Enter Discount Code: SHANE for 10% OFF Flic Shop (affiliate link): geni.us/FlicShop Don’t forget to #ShareTheLove with the awesome creators listed in the video description for a chance to win some Flic buttons! Follow me online for more HomeKit stuff every day! ✅ INSTA: instagram.com/shanecreates ✅ TWITTER: twitter.com/shanecreates ✅ WEB: shanewhatley.com
@@luisdemetrio3053 Agree I want things using Thread moving forward. That said Thread does till need/use a "Thread Router" which is essentially a hub. So unless you already have a Homepod Mini you would still need a hub. That said a big advantage of Thread Routers is there aren't these CUSTOM Hubs like all these are doing. Any Thread device will work with any Thread Router from any company.
Hubs are better.....you have one device attached to your WiFi, with multiple device hung off of it....rather than all of those devices eating up bandwidth on your network.
I totally feel you and your wife, it is the same situation in my house-my girlfriend struggles so much with siri and alexa and gets frustuated all the time. Hopefully this product will help out.
The wife cameo made me chuckle, only cause I can relate. It’s frustrating to watch someone get frustrated. I think it’s sooo important to try to involve the significant others in the creation and addition of automations and shortcuts. Majority of smart homes interactions are trial and error and constantly evolving. So important to try to get the feedback and help make someone else’s life easier, not more difficult.
Well said! I agree completely. I learned early on that if the family can't, or won't, easily use integrations that I set up, it will probably backfire and cause more trouble than actually making everyone's life easier.
@@ShaneCreates could make for an interesting video someday ... “How to get the family to love your Smart Home as much as you do”. Wife’s favorite automations / Challenges ... kids favorite automations / Challenges ... House Guest Favorite / Challenges
Thanks Shane....Wife approved is important.....😂..at least your wife didn’t give you the eye roll like mine🤣 and she keeps asking if I changed the wording to start the routine 😂. Lighting whether in master bedroom or her office is the easiest way to keep the peace, at least in our house. #Sharethelove
Flic buttons are definitely wife approved. This is a nice breakdown Shane. I think buttons and switches are a must have and are underrated. Thank you for mentioning my channel in the description. That is very kind of you. It’s great seeing your channel growth. Keep up the great work you are doing.
Excellent video as always Shane! Love me my Flic buttons. I've been supporting these since their original Kickstart campaign years ago. The ability to put them just about anywhere is wonderful, the new black version makes them fit in even better in many places and the specific functionality of the non-Homekit-compatible versions is amazing. In a large home a second hub becomes a good idea quickly. But I definitely like the Ethernet connection on the hub rather than WiFi. The mix of Bluetooth and WiFi before the command gets to the network adds lags and connectivity reliability issues. Enjoyed the wife cameo and I can certainly relate!
Thanks for watching Derek! And I appreciate you sharing your experience with these as well. I've actually been quite happy with the performance of the hub over wifi (surprisingly) but it's definitely great that they also include the option to hardwire via ethernet. If I start to notice mine becoming too laggy, I'll definitely switch it over to ethernet.
I just found your channel yesterday and have watched a bunch. I thought I was doing ok on my own, now I see all your home automations/shortcuts and I realized I have no clue what I’m doing! 😂. You, sir, are going to cost me a lot of money. LOL Keep up the great work/videos! #ShareTheLove
Yea Aqara buttons are also good. I definitely like the design and form factor better with Flic, but that alone may not be enough to justify a higher costs for some.
I also use Aqara buttons and the other Aqara products as well. Is there a way to integrate it with Alexa ? That’s the good thing about the Flic button !
Same here, great idea but price barrier is crazy for the functionality. With a repurposed hue dimmer or Ikea smart button (now in HomeKit) I couldn’t justify the outlay for Flic
@@trinoalfaro I think there is an Amazon skill now for Aqara. But yea, Flic just has so many integrations available. That’s what really sets them apart.
I appreciate your videos Shane. I have started my smart home set up and like that you focus a lot on the HomeKit side of smart home and automations. Now just got to keep building my smart home piece by piece #ShareTheLove
Thanks for the support Jacob! Piece by piece is the best way to do it. That's how I and so many others do it. You'll be surprise how fast it all comes together.
I have a Hue button only because it came with one of the Hue packs I got. I set it up for all lights off. It’s so convenient when you leave the house. I love my smart things but that button is my favorite.
Shane, I got mine and I have noticed two things. First, when I connected one button to my phone I noticed that it won’t work unless the Flic app is open in the background. If it is completely closed out, the button doesn’t function. Second, If you use the Eve app....you can increase the functionality. Using conditions Instead of having one press turn on a light and a double turn the light off, I did this: For my bedroom, I set it so if the light strip under the bed was off and the door was closed, one press would turn the lights on.....then if the lights were on and the door was closed, one press would turn them off....it doubled the functionality. You could also set it to maybe do one function during the day, and a different one at night......although when I tried to set it for “after sunset and before sunrise” that seemed to not work. Also, I wanted to use the switch as an easy way to open my garage door and unlock the door into the house when I get home, or have a one touch button to unlock the front door. This can’t be done by connecting it to the phone...unless you use a proxy switch. I used the Lutron lamp dimmer, connected to both Homekit and IFTT....plugged into a wall socket with nothing else plugged into it.....then I set it so a single push would, through IFTTT, set the dimmer to 90%. Then I made an automation in homekit that when the dimmer gets set to 90%, run the unlock automation and reset the switch to zero. Then I did the conditional statements...if the door is unlocked and it gets set to 90%, lock it, and vice versa. Double push would set the switch to 80%...which would, through, homekit automation, then run the automation to open or close my garage door and unlock my kitchen door....and then reset the proxy back to zero. That dimmer is a great way to bring homekit functionality to devices that don’t normally have it, through ifttt.
