Flic buttons now trigger Alexa Routines (March 2021)

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
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This is fun. :sunglasses:

Flic buttons are small Bluetooth (LR!) buttons about the size of a US quarter but thicker. They have lots of excellent integrations, including with Ifttt, HomeKit, and now to trigger Alexa routines. Only one integration per button, but you can have different integrations for different buttons using the same hub.

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These are expensive, around $26 per button, but very well engineered. Batteries should last about two years and are replaceable. The LED inside can switch between red, yellow, and green on the newest generation button. The buttons themselves now only come in white. Each button supports press, double press, and long hold, so you get three actions per button.

I’ve had some of these since the first generation. I liked those a lot, but the newer generation is even better. In particular, it now uses Bluetooth 5.0 Long Range, for better power utilization and almost twice the range. And better stability than the older Bluetooth. All good.

You do need to buy their hub in order to get all the integrations. Their starter kit is on sale right now for $159.99 for the hub and three buttons.

https://www.amazon.com/Flic-Smart-Button-Starter-Kit/dp/B0848KZX9M/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&th=1

Also available in the UK or Europe when bought directly from the manufacturer. Just change the country from the drop-down at the top of the page. At the time of this writing it was on sale for £118.

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(You are paying for the engineering on these things, not the packaging. if you are used to premium devices like Apple that come in really slick fancy packaging, this isn’t it. But the engineering is pretty amazing.)

Trigger Alexa Routines

And flic buttons Can trigger echo routines, just like the old echo buttons did but even better, because they don’t have to be in the same room as an echo device, just within range of their own hub. And with the press/double press/Long hold options you can trigger up to three different routines from the same button. Some people like Paul Hibbert have been raving about this feature Since it was first announced, and now it’s here. :wink:

So, yes, expensive. And, yes, another hub device. But if those two things don’t bother you, this is really slick.

Here’s one of the first generation buttons I use at my house. It’s knee height for me from the wheelchair, or nose height for my service dog. :dog:

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Once upon a time somebody came up with a smartthings DTH for this, but I don’t think it still works, and honestly you don’t need it. Just use Ifttt or HomeBridge or an Alexa routine as an intermediary.

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$80 for a bridge is ridiculous. I wish Ikea would integrate the same thing.

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I agree about wishing it was available from other brands, and understand the concern, but the engineering in this line is just really exceptional. Just the fact that it’s Bluetooth 5.0 Long Range means the buttons will be much more reliable at a significantly longer distance. If you don’t want to pay for it, don’t buy it, but there is a real engineering difference in what you’re getting. :sunglasses:

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