The first time I saw a Flipper Zero, I assumed it was mostly one of those gadgets you buy because it looks cool, play with for a weekend, and then leave in a drawer.
Turns out, it is considerably more useful than that.
Yes, it has acquired a slightly ridiculous reputation online as some sort of pocket-sized hacking superweapon.
It isn’t.
What it actually is, though, is a rather fun collection of radios, sensors and interfaces bundled into one tiny device.
And once you start carrying one around, you begin noticing how many things around you are communicating wirelessly.
Here are some of my favourite practical uses.
1. Replace Half Your Infrared Remotes
This is probably one of the least dramatic Flipper Zero features.
It is also one of the ones I actually find most useful.
The Flipper has an infrared transmitter, so it can behave like a universal remote for things such as TVs, projectors, sound systems, air conditioners, fans, and some air purifiers and other appliances.
Flipper maintains a library of remote-control signals, and its mobile app can download compatible controls directly onto the device. If your appliance isn’t in the database, you can also point the original remote at the Flipper and capture its infrared commands.
That means the Flipper can effectively become a backup remote for appliances around the house.
This has saved me from the classic household mystery: “Where did the aircon remote go?”
Usually followed by somebody insisting they were definitely not the last person holding it.
Flipper’s official documentation covers both its universal infrared remotes and infrared functionality.
2. Copy Your Own Gate or Gantry Remote
This one feels considerably more magical.
Many older remote-controlled gates, barriers, roller shutters and carpark gantries operate using radio signals in the Sub-GHz range.
For compatible static-code remotes, Flipper can receive the signal, save it and later transmit it again.
So instead of carrying another remote around, you may be able to keep a copy on your Flipper.
There is an important catch.
Modern gate systems frequently use rolling codes, where the transmitted code changes every time the remote is used. These systems are specifically designed so that simply recording one transmission and playing it back later doesn’t work.
So this isn’t a universal gate-cloning machine.
But when you come across one of your own devices using a simple static remote, being able to capture it and then watch the gate open from your Flipper is enormously satisfying.
Flipper documents this under its official Sub-GHz documentation.
Important: only record or reproduce remotes for gates, barriers or other equipment that you own or are explicitly authorised to operate. Being technically able to transmit a signal does not grant permission to open somebody else’s gate.
3. Keep Copies of Access Cards You Are Authorised to Use
This is probably the feature most people associate with Flipper Zero.
It supports both 125 kHz RFID and 13.56 MHz NFC, which covers a wide range of cards, tags and key fobs.
Older 125 kHz access cards are particularly interesting because many simply transmit an identification number when presented to the reader.
For supported formats, Flipper can read the card, save it and emulate it later.
Its NFC capabilities are more sophisticated. Depending on the card technology and security involved, Flipper may be able to read and emulate some or all of the card data.
And this distinction matters: not every access card can be cloned.
A simple RFID card and a cryptographically protected smart card are very different beasts.
Flipper’s own documentation describes its 125 kHz RFID support and separate NFC capabilities.
Personally, one situation where I find this genuinely convenient is Airbnb.
Occasionally an Airbnb gives us only one or two access cards despite several people staying in the apartment.
If the provided access card uses a compatible technology, I sometimes make a temporary copy so we don’t have to coordinate our entire family’s movements around one physical card.
But there is an important boundary here.
I am authorised to access the property during my rental period.
Once that rental ends, so does that authorisation.
So I always delete and destroy any copies I created when I check out.
That seems like a fairly sensible rule for any copied credential: if your permission to enter disappears, your copy should disappear too.
And obviously, don’t copy somebody else’s office, condo, hotel or access card without permission.
4. Figure Out What Technology Your Cards Actually Use
This sounds nerdier than it actually is.
One of the things I like most about Flipper Zero is that it makes invisible technology visible.
Take an access card. Normally you tap it against a reader, hear a beep, and the door opens. That’s about as much thought as most people ever give it.
But put that same card against a Flipper and suddenly you start asking questions.
Is it 125 kHz RFID? 13.56 MHz NFC? MIFARE? Does it expose only a UID? Is there protected memory? Can it actually be emulated?
Even when Flipper cannot reproduce a credential, simply identifying what technology is inside the card is surprisingly interesting.
It also gives you a much better appreciation of just how different two pieces of plastic that look virtually identical can be.
5. Learn How Much Wireless Stuff Is Around You
This may actually be the best reason to own one.
The Flipper Zero encourages curiosity.
You start noticing infrared LEDs. You start wondering what frequency a remote uses. You realise that your condo gate, car key, door badge, TV remote, NFC tag and wireless doorbell are all communicating using completely different technologies.
And because the Flipper gives you one interface for exploring many of them, concepts that previously sounded abstract start becoming tangible.
Infrared suddenly isn’t just something buried inside a remote control. RFID isn’t simply “the thing that opens the office door.” Sub-GHz isn’t merely a frequency range.
You can actually interact with these technologies and see what they are doing.
That makes Flipper Zero much more interesting to me as an educational gadget than as the “hacking device” it is sometimes portrayed as online.
Is Flipper Zero Worth Buying?
If you expect a magical device that opens every door and controls everything around you, you will probably be disappointed.
Modern security systems are deliberately designed to prevent exactly that.
But if you’re the type of person who enjoys figuring out how things work, it is an incredibly entertaining gadget.
It combines infrared, Sub-GHz radio, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, GPIO and a bunch of other experimentation possibilities into something you can actually carry around in your pocket.
And unlike a lot of hobbyist electronics, you don’t need to build a circuit every time you want to try something.
You simply pull out the little dolphin gadget and start investigating.
If you’re looking to get one locally, you can find the Flipper Zero on Shopee Singapore.
Just remember that owning the tool doesn’t change the rules.
Experiment with your own equipment, your own credentials, or systems where you have permission.
Within those boundaries, there is an awful lot of fun packed into that little orange-and-white box.