Hey Craig, thanks for sharing that! Sounds like a pretty nice solution you came up with there! I haven't had the issue of having to have the Flic app open. Granted, I use mine with HomeKit mostly, but the few things I did when pairing the button directly to the phone seemed to work for me, even when the phone was off and locked (like the fart sounds seen in the video). And yes, also a GREAT tip to use the Eve app (or other 3rd part HomeKit app) to setup the button with conditional logic. That is something I've done also in the past with many of my other HomeKit buttons to create a "toggle" for each press action. Good stuff!
@@ShaneCreates when you were using the phone connected switch....and your phone was locked...was the app completely closed? Like you bring up all of your open apps and swipe it up to close it completely? So far when I do that it won’t recognize the button press. I can have the phone on Home Screen and locked and it will work if the app is still “open” in the background. I’ll keep experimenting though.
Oh I see. Honestly, it was probably not completely closed since I hardly ever swipe up and close all my apps lol. There really isn’t much need to do that. If it works by not doing that, I’d just leave it open in the background.
@@ShaneCreates Actually, now that I think of it...it may be a good way to prevent an accidental press of the button.....so if you are somewhere where you don’t want it to work you can completely close out the app...,otherwise, keep it open in the background. Thanks for the quick responses.
Good timing, one of my Hue Buttons went south on me this weekend. Voice commands are fun and great party tricks, but a button push is so easy and reliable. As usual, great job!
Wife approved is very important! As I was watching your wife in this video it reminded me of my wife. She has a love hate relationship with the smart home lol. Great video bro!!
Good info! Timely for me too, because my wife is not too impressed with the automations that require her phone or Siri to control without a manual control for her. My first Aqara button should arrive this morning. More buttons and wall switches coming this year.#ShareTheLove
I’m using the Aqara Wireless Remote Mini on my bedsite. Much more cost effective as it’s cheap and connects to an existing hub. And the Aqara allows you to configure both in Aqara and Home app simultaneously. So I set mine to trigger pre-sleep scene in Home app by double clicking, sleep scene in Home app when press and hold, and single click in Aqara app to turn dimmer+toilet light on/off in case I woke up in the middle of the night. It’s so useful I use it every night. Next project is the Aqara 3 buttons wireless remote to control my homepods where each button will be set to different radio stations or playlists to play on those homepods. Hoping it’ll work.
Oh wow, how cool! Matt is a great dude and has been an big inspiration. It's an honor to be grouped with him. I'm glad my channel has been helpful on your smart home journey as well!
This is so cool !! Starting setup my HomeKit home!! I know how is your wife feeling!! Sometime I ask Siri turn off the radiator! She do respond me! This kit it can keep it easy with out get off my bed #ShareTheLove
I've been using some Gen1 Flic buttons for a couple years now and really enjoy them. I'm eyeballing their hub now to get more use out of them! #ShareTheLove
I'm constantly having this problem with videos in my classroom. The projector is the back of the room, and I of course want to stand in front. So if I'm playing one or two short videos, it means I have to hop back to the back of the room every time I start or stop one. I'll look into whether or not one or two Flic buttons could solve the problem for me. Thanks for the info!
I can relate to Mrs Shane's experience. I frequently get similar non-responses from Siri when I attempt to control HomeKit devices via my Apple Watch. However, controlling those devices via Siri on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac tends to work beautifully.
Long-time Flic user and supporter here. They originally did not have a hub and we had to control everything by connecting the Flics to our phone. This would work great if we were at home with our phones nearby. If we were out no one else could use the Flic. The hubs are an excellent addition and the direct Ethernet support is also well-appreciated. With the hub they became autonomous buttons while still maintaining the hubless direct smartphone or Mac connectivity. The conditional logic is available through the Homekit support as all Homekit shortcuts work directly...
@@DerekErb I am not wishing to go back to the smartphone-only days either, Derek. That I could do already by not buying or setting up the hub. I am, however, starting to get annoyed by the number of hubs that "smart home providers" require.
These flics are definitely parent friendly! I’m hoping to start engaging them with my smart home innovations whenever they visit! I’m pretty sure this will make them feel included ❤️ #ShareTheLove
They are definitely great for our non-techie friends and family! I just set up one of mine today to open and close my smart blinds so that anyone in the house can do it easily without having to deal with Siri or their phone!
Wow this actually sounds pretty awesome we have ceiling fan remotes all throughout the house and I have always thought of adding them to my home automation‘s this looks like it will help with not losing I remotes all the time. #Sharethelove
the IKEA shortcut buttons are a much cheaper choice. And they're magnetic so they stick anywhere, which is surprisingly useful. Only problem is that they don't support double click (for now, at least).
Another cool review of a pretty impressive product. I always look forward to seeing your videos and the "sound effects" were quite humorous. #ShareTheLove These are pretty cool, and despite the price tag, the biggest downside for me is that they are not using Thread. All Thread devices have to have to be able to use BlueTooth as a backup and since these have BlueTooth as the principal way of communicating, I don't understand why they didn't add Thread to them as well. If they had Thread, we could just bypass having to use their hub. Maybe that is why they didn't add it because they want to make more money selling you another hub! That's probably not the case and adding Thread would have increased the cost of these and was probably a major deciding factor in that not being included. Speaking of hubs, I do have a Lutron hub for my lights which is basically doing nothing else but taking up room on my server rack. My only other hubs are my Aqara wall hub (which also has a speaker for alarm notifications and night light bulb-in) and my 4 camera hubs (the principal use of being a security camera). I really like the Aqara hubs as they do other things which gives them additional value. I really don't want to add another hub that just sits there taking up room on my server rack and not give me any other features like the Aqara hubs do. So for now, I will have to pass on these. But you did give me some ideas on how I can do some automations if I get an Aqara smart button. I do like the design of the button and that they are small and unobtrusive. It also looks like they have a good tactile feel to them and with the "clicking", gives you a way to know that you have actually activated the button when pressed. The stickers are pretty cool too; but I can see why they didn't include them as they are probably thinking that most people would not use them. For those that did, they sell this as an up charge. Or again, it may just be another way for them to get more revenue by selling these. The only way to know for sure is to see the actual sales figures of how many people buy the stickers versus the total number of people who buy the buttons.
