The Friendli Friendship Lamp requires a paid subscription to send and receive light signals
The Friendli Friendship Lamp is a connected device that lets you send light signals to someone else who owns one. The lamp itself costs money upfront, but it will not function without an active subscription. The subscription is what connects your lamp to theirs over the internet and enables the light-sending feature to work.
This is different from buying a device that works on its own. You are paying for both the physical object and ongoing access to the service that makes it do what it is designed to do. If you stop paying the subscription, the lamp will not send or receive signals, even though the device itself still exists in your home.
Understanding what you are committing to before you buy matters, because the subscription is not optional. The lamp has no offline mode or standalone function. It exists to communicate with another lamp, and that communication requires the company's servers and your active payment.
Key Takeaways
- The Friendli Friendship Lamp requires a paid subscription to send and receive light signals between paired devices.
- You must pay for the subscription separately from the cost of buying the lamp itself, and both lamps in a pair need their own active subscriptions.
- If your subscription lapses, the lamp will not function for its core purpose, though the physical device remains in your possession.
- Subscription costs and billing cycles vary by plan, so confirm the exact price and renewal terms with the seller or manufacturer before you purchase.
- If you buy a used lamp, you will need to set up your own subscription account, and some manufacturers restrict how subscriptions transfer between owners.
How the subscription connects your lamp to another
When you buy a Friendli Friendship Lamp, you receive the physical lamp and instructions for setting it up. During setup, you will need to create an account with the company and connect the lamp to your home internet network using Wi-Fi. The subscription is what allows your lamp to communicate with another lamp through the company's servers.
Each lamp in a pair needs its own subscription. If you own one lamp and want to send signals to someone else's lamp, you both need active subscriptions for the connection to work. The subscription typically renews on a monthly or annual basis, depending on the plan you choose at purchase.
The company's servers act as the middleman between the two lamps. When you press or interact with your lamp, the signal travels to the company's system, which then sends a command to the other lamp to light up. Without the subscription, your lamp cannot reach those servers, so no communication happens.
What happens when your subscription expires
Once your subscription expires, your lamp will no longer send or receive light signals. The device will still be a physical object in your home, but it loses the ability to do what it was built for. You cannot use it to communicate with the other lamp in your pair, and the other person cannot send you signals either.
If you want to use the lamp again later, you would need to restart or renew your subscription. The company's system should allow you to reactivate your account, though you should confirm whether there are any fees, waiting periods, or steps involved in doing so. Some services charge a reactivation fee or require you to set up the lamp again from scratch.
During the time your subscription is inactive, the other person's lamp will also not be able to reach yours. Both sides of the connection go dark until both subscriptions are active again.
Subscription cost and billing cycles
The subscription cost varies depending on the plan length and the seller. Some subscriptions are billed monthly, while others offer annual plans that may cost less per month if paid upfront. You should check the exact price and billing cycle before you purchase, as these details can change by retailer and over time.
The subscription is separate from the upfront cost of the lamp itself. Budget for both expenses when deciding whether this product fits your needs and your wallet. For example, if the lamp costs $50 and the subscription costs $5 per month, you are looking at $110 in the first year alone.
Some retailers offer bundle deals that include the lamp and a certain number of months of subscription at a discounted rate. Read the fine print to see whether the subscription renews automatically after the included period ends, and at what price.
Where to find subscription details before you buy
The manufacturer's website or the retailer where you are considering buying the lamp should list the subscription cost, what it includes, and how often you are billed. Read this information carefully before you buy, because the subscription is not optional if you want the lamp to work.
Look for a section labeled "subscription," "pricing," "plans," or "how it works." Some retailers bury this information in the product description or in a separate FAQ page. If you cannot find it easily, contact the seller or manufacturer directly and ask for the subscription cost and renewal terms in writing before you commit to the purchase.
If you are buying from a third-party marketplace like Amazon or eBay, check whether the seller mentions subscription status in the listing. Some sellers offer lamps with a subscription already included for a set period, while others sell the device only and you pay for the subscription separately.
Buying a used lamp and transferring subscriptions
A used lamp still needs a subscription to work. You would need to set up your own account and subscription, or confirm whether the previous owner's subscription can be transferred to you. Contact the manufacturer to ask about their policy on used devices and subscription transfers.
Some companies allow you to take over an existing subscription if the previous owner cancels it and transfers ownership of the account. Others require you to start a new subscription and may not allow the old one to be reassigned. This can affect the total cost of buying used, so ask before you complete the purchase.
If you are selling a lamp you own, be clear with the buyer about whether the subscription transfers or whether they will need to start their own. This affects the value of what you are selling and the buyer's total cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the lamp without a subscription?
No. The lamp requires an active subscription to send and receive signals. Without it, the device cannot communicate with another lamp, which is its main function. There is no offline mode or standalone feature.
Do both lamps need subscriptions, or just one?
Both lamps in a pair need active subscriptions to send and receive signals. If only one person has a subscription, the connection will not work. Each lamp owner pays for their own subscription separately.
What if I want to pause my subscription instead of canceling it?
That depends on the company's policies. Some services allow you to pause for a set period without losing your account or paying. Check the subscription settings in your account or contact customer support to see what options are available to you.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind about the subscription?
Refund policies vary by retailer and manufacturer. Some offer a return window for the lamp itself, but subscription fees are often non-refundable once the service period has started. Check the return policy before you buy.
What if the company shuts down the service?
If the company stops running the servers that connect the lamps, your lamp will stop working even if you have an active subscription. The company should notify you in advance, but you would lose the ability to use the device. This is a risk with any subscription-based service.