**Is It a Toy or a Hacker Tool? I Put the Flipper Zero to the Test**
The Flipper Zero is an all-in-one gadget that can open your garage door, play chess, or even poke at systems you probably shouldn't. It's essentially the Swiss Army knife of the digital age, packed with a massive library of open-source tools and games.
At its core, the Flipper Zero is a gamified hacking device with a playful, almost toy-like interface. Imagine a multitool with a built-in mood meter and leveling system that reacts every time you use it. It's designed to interact with a wide range of digital and control systems, and you don't need to be a programmer—or know anything about "hacking"—to get started.
The platform is intentionally beginner-friendly, offering plenty of tools right out of the box without requiring advanced technical knowledge. That said, as I quickly discovered after getting one, the rabbit hole goes deep. The Flipper Zero is an excellent jumping-off point for anyone curious about how control systems work and eager to explore them further.
**What's Inside the Flipper?**
The Flipper comes in a whimsically decorated cardboard box with a short USB-A-to-USB-C data and charging cable and a quick start guide. You will need a microSD card to get the Flipper up and running, so make sure you have one at the ready, as it's not included.
Flipper has a short YouTube video on how to pick the right card, stressing that you don't need a top-of-the-line, high-capacity card. Any older, 16-32GB card will do just fine. I had success with an older 156GB Samsung card I had sitting around, but you certainly do not need to get one with that much capacity.
The Flipper weighs in at 3.56 ounces, giving the device a substantial feel in the palm thanks to its compact size, while remaining light enough to pocket or toss in a bag without being too noticeable. For reference, that's about half the weight of my Pixel 9 Pro.
**Features and Tools**
The orange, backlit 1.4-inch LCD is crisp and gets plenty bright for outdoor viewing, though no official specs are listed for nits or peak brightness. The screen defaults to showing a random animation of your dolphin from a large set of pre-loaded options while the device is idle.
The directional pad has a subtle tactile feel, and each direction, as well as the center button, pulls up different menus. The center button opens the main menu to access apps and settings. The left directional pad takes you to the installed apps list. The down arrow brings up your most recent app selection. The right arrow shows you your dolphin's name, level, and current mood.
The top-left houses icons indicating active connections (such as Bluetooth or USB). The opposite side of the Flipper Zero is bare except for an iButton 1-Wire connector. iButtons are small, coin-sized computer chips that can be used to access buildings and other controlled systems. The Flipper can read, write, and emulate certain iButton keys by connecting it to this rear interface and using the requisite app.
Internal sensors for near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), and Bluetooth are tucked away under the back panel. These sensors allow the Flipper to read, write, emulate, and interact with devices that transmit those signals.
**Getting Started**
Getting the Flipper Zero up and running is pretty straightforward. The first thing you need to do is format the SD card. This can be done directly on the Flipper by going to Settings > Storage > Format SD card. Formatting is required to install the required firmware.
Once you have your card formatted, it's time to get the Flipper Zero companion app (called Flipper) on your smartphone, or download qFlipper on your desktop. The documentation page for qFlipper has a detailed guide for all supported operating systems.
**Who Is the Flipper Zero For?**
The Flipper Zero is the most accessible tool of its kind. Last year, I tried building the project that inspired it—the Pwnagotchi. While the build was fun and absolutely worth the time and effort, the final cost wasn't much lower than the base price of a Flipper Zero, and the feature set was far more limited.
By comparison, the Flipper offers significantly more functionality right out of the box, which is why I'd recommend it to anyone interested in control systems or open-source hardware platforms. At a minimum, it's a practical device that can replicate many household devices like remotes and keycards, making it a solid backup if something goes missing.
But if you want to go further, the Flipper Zero opens the door to much deeper exploration, making it an excellent starting point for learning how the signals around you actually work and interacting with them.