I like that these things have 3 actions but you’d think it would be super easy to just have them cycle through dozens of actions by pressing the button over and over. Wish we just had a cheaper alternative because it’s hard to justify $160 when I just need a couple of buttons in the apartment.
Hi, Shane! Thank you for all your effort on your channel. I am started to using Flic2 buttons with a hub. Everything works ok-with lights, scenes,... but I have a problem with using the button for playing music on my homepod mini. It simply don't work. Any solution or advice to see an clip on youtube? I've watched many ... but without any answers. Merry Christmas from Slovenia!
Hey Shane, thanks for your help yesterday in making my mind up about getting the Flic Starter Pack. Can’t wait for it to arrive. I can’t believe you went there with the Fart Button, but a little bit of humour made me smile ... or maybe it was just wind! 😳😂 I really appreciate your videos and help. #ShareTheLove
I didn’t know about these switches and look at your channel as one to see what to add next. Thank you for the time and reviews you’ve done it’s helped me make better choices to what i will add next and has helped make my home more energy efficient too #ShareTheLove
Another great video! Since many folks start with the Hue lights and hub, it would be great for a review of the $20 Hue buttons. I do look forward to your Sunday videos. Keep up the good work. #ShareTheLove
ROFL This video is awesome! One of my favorites. I was actually a Flic2 backer on kickstarter and I haven't found a reason to even take them out of the box yet. Inspired by your video to try them out though. #sharethelove
Now that I have a HOOBS based on all your videos, I wish there was a way to make that a catch all hub. I’m going to need a whole closet for all these hubs some day soon.
So it’s not thread. It’s Bluetooth like my Eve button. My Eve button takes a while to connect m/respond of not used for days. How responsive is the flic button if not used/pressed for a few days?
@/sharethelove I'm new to the smart home automation world and I'm hoping to start my own smart home/apartment soon. I'm getting addicted to watching your videos and can't wait for your next ones to come out. I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting a hoobs to make everything work together... but you've already inspired me to use my apple shortcuts and I'm enjoying those! Thanks Shane!
Hey, yeah, let’s all #sharethelove. Thanks for responding to peoples comments, the means a lot to people like myself just trying to get a better understanding of home automation.
#Sharethelove Shane I love that you are focusing on Homekit man, too many people are focusing on way too many things and it gets confusing. I'm all in on homekit myself.
Awesome video. I like your slapstick/Magoo auditory use for the button. I hope you keep using that kind of humor throughout your future videos. I tend to rely on your videos to help me build my affordable Smart Home but like you and the folks at Flick recommend it’s time to watch a few other RUclipsr’s channels and of course #ShareTheLove with some positive comments!!!
Great Video as always! Been waiting for this product to go on Homekit, but I'm afraid is too expensive (for now). But still, this video and all your explanations are great. Thanks for all the information and insights, you are my favorite "HomeKit Guru" :). thanks for another great video #ShareTheLove
Thanks for the a great Video...mine would be family approve. It’s really frustrating when you have to keep repeating yourself and you just end up reaching for your phone and shutting it off/on.
Thanks for another great video! I’m sure you put a lot of time in maki g these, and thank your family for sharing your time! Never tried these, but tempted. The Eve buttons are really laggy with Bluetooth, but these sound like a major improvement! #ShareTheLove
Another awesome video Shane! Keep up the food work, loving your videos as I’m converting my home to a complete Smart Home through HomeKit. #sharethelove
New to HomeKit and learning a lot from your videos. So far I’ve installed August Smart lock, Logitech Circle doorbell, smart plugs and now HOOBS all due to you. I am now looking at security systems. I don’t want a monitoring fee, so could I make these buttons into a panic button? Maybe dial 911 and turn on the security siren and lights. Thanks for all you do, god bless.
Hey Bob, thanks for the support! Technically, you can probably do all that with homekit and these buttons but it would definitely be a little easier if you are using a security system that is exposed to homekit. Aqara and Abode are a couple of options. Some people have used smart buttons like these, plus a siren connected to a smart plug, and hoobs to create a system also. This is starting to sound like a good topic for a future video... 🤔
@@ShaneCreates yes, I see some security systems have a panic button. My goal is to not pay for monitoring, but to get alerted and determine myself if I need authorities. Keep up the good work.
Very cool however the price is too much. I look forward for your videos each week . Also, I lose another port on my router for another bridge hub. Keep up the great work
Thank you! The Flic hubs can actually be connected via 2.4 Or 5 GHz WiFi also which is nice. That’s actually what I did. That way I can just put the hub in the corner of the house somewhere out of sight and no need to take up another Ethernet port if you don’t want to.
#SHARETHELOVE I've definitely kept the physical controls in mind with all of my HomeKit projects, which sometimes creates some problems. One thing that I think these buttons would be brilliant for is hiding controls in non-obvious places. For example, hiding a Flic button under the armrest of a chair around the fire pit to turn on/off the outside lighting.
Yes that’s a great idea! I’ve used a hidden button for a HomeKit security system for a long time. I’ll probably use some of these as hidden buttons too!
