Smart home controls are getting better. The Flic Duo was first announced at CES 2025 as a dual-button smart home controller, and it represents a pretty significant leap from Flic’s older single-button devices. At $59, you’ll get physical button presses plus additional gesture controls — swipes, twists, the works — all wrapped up in what the company hopes will be a controller that doesn’t care what ecosystem you’re running.
What makes the Flic Duo worth paying attention to is that it’s trying to be more than just another button you stick on a wall. The gesture controls layered on top of traditional presses make it much more of a device that you can use to control all sorts of different aspects of both your smart home and other areas of your digital life. Whether it actually delivers on that promise comes down to your existing setup and how much patience you have for the initial configuration.
Design
At just 8mm thick, the Flic Duo is impressively slim for a smart home controller. It doesn’t look awkward whether you’ve mounted it on a wall or dropped it on your nightstand. I tested the white model, and it basically disappears into most rooms –- which is exactly what you want from an accessory like this. There’s also a black option if that works better for your space.
The button layout puts one larger button above a smaller one, and they both feel great to press. You get a satisfying click with enough tactile feedback that you know immediately when your input registered. Flic includes a metal mounting plate that connects magnetically to the button. That means you can wall mount it, but then grab it when you want to use it handheld. The magnetic connection holds firm during normal use but lets go easily when you actually need to remove it. Thankfully, it you lose it, there is a feature to find the button with a sound, which can be triggered through the app.
The CR2032 coin-cell battery is user-replaceable, with Flic saying you’ll get up to three years of use out of it. I obviously couldn’t test that timeline, and while I generally prefer rechargeable batteries, I do like that it’s easy to replace this one when you eventually need to do so.
Features
Versatility is really where the Flic Duo sets itself apart. You’ll get single press, double press, and hold options on each button. On top of that, you’re also getting vertical and horizontal swipe gestures, plus clockwise and counter-clockwise twists. Factor in the dual buttons and the device knowing whether it’s mounted or in your hand, and Flic says you’re looking at over 30 distinct command combinations.
What does that actually look like in practice? A single press turns on your lights. Swipe up to increase brightness. Swipe right to adjust your thermostat. Double press the smaller button to start a playlist. The range of possibilities is legitimately impressive.
Some of the gesture controls can be finicky though, especially when you’re first setting everything up. Getting swipes and twists to register consistently takes a little practice, and I found myself repeating gestures multiple times before the app figured out what I was trying to do. Once you’ve learned the feel of it, reliability improves. But there’s definitely a learning curve.
One thing to know: a lot of the advanced features and service integrations need a Flic Hub, which you’ll have to buy separately. Direct Bluetooth connection to your phone can handle the basics, but full gesture support and extended range depend on having that hub. The distance between the button and that hub can impact how quickly controls work too — so if you’re far away from the hub, expect a little more latency.
App
The Flic app manages all your setup and customization, and it’s perfectly fine. Not exceptional, but it does what it needs to do. The interface stays minimal and easy to navigate, and pairing the Duo went smoothly when I tested it.
Setting up automations is reasonably straightforward, though the sheer number of options might be overwhelming at first. Beyond standard smart home control, you’ll get integrations with services like Slack and even HTTP request support. If you’re into automation, this opens up some interesting possibilities — triggering workflows in n8n or similar platforms makes the Flic Duo genuinely useful beyond typical smart home stuff.
I need to emphasize the hub requirement again. Bluetooth connection works for simple functions through the app, but for full gesture recognition and extended functionality, you need a Flic Hub. And if you want television control specifically, you’re looking at adding the Hub LR with an IR accessory. All of this adds cost and complexity, so factor that into your decision.
Smart home support
Matter support is built in, and the Flic Duo plays nice with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. With over 100 integrations including Sonos, Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, and Slack, compatibility probably isn’t going to be your problem.
HomeKit comes with some limitations though. Only the physical button presses work within Apple’s ecosystem — the gesture controls don’t carry over. If you’re heavily invested in HomeKit and want to use the Flic Duo to its full potential, that’s a meaningful restriction.
Connectivity performed well in typical home environments, particularly with the Flic Hub extending the range. Sonos integration was responsive during testing, though your results ultimately depend on how reliable your other smart home devices are.
Conclusions
The Flic Duo is a genuinely versatile, well-designed smart home controller. Physical buttons plus gesture controls give you flexibility that most competitors can’t match, and build quality feels right for what you’re paying. The magnetic mounting system elegantly handles the whole wall-mount-versus-portable question, and the replaceable battery is just practical thinking.
The downsides are real but not dealbreakers: gesture controls take patience to get right, full functionality requires additional hub hardware, and HomeKit integration has limits. If you’re willing to put in the setup time and potentially spring for the hub, the Flic Duo actually delivers.
The competition
There isn’t a whole lot of competition in this space, and most alternative smart home buttons like this are focused on a particular ecosystem. Few of them match what the Flic Duo brings together — gesture controls, platform-agnostic design, and an extensive integration library. If you’re locked into one smart home ecosystem, a dedicated controller might serve you better. But if you’ve got a diverse smart home setup and want consolidated control, nothing else out there is as comprehensive right now.
Should I buy the Flic Duo?
Yes, if you’re looking for a versatile, inexpensive smart home controller.
