FlicTwist: Wireless Smart Home Controller – Control Lights, Music, Blinds & Routines with Push, Twist, Double Push, Smart Home Automation, Fully Configurable, Requires Flic Hub, Long Battery Life

Amazing multi-functional device, combines pressing and twisting or just twisting alone to change settings on different smart devices. A little tricky setting everything up and learning what does what but once you’ve mastered it’s one of those things you didn’t realise you needed.

Not so seemless connection to Alexa but we do have it working, it’s ok for simple tasks

I was very excited to test this device, and as I got it out of the box I was even more excited.It looks so cute and I imagined it would be the thing that combines all of my various smart home devices into one control... but unfortunately all I have encounter is hurdles.After a fair amount of hassle I finally managed to connect it to Hive, but I had to do this via IFTTT, the Alexa connection was too buggy.The Flic twist doesn't seem to work with Apple HomeKit - so I've had to connect to various device services individually, rather than through something that is already active.I think at this price point it needs to be able to connect to a wide range of things more directly, maybe even via its own app, and integrate with all the existing systems - or at least be able to see all the devices on a network and automatically give you the option to connect.As it stands, it's a much more hassle to get anything working, and even now I only have about 3 of my 8/9 devices working with this controller.I was undecided between 3 and 4 stars, but decided that the user experience was more frustrating than enjoyable, so I decided to give 3.

If you think that "smart" technologies should make life easier, you might want to pause before buying this. If you have elderly relatives who visit, or friends who stay over for the rugby, or just visitors who need to turn the lights on, this probably won't work for them. You have to be a dedicated tech nerd to get the most out of it.The warnings come early; there's almost no information on or in the box. This is not a starter smart home kit; it's an add-on. You need to have everything already pretty much installed, routines added etc, via any one of a number of third party apps, up to and including Alexa; what this device/system gives you is, ironically, a slight step back into the past - a switch which you can put on the wall (or wherever you want it) so that you don't have to go into your phone or talk to Alexa when you want something done.These various actions/routines are done via a combination of pushes, twists, etc, which flic calls "intuitive". Well, up to a very limited point; they are only intuitive if you know what you've programmed things to do, and you and your partner and your six kids can remember by heart all of the pushes and twists involved. If your 87 year old mum wants to find her way to the toilet or turn on the radio, it's not going to work. This device is for the dedicated resident, not the confused visitor.Even then you can run into problems. For the reasons given above mine isn't really set up as a smart home; I just have various test rigs set up so that I can review the tech for Vine, as well as keep abreast with where technology is going. Thus I have multiple smart plugs and bulbs around the house (eg keeping an eye on my fish tank) which I hoped to use to test this device; but when I opened up the flic app, the drop down list was almost exclusively populated by brands or systems I don't use (eg Phillips Hue, Ikea, Sonos). Hmmm, I thought... aha! There's Matter. Open matter in the flic app. "You need to add matter devices". Ok... yes, scan QR code on plug, that's fine... but then I have 4 generic RGB bulbs connected on my phone via Matter (and Alexa) - and I could find absolutely no way to get flic to find them; it wouldn't simply let me use the Matter app (in which they are all visible) to add them, and the QR code on the bulb box didn't help. So I have no idea how to add them - except via Alexa, but for that I first have to add in "routines", but really I'd just like to turn them on or off for now; setting up routines seems like extra work, not less, and I'm not sure whether "on/off" is worth turning into a routine.Maybe I'm missing the point, but I really can't see this making life easier for anyone other than singletons in love with their house and their tech, couples with few other interests and no houseguests ever, and... well, I'm not sure who else.Maybe I'm being unfair; maybe this is just the thing people want to retro-fy their smarted-up houses, but if you're looking for something to make your smart house easier to operate or understand, I don't think that this is for you.

This item was supplied to me free of charge through Amazon’s Vine program; however, this in no way influences my review, all items I request are products that I have a use for or will use and the reviews I then submit are intended to be both impartial and informative for potential purchasers.Dont know if its me being old but I cannot get this to work and assuming that the image from the Flic website confirms it cannot be used with the Apple HomeKit as its not supported. This should have been stated in the description as they claim it works with the main smart home platforms.WIll keep digging and trying but at the moment, its only 1 star but i get it working i will update.

The smart home wireless controller kit is a nifty little gadget. It came neatly packaged. The kit is simple to use and set up. The kit integrated with Alexa pretty well. However, using the functions was a bit tricky for me. Some functions were not supported by this home controller. I could turn the lights on and off and play some music as well. Quality-wise, it is not the best

I’ve been using this wireless controller for home automation, and it’s decent for basic tasks. The setup was easy, and it doesn’t take up much space, so it’s convenient to keep around. I use it to control things like lights and music with a simple twist or push, which is a fun and easy way to manage routines. The device works well for small tasks, but if you’re looking for something more advanced or customizable, this may not be the best fit. It’s a simple and effective tool for those just starting to explore home automation and smart devices.

That being said i only have 2 so will be on the hunt for more stuff once the sales start.I have removed a star for how hard it is to set up and connect to things because it is a pain and i think it would be amazing if you could connect it to anything that has bluetooth.That being said i am now able to use it with our thermostat and one of the lamps in our living room and for that i am happy with it.