Exactly how we use them! We have a Flic stuck to each side of our bed to control the lights and music in the room (1-click) or all the lights in the flat (double-click); I have one stuck on my desk in my office to stop/play the music and to change the lights; one stuck on the side of a bookcase to control the lights where a switch would have been nice but not worth wiring; stuck one on the inside of the front door - double-click on the button while leaving the house and turn off everything (lights, music, fans, ...). Their tiny form-factor makes them wonderful additions where fixed wall switches would be limited.
Thanks for the excellent review as always Shane and so very relatable 😀. I have been eyeing these for a while but will probably wait for Thread support in Flic 3.0 and hopefully they will be a bit cheaper as well. #ShareTheLove
Very helpful. I’ve been researching buttons for HomeKit. Any sense if and when we will see a button supporting Thread + HomeKit? I’m trying to avoid another hub. Already have Hue and Caseta. Your videos have a great balance of knowledge share with entertainment. Do your wife and daughter mind participating? #ShareTheLove.
Thanks for the kind words and support! My wife doesn't mind too much. And my daughter definitely doesn't mind. She's way better than me on camera! I'm beginning to teach her how to edit videos. She likes it. I'm not sure if or when we'll see a button that supports thread. If I had to guess, based on what we know now, I'd imagine the Eve button may be one of the first since they are so committed to thread and are one of the first companies to roll out support to many products. But they have not mentioned anything yet regarding thread and their homekit button.
A light switch can't be controlled remotely, can't dim or colour lights, ... A smart button, such as Flic, allows one to add the simple light switch functionality to smart lights and other smart home equipment. The best of both worlds.
Technically you can create an automation to playa sound (from Apple Music) on your homepods when the button is pressed... but I don't think I'd recommend that for a doorbell. Probably wouldn't be responsive enough or reliable.
@@ShaneCreates Thanks Shane - really fast response! In OZ we can't get the circle view and I was hanging out for the Aqara but the landscape camera view is crap! So thought I might do separate button and camera but that sounds like it's a no go. What would you recommend for a video doorbell in HomeKit that also supports HomeKit secure video (other than Circle view?) - Great channel
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Another HUB? It is nice to have a smart button, but we are reaching one point where many HomeKit accessories still require a HUB. Thanks
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing specially if you need a lot of them let stuff straining your WiFi
@@javiertineo3084 it should be a thread device, not Wi-Fi
@@luisdemetrio3053 Agree I want things using Thread moving forward. That said Thread does till need/use a "Thread Router" which is essentially a hub. So unless you already have a Homepod Mini you would still need a hub. That said a big advantage of Thread Routers is there aren't these CUSTOM Hubs like all these are doing. Any Thread device will work with any Thread Router from any company.
@@luisdemetrio3053 true, but a hub is better than just wifi
Hubs are better.....you have one device attached to your WiFi, with multiple device hung off of it....rather than all of those devices eating up bandwidth on your network.
Great video! So many buttons showing up for HomeKit we keep talking about on the video podcast, loved seeing your review of the Flic.
Yeah, maybe we should order some of this up, eh Brayden?
Thanks for watching Brayden!
I totally feel you and your wife, it is the same situation in my house-my girlfriend struggles so much with siri and alexa and gets frustuated all the time. Hopefully this product will help out.
The wife cameo made me chuckle, only cause I can relate. It’s frustrating to watch someone get frustrated. I think it’s sooo important to try to involve the significant others in the creation and addition of automations and shortcuts. Majority of smart homes interactions are trial and error and constantly evolving. So important to try to get the feedback and help make someone else’s life easier, not more difficult.
Well said! I agree completely. I learned early on that if the family can't, or won't, easily use integrations that I set up, it will probably backfire and cause more trouble than actually making everyone's life easier.
@@ShaneCreates could make for an interesting video someday ... “How to get the family to love your Smart Home as much as you do”.
Wife’s favorite automations / Challenges ... kids favorite automations / Challenges ... House Guest Favorite / Challenges
Thanks Shane....Wife approved is important.....😂..at least your wife didn’t give you the eye roll like mine🤣 and she keeps asking if I changed the wording to start the routine 😂. Lighting whether in master bedroom or her office is the easiest way to keep the peace, at least in our house.
#Sharethelove
lol thanks for watching Rod! Yea my wife says she can never remember what anything is called. I try to make it easy but 🤷🏼♂️
Flic buttons are definitely wife approved. This is a nice breakdown Shane. I think buttons and switches are a must have and are underrated.
Thank you for mentioning my channel in the description. That is very kind of you. It’s great seeing your channel growth. Keep up the great work you are doing.
Thanks a lot Craig! 🙏 I appreciate the support!
Excellent video as always Shane!
Love me my Flic buttons. I've been supporting these since their original Kickstart campaign years ago. The ability to put them just about anywhere is wonderful, the new black version makes them fit in even better in many places and the specific functionality of the non-Homekit-compatible versions is amazing.
In a large home a second hub becomes a good idea quickly. But I definitely like the Ethernet connection on the hub rather than WiFi. The mix of Bluetooth and WiFi before the command gets to the network adds lags and connectivity reliability issues.
Enjoyed the wife cameo and I can certainly relate!
Thanks for watching Derek! And I appreciate you sharing your experience with these as well. I've actually been quite happy with the performance of the hub over wifi (surprisingly) but it's definitely great that they also include the option to hardwire via ethernet. If I start to notice mine becoming too laggy, I'll definitely switch it over to ethernet.
I just found your channel yesterday and have watched a bunch. I thought I was doing ok on my own, now I see all your home automations/shortcuts and I realized I have no clue what I’m doing! 😂. You, sir, are going to cost me a lot of money. LOL
Keep up the great work/videos!
