

For example, I have a Flic button set up that will turn on Ambient Lighting, matching the temperature of my Hue bulbs to daylight. After that, each button you add to HomeKit appears in the same room, although you can move them.įrom the Apple Home app, you can select what each button press does. The first time you do this, you’ll go through a wizard, telling HomeKit which room you want the Hub in. Thanks to a firmware update, each Flic button connected to the Hub now has a toggle switch that lets you turn HomeKit support on or off for each button. I’m happy not to use the IR function, but it’s handy that it’s there for those that like it.įor other devices, there’s an IFTTT channel, letting you use a button to trigger any action, from turning on your heating to turning on a light that the Flic 2 Hub doesn’t support directly.Įxcitingly, Apple HomeKit support is now available, which lets you control even more devices directly. Flic can learn IR commands, and you can set delays between commands so as not to flood the device just be aware that some devices won’t play nicely and you may need to send a command twice to get the desired action.

#FLIC MODELS MOVIE#
If you have the IR accessory, you can set up your Flic to perform actions such as turning on a soundbar and TV, quickly switching a room to movie mode and getting ready for an evening’s entertainment. Sonos control is arguably easier with a button than the app or voice Arguably, you get more control with the Philips Hue Smart Button, which lets you dim your lights too, and works using the same Zigbee network as the bulbs. With my Philips Hue lights, I set the single click to toggle the office lights on and off, used the double click to set a scene, and used press and hold to set a specific colour. The gap has narrowed, though, and the hub supports the most popular systems.
#FLIC MODELS PLUS#
If you connect the Flic 2 to your phone you also get Osram Lightify, Bose SoundTouch and Ecobee control, among others, plus you can control features on your phone, such as setting an alarm, hanging up a call or sending a Gmail. On the Flic 2 Hub, the main integrations are the Harmony Hub, IFTTT, Ikea Tradfri, Philips Hue, LIFX, Nanoleaf, Sonos, Spotify Web Connect and WeMo.

You get a slightly more limited selection of actions via the hub than if you connect the button to your phone. For example, you could pause all Sonos players and turn off lights if you want a button by the front door for when you go out. Each of these can be set to perform a different action on a different device, or perform multiple actions. Buttons have three actions: single click, double click, and press and hold. Once it’s added to a Flic 2 Hub, you can give each Flic 2 a name, so you know which one you’re programming. As with the previous model, it also has a 3.5mm audio output and an IR blaster, although you don’t get the IR accessory with all kits.įlic 2 Hub features – Great today, better tomorrow There’s an Ethernet port on the front, although the Flic 2 Hub also supports Wi-Fi if you don’t have a wired connection where you want to locate it. The only thing missing is a wall-mount option if you want to put the Flic 2 Hub in a cupboard with your other smart home hubs. Its dimensions mean you shouldn’t have much problem tucking this hub away when it’s not in use. It’s a box that’s a little smaller than a Raspberry Pi, and is powered by a micro USB port. Flic 2 Hub design and installation – Smart and small, the hub can be tucked awayįrom the outside, the Flic 2 Hub looks exactly like its predecessor.
#FLIC MODELS BLUETOOTH#
With its simple app and improved range thanks to Bluetooth 5, the Flic 2 Hub is the best smart button system that you can buy. This time around there are some newly designed buttons, an open API and Apple HomeKit support. Fortunately, Shortcut Labs, the king of smart buttons, is back with the Flic 2 Hub. Smart buttons are a brilliant way to add simple control to your smart home, but the choice has been dwindling with the recent discontinuation of the Logitech Pop.
