
Flic Features & Tech Specs
- Battery Life: Lasts about one year
- Battery Type: Coin-size watch battery (CR2016)
- Number of Connections: 8 Flics connected to your phone at one time
- Material: Double-sized adhesive that lets it stick to a surface
- Range: Up to 150 feet (50 meters) away from your device/smartphone
- Durability: Flic is weather-proof and water-resistant (tested against the IP44 class)
- Mobile Operating Systems: iPhone 4s & later with iOS 8.1 (or later); iPad 3rd generation and iPad Mini 1st generation (or later); iPod Touch 5th generation (or later); selected Android devices using Android 4.4 or later with Bluetooth 4.0
Who Makes Flic?
Flic is made by a company named Shortcut Labs. That company raised nearly $1 million on Indiegogo to bring Flic to life. Shortcut Labs is a Swedish startup company led by Amir Sharifat (COO), Joacim Westlund (CEO), and Pranav Kosuri (CCO).
The company was founded in 2013 and launched its initial Indiegogo fundraising campaign in 2014. You can learn more about Shortcut Labs at its Crunchbase profile on their website. The company is one of the best-known Indiegogo success stories.
Flic Reviews
Flic is sold on Amazon, where the product currently has an average rating of 3.3 stars out of 5 (200+ reviews). There are currently nearly as many 5 star reviews (33% of all reviews) as there are 1 star reviews (30% of all reviews).
CNET, for what it’s worth, gave Flic an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Here are some of the pros and cons reported by Amazon reviewers and tech blogs across the internet:
Pros
- Easy to setup and even easier to use
- Nice form factor, and looks sleek and modern
- Button feels high-quality and durable in your hands
- Works really well with Android’s tasker app and similar customizable “smart” apps
- Like little remote controls for your smartphone
- Great device with a wide range of uses for businesses and individual consumers (one reviewer explained how he stuck the buttons to restrooms in his business with a sign above saying, “Press button to notify custodial”, so when an occupant presses the button, it sends a Gmail message to the janitorial staff with custom text and location information)
- Good customer service when something goes wrong
Cons
- You need to carry your phone (or tablet, or other Bluetooth devices) at all times to use Flic (it relies on Bluetooth)
- Many customers report having trouble pairing the product via Bluetooth with multiple platforms and devices (one customer reported trying to pair it 33 times without success)
- Some customers report battery problems, even on brand new products right out of the box
Ultimately, many people wanted to like the Flic, but reported big problems with getting it to work. Many people reported having trouble connecting it to their device – whether it was an iPad, iPhone, or Android. Some customers reported a broken Flic out of the box, and that they were able to fix it after replacing the battery.
Overall, Flic looks like it had a problematic rollout – although many customers report using it out of the box without issue. Additionally, customers who did have problems out of the box reported a good experience with customer service, including fast response times and friendly personnel.
Flic Summary
Flic is like an Amazon Dash button for dozens of different apps and services. The button is priced at around $35 and comes with a free clip, making it easy to attach to your car, your backpack, your purse, or anything in your home.
Ultimately, Flic is only as useful as you want it to be. If you have Philips Hue lights, for example, then you can use Flic to control those lights. However, if you don’t already have smart devices or connected apps, then you might find Flic isn’t worth the money. Some customers may also want to wait until Flic solves its connectivity issues before you buy.