#ShareTheLove
LOL thanks for the support! And welcome aboard!
I was really interested, but the price is somewhat off putting. If I were starting from scratch maybe, but I’ll stick with my Aqara buttons
Yea Aqara buttons are also good. I definitely like the design and form factor better with Flic, but that alone may not be enough to justify a higher costs for some.
I also use Aqara buttons and the other Aqara products as well. Is there a way to integrate it with Alexa ? That’s the good thing about the Flic button !
agreed, that price is insane
Same here, great idea but price barrier is crazy for the functionality. With a repurposed hue dimmer or Ikea smart button (now in HomeKit) I couldn’t justify the outlay for Flic
@@trinoalfaro I think there is an Amazon skill now for Aqara. But yea, Flic just has so many integrations available. That’s what really sets them apart.
I appreciate your videos Shane. I have started my smart home set up and like that you focus a lot on the HomeKit side of smart home and automations. Now just got to keep building my smart home piece by piece
#ShareTheLove
Thanks for the support Jacob! Piece by piece is the best way to do it. That's how I and so many others do it. You'll be surprise how fast it all comes together.
I have a Hue button only because it came with one of the Hue packs I got. I set it up for all lights off. It’s so convenient when you leave the house. I love my smart things but that button is my favorite.
Nice! Yea smart buttons are the best!
Shane, I got mine and I have noticed two things. First, when I connected one button to my phone I noticed that it won’t work unless the Flic app is open in the background. If it is completely closed out, the button doesn’t function. Second, If you use the Eve app....you can increase the functionality. Using conditions Instead of having one press turn on a light and a double turn the light off, I did this: For my bedroom, I set it so if the light strip under the bed was off and the door was closed, one press would turn the lights on.....then if the lights were on and the door was closed, one press would turn them off....it doubled the functionality. You could also set it to maybe do one function during the day, and a different one at night......although when I tried to set it for “after sunset and before sunrise” that seemed to not work.
Also, I wanted to use the switch as an easy way to open my garage door and unlock the door into the house when I get home, or have a one touch button to unlock the front door. This can’t be done by connecting it to the phone...unless you use a proxy switch. I used the Lutron lamp dimmer, connected to both Homekit and IFTT....plugged into a wall socket with nothing else plugged into it.....then I set it so a single push would, through IFTTT, set the dimmer to 90%. Then I made an automation in homekit that when the dimmer gets set to 90%, run the unlock automation and reset the switch to zero. Then I did the conditional statements...if the door is unlocked and it gets set to 90%, lock it, and vice versa. Double push would set the switch to 80%...which would, through, homekit automation, then run the automation to open or close my garage door and unlock my kitchen door....and then reset the proxy back to zero. That dimmer is a great way to bring homekit functionality to devices that don’t normally have it, through ifttt.
Hey Craig, thanks for sharing that! Sounds like a pretty nice solution you came up with there!
I haven't had the issue of having to have the Flic app open. Granted, I use mine with HomeKit mostly, but the few things I did when pairing the button directly to the phone seemed to work for me, even when the phone was off and locked (like the fart sounds seen in the video).
And yes, also a GREAT tip to use the Eve app (or other 3rd part HomeKit app) to setup the button with conditional logic. That is something I've done also in the past with many of my other HomeKit buttons to create a "toggle" for each press action. Good stuff!
@@ShaneCreates when you were using the phone connected switch....and your phone was locked...was the app completely closed? Like you bring up all of your open apps and swipe it up to close it completely? So far when I do that it won’t recognize the button press. I can have the phone on Home Screen and locked and it will work if the app is still “open” in the background. I’ll keep experimenting though.
Oh I see. Honestly, it was probably not completely closed since I hardly ever swipe up and close all my apps lol. There really isn’t much need to do that. If it works by not doing that, I’d just leave it open in the background.
@@ShaneCreates Actually, now that I think of it...it may be a good way to prevent an accidental press of the button.....so if you are somewhere where you don’t want it to work you can completely close out the app...,otherwise, keep it open in the background. Thanks for the quick responses.
Good timing, one of my Hue Buttons went south on me this weekend. Voice commands are fun and great party tricks, but a button push is so easy and reliable. As usual, great job!
Thanks for watching Tony!
Good stuff bruh! Thanks for the mention. You inspire me too. #ShareTheLove
Finally, A button which I can just press and #ShareTheLove with my loved ones!! :) :) :)
Wife approved is very important! As I was watching your wife in this video it reminded me of my wife. She has a love hate relationship with the smart home lol. Great video bro!!
Thanks Dennis!!
Good info! Timely for me too, because my wife is not too impressed with the automations that require her phone or Siri to control without a manual control for her. My first Aqara button should arrive this morning. More buttons and wall switches coming this year.#ShareTheLove
I’m using the Aqara Wireless Remote Mini on my bedsite. Much more cost effective as it’s cheap and connects to an existing hub. And the Aqara allows you to configure both in Aqara and Home app simultaneously. So I set mine to trigger pre-sleep scene in Home app by double clicking, sleep scene in Home app when press and hold, and single click in Aqara app to turn dimmer+toilet light on/off in case I woke up in the middle of the night. It’s so useful I use it every night.
Next project is the Aqara 3 buttons wireless remote to control my homepods where each button will be set to different radio stations or playlists to play on those homepods. Hoping it’ll work.
Cool ideas! Nice job!
Your honest opinion it is the best part of all of your videos! Great work as always 👍
Thank you! That means a lot. I appreciate the support!!
I’d like to make it known, Undecided with Matt is my cousin and between the two of you, my Smart Home is really coming along.
I appreciate you both.
Oh wow, how cool! Matt is a great dude and has been an big inspiration. It's an honor to be grouped with him. I'm glad my channel has been helpful on your smart home journey as well!
I have a feeling my hubby and our roommate would really appreciate this. #ShareTheLove
This is so cool !! Starting setup my HomeKit home!!
I know how is your wife feeling!! Sometime I ask Siri turn off the radiator! She do respond me!
This kit it can keep it easy with out get off my bed
#ShareTheLove
I've been using some Gen1 Flic buttons for a couple years now and really enjoy them. I'm eyeballing their hub now to get more use out of them! #ShareTheLove
Very cool. Glad to hear they've been good to you for so long. Thanks for sharing!
Happy wife / Happy life - great video, Shane!
Haha, indeed! Thanks Jim!
These are great! Also love your channel. It’s my go-to HomeKit channel! #ShareTheLove
Thank you!! 🙏🏻
I'm constantly having this problem with videos in my classroom. The projector is the back of the room, and I of course want to stand in front. So if I'm playing one or two short videos, it means I have to hop back to the back of the room every time I start or stop one. I'll look into whether or not one or two Flic buttons could solve the problem for me. Thanks for the info!
Thanks for watching!
I can relate to Mrs Shane's experience. I frequently get similar non-responses from Siri when I attempt to control HomeKit devices via my Apple Watch. However, controlling those devices via Siri on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac tends to work beautifully.
My wife tends to forget what I name everything. Probably doesn't help that I'm constantly testing new devices and moving things around...😁
Love seeing a wife-approved smart thing! It's so inspiring and I can't wait to get that YESSAH in my smart home too! #ShareTheLove
Haha thanks Ryan!
Have flic myself and absolutly love them. If there where two things I could improve I would ditch the hub and add conditional logic. #ShareTheLove
Thanks for sharing Fredrik! Yea conditional logic is always great. At least we can do that with these and HomeKit now!
Long-time Flic user and supporter here. They originally did not have a hub and we had to control everything by connecting the Flics to our phone. This would work great if we were at home with our phones nearby. If we were out no one else could use the Flic. The hubs are an excellent addition and the direct Ethernet support is also well-appreciated. With the hub they became autonomous buttons while still maintaining the hubless direct smartphone or Mac connectivity.
The conditional logic is available through the Homekit support as all Homekit shortcuts work directly...
@@DerekErb I am not wishing to go back to the smartphone-only days either, Derek. That I could do already by not buying or setting up the hub. I am, however, starting to get annoyed by the number of hubs that "smart home providers" require.
These flics are definitely parent friendly! I’m hoping to start engaging them with my smart home innovations whenever they visit! I’m pretty sure this will make them feel included ❤️ #ShareTheLove
They are definitely great for our non-techie friends and family! I just set up one of mine today to open and close my smart blinds so that anyone in the house can do it easily without having to deal with Siri or their phone!
@@ShaneCreates yep, we can’t forgot about our non-techie friends! Lol.
Sunday is always a good day ;-) Thanks Shane! All the best and stay safe #ShareTheLove
Thanks for the support Claus!
Wow this actually sounds pretty awesome we have ceiling fan remotes all throughout the house and I have always thought of adding them to my home automation‘s this looks like it will help with not losing I remotes all the time. #Sharethelove
Ha ha ha … same story here. Wife thinks Siri does it on purpose as she is jealous 😂
😂 😂
Hey Shane, Paul sent me over. So I am a new sub to #ShareTheLove. Great content and useful info. Keep em' coming.
the IKEA shortcut buttons are a much cheaper choice. And they're magnetic so they stick anywhere, which is surprisingly useful. Only problem is that they don't support double click (for now, at least).
That’s totally my wife! She hates my HomeKit setup and Siri hates her 😂
lol the struggle is real!
We will need a master hub for ALL these hubs....... or a hub room!
The fart noises are the best. Excellent! #SharetheLove
Another cool review of a pretty impressive product. I always look forward to seeing your videos and the "sound effects" were quite humorous. #ShareTheLove
These are pretty cool, and despite the price tag, the biggest downside for me is that they are not using Thread. All Thread devices have to have to be able to use BlueTooth as a backup and since these have BlueTooth as the principal way of communicating, I don't understand why they didn't add Thread to them as well. If they had Thread, we could just bypass having to use their hub.
Maybe that is why they didn't add it because they want to make more money selling you another hub! That's probably not the case and adding Thread would have increased the cost of these and was probably a major deciding factor in that not being included.
Speaking of hubs, I do have a Lutron hub for my lights which is basically doing nothing else but taking up room on my server rack. My only other hubs are my Aqara wall hub (which also has a speaker for alarm notifications and night light bulb-in) and my 4 camera hubs (the principal use of being a security camera). I really like the Aqara hubs as they do other things which gives them additional value.
I really don't want to add another hub that just sits there taking up room on my server rack and not give me any other features like the Aqara hubs do. So for now, I will have to pass on these. But you did give me some ideas on how I can do some automations if I get an Aqara smart button.
I do like the design of the button and that they are small and unobtrusive. It also looks like they have a good tactile feel to them and with the "clicking", gives you a way to know that you have actually activated the button when pressed.
The stickers are pretty cool too; but I can see why they didn't include them as they are probably thinking that most people would not use them. For those that did, they sell this as an up charge. Or again, it may just be another way for them to get more revenue by selling these. The only way to know for sure is to see the actual sales figures of how many people buy the stickers versus the total number of people who buy the buttons.
Another terrific clip Shane. My wife liked the fact that Siri didn’t listen to your wife either. Same issue here! 🇨🇦
😂 thanks for watching Doug!
I like that these things have 3 actions but you’d think it would be super easy to just have them cycle through dozens of actions by pressing the button over and over. Wish we just had a cheaper alternative because it’s hard to justify $160 when I just need a couple of buttons in the apartment.
Hi, Shane! Thank you for all your effort on your channel. I am started to using Flic2 buttons with a hub. Everything works ok-with lights, scenes,... but I have a problem with using the button for playing music on my homepod mini. It simply don't work. Any solution or advice to see an clip on youtube? I've watched many ... but without any answers. Merry Christmas from Slovenia!
There's nothing like having to hear the Click of a physical butyon #ShareTheLove
Shared this to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & Instagram. #ShareTheLove
Thanks so much for sharing Bruce!!
Hey Shane, thanks for your help yesterday in making my mind up about getting the Flic Starter Pack. Can’t wait for it to arrive. I can’t believe you went there with the Fart Button, but a little bit of humour made me smile ... or maybe it was just wind! 😳😂 I really appreciate your videos and help. #ShareTheLove
I didn’t know about these switches and look at your channel as one to see what to add next. Thank you for the time and reviews you’ve done it’s helped me make better choices to what i will add next and has helped make my home more energy efficient too #ShareTheLove
Thanks Ryan! 🙏
Thanks for this video Shane. I could use there to #ShareTheLove with my family at home
Another great video! Since many folks start with the Hue lights and hub, it would be great for a review of the $20 Hue buttons. I do look forward to your Sunday videos. Keep up the good work. #ShareTheLove
Thanks for the suggestion Eric. Appreciate the support!
Wife approved is very important. Smart home equipment isn't cheap. #sharethelove
ROFL This video is awesome! One of my favorites. I was actually a Flic2 backer on kickstarter and I haven't found a reason to even take them out of the box yet. Inspired by your video to try them out though. #sharethelove
Thanks Chris!!
Love how informative and non-boring your videos are! #ShareTheLove
Thank you!! 🙏
I missed the giveaway with my first comment! #ShareTheLove and help this Brit improve a fledgling smart home! 😂👌🏻
Great video Shane. These flic buttons are awesome! Agree we need more positivity in the world! #sharethelove
Thanks Brad!
Now that I have a HOOBS based on all your videos, I wish there was a way to make that a catch all hub. I’m going to need a whole closet for all these hubs some day soon.
So it’s not thread. It’s Bluetooth like my Eve button. My Eve button takes a while to connect m/respond of not used for days. How responsive is the flic button if not used/pressed for a few days?
Might not have a wife yet, but who knows maybe winning a FLIC will open up a whole new chapter! #ShareTheLove xD
These buttons look very cool. Thanks for the review! #ShareTheLove
Thanks for watching!
Promote positivity & happy wife 👏👏👏
@/sharethelove I'm new to the smart home automation world and I'm hoping to start my own smart home/apartment soon. I'm getting addicted to watching your videos and can't wait for your next ones to come out. I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting a hoobs to make everything work together... but you've already inspired me to use my apple shortcuts and I'm enjoying those! Thanks Shane!
0:32 Those are some big buttons, #ShareTheLove!
Buttons are a great idea for grandchildren and visitors #sharethelove #homekit #flic
Agreed!
#sharethelove My wife will be so glad that my Alexa whispering days are over !
You have been such a great support as I start my SmartHome journey. Much love from Australia. #sharethelove
Thanks so much for watching and letting me be a part of your smart home journey!
Great video! Crazy product, a button is a def must have for a smart home for guests. I have the same issue with my wife as well 🤣
Lol at least I’m not alone! 😂
All You Need Is Love, Love
Love Is All You Need! 🎶 #ShareTheLove
Just starting my smart home. Your videos are very informative and helpful. Thanks #sharethelove
Thanks for watching Tony. I'm glad the videos are helpful and thanks for letting me be a part of your smart home journey!
Good idea and I love the design ! Maybe expensive for just a button but very useful
Hey, yeah, let’s all #sharethelove. Thanks for responding to peoples comments, the means a lot to people like myself just trying to get a better understanding of home automation.
Thanks Luis, I appreciate the support!
I would love to see you do an in-depth comparison between these and the Aqara buttons.
Thanks for the suggestion!
#Sharethelove Shane I love that you are focusing on Homekit man, too many people are focusing on way too many things and it gets confusing. I'm all in on homekit myself.
Thanks Dennis! Yep all in on HomeKit here! No point in me trying to talk about something I don’t use. 😃
Awesome video. I like your slapstick/Magoo auditory use for the button. I hope you keep using that kind of humor throughout your future videos.
I tend to rely on your videos to help me build my affordable Smart Home but like you and the folks at Flick recommend it’s time to watch a few other RUclipsr’s channels and of course #ShareTheLove with some positive comments!!!
Thanks for watching and for the feedback! And thanks for sharing the love!
Great Video as always! Been waiting for this product to go on Homekit, but I'm afraid is too expensive (for now). But still, this video and all your explanations are great. Thanks for all the information and insights, you are my favorite "HomeKit Guru" :). thanks for another great video #ShareTheLove
Thanks so much for the kind words!
BOMBASTIC SIDE-EYE 😂
Hi Sahne. At 4:22 I'm not getting the "pair Hub with HomeKit" dialog. Have you tried this with IOS 15.2.1 ?
Thanks for the a great Video...mine would be family approve. It’s really frustrating when you have to keep repeating yourself and you just end up reaching for your phone and shutting it off/on.
haha exactly. Thanks for watching!
Loving the videos! Keep them coming! #ShareTheLove
Thanks Patrick!
Congrats Sailor, you made it to another Sunday 😍
Thanks for another great video! I’m sure you put a lot of time in maki g these, and thank your family for sharing your time! Never tried these, but tempted. The Eve buttons are really laggy with Bluetooth, but these sound like a major improvement! #ShareTheLove
Thanks very much David! I appreciate that.
I'm now waiting for Thread integration on all products I purchase.
!!! THERE IS A MISTAKE !!! Hope you notice, the URL for ModernDayTech is linking to Peter McKinnon! Cheers :D
I fixed it. Thanks!
Longtime fan! Definitely inspired me to getting into starting up my own RUclips channel!
#sharethelove
Another awesome video Shane! Keep up the food work, loving your videos as I’m converting my home to a complete Smart Home through HomeKit. #sharethelove
Thanks Tom! Appreciate the support and you allowing me to be a part of your smart home journey!
New to HomeKit and learning a lot from your videos. So far I’ve installed August Smart lock, Logitech Circle doorbell, smart plugs and now HOOBS all due to you.
I am now looking at security systems. I don’t want a monitoring fee, so could I make these buttons into a panic button? Maybe dial 911 and turn on the security siren and lights.
Thanks for all you do, god bless.
Hey Bob, thanks for the support! Technically, you can probably do all that with homekit and these buttons but it would definitely be a little easier if you are using a security system that is exposed to homekit. Aqara and Abode are a couple of options. Some people have used smart buttons like these, plus a siren connected to a smart plug, and hoobs to create a system also. This is starting to sound like a good topic for a future video... 🤔
@@ShaneCreates yes, I see some security systems have a panic button. My goal is to not pay for monitoring, but to get alerted and determine myself if I need authorities.
Keep up the good work.
Love the tag line, Wife approved!
#sharethelove
Haha thanks David!
Very cool however the price is too much. I look forward for your videos each week . Also, I lose another port on my router for another bridge hub. Keep up the great work
Thank you! The Flic hubs can actually be connected via 2.4 Or 5 GHz WiFi also which is nice. That’s actually what I did. That way I can just put the hub in the corner of the house somewhere out of sight and no need to take up another Ethernet port if you don’t want to.
Can’t wait to buy the IR blaster for my electric fireplace! #HomeKit #ShareTheLove
Oohh that’s gonna be awesome!!
Lol yes. This is how all my setups are based. It must be wife proof!
I love watching you Shane I started my smart home by watching you. You really inspired me.
#ShareTheLove
Thank you for all the support Derek!! 🙏🏻
@@ShaneCreates I really love your video like really!!! I have watched ALL of them you really helped me with my smart home!!
#SHARETHELOVE I've definitely kept the physical controls in mind with all of my HomeKit projects, which sometimes creates some problems. One thing that I think these buttons would be brilliant for is hiding controls in non-obvious places. For example, hiding a Flic button under the armrest of a chair around the fire pit to turn on/off the outside lighting.
Yes that’s a great idea! I’ve used a hidden button for a HomeKit security system for a long time. I’ll probably use some of these as hidden buttons too!
@@ShaneCreates Are the Flic buttons relatively weather-proof?
Exactly how we use them! We have a Flic stuck to each side of our bed to control the lights and music in the room (1-click) or all the lights in the flat (double-click); I have one stuck on my desk in my office to stop/play the music and to change the lights; one stuck on the side of a bookcase to control the lights where a switch would have been nice but not worth wiring; stuck one on the inside of the front door - double-click on the button while leaving the house and turn off everything (lights, music, fans, ...). Their tiny form-factor makes them wonderful additions where fixed wall switches would be limited.
Thanks for the excellent review as always Shane and so very relatable 😀. I have been eyeing these for a while but will probably wait for Thread support in Flic 3.0 and hopefully they will be a bit cheaper as well. #ShareTheLove
Thank you for consistently uploading awesome and useful videos #ShareTheLove
Thanks Daniel! I appreciate the support!
keep up the good work Shane #ShareTheLove
Thanks!
What about Thread?
Maybe this could be in their future.
#ShareTheLove
Like all your other videos, this one was good and informative. #sharethelove
We’re you able to test the IR sensor?
Very helpful. I’ve been researching buttons for HomeKit. Any sense if and when we will see a button supporting Thread + HomeKit? I’m trying to avoid another hub. Already have Hue and Caseta. Your videos have a great balance of knowledge share with entertainment. Do your wife and daughter mind participating? #ShareTheLove.
Thanks for the kind words and support! My wife doesn't mind too much. And my daughter definitely doesn't mind. She's way better than me on camera! I'm beginning to teach her how to edit videos. She likes it.
I'm not sure if or when we'll see a button that supports thread. If I had to guess, based on what we know now, I'd imagine the Eve button may be one of the first since they are so committed to thread and are one of the first companies to roll out support to many products. But they have not mentioned anything yet regarding thread and their homekit button.
Add a physical button to turn off the smarts lights. At that point just use a light switch.
A light switch can't be controlled remotely, can't dim or colour lights, ... A smart button, such as Flic, allows one to add the simple light switch functionality to smart lights and other smart home equipment. The best of both worlds.
Are you aware of any buttons that directly connect to an outlet? I’m not a fan of changing batteries.
I already have Aqara hub and switches. The buttons are $17.99. Getting into flic seems expensive for what it is.
Hey Shane Can you use a flic button as a doorbell? I.e can you have it make a chime through your HomePod? Thanks mate - exceptional Chanel!
Technically you can create an automation to playa sound (from Apple Music) on your homepods when the button is pressed... but I don't think I'd recommend that for a doorbell. Probably wouldn't be responsive enough or reliable.
@@ShaneCreates Thanks Shane - really fast response! In OZ we can't get the circle view and I was hanging out for the Aqara but the landscape camera view is crap! So thought I might do separate button and camera but that sounds like it's a no go.
What would you recommend for a video doorbell in HomeKit that also supports HomeKit secure video (other than Circle view?) - Great channel