What is a Friendship Lamp and How Does it Work? - Friendship Lamps

What is a Friendship Lamp and How Does it Work?

A friendship lamp is a small table lamp that is connected to another (or several others) of its kind via the Internet, allowing back and forth communication between units. The lamps are set up in a way that if one of the lamps is touched, the others light up in a particular preselected color. It is also known by many other names: friend lamp, long-distance lamp, relationship lamp, long-distance touch lamp, distance lamp, long-distance relationship lamp, long-distance friendship lamp, and so on. Order a friendship lamp for someone you love The best part about a friendship lamp - and its connected cousins - is that it opens all sorts of possibilities: for example, it is a great gift idea for couples in a long-distance relationship or any two people separated by geographical distance. It can be friends or family members. It can also be used by a group of people in different locations because all the units connect to a unique family or group ID. Think of it like a Zoom meeting ID that only invitees have access to. Once the lamps are connected, each user can choose their own unique color from several options; when they touch their connected lamp, all other lamps connected to that ID that are online will light up in that color. That means your far-flung family will know exactly who is thinking about them that very instant.

Why a Friendship Lamp Makes an Excellent Gift Idea

Communication is crucial when people are separated by distances, whether it's down the road, across town, across the country, or even the other side of the world. Of course, there are other forms of communication today that are far more effective, like web meeting apps, chat apps, mobile telephony, and such. However, being separated by great distances also means trying to get your time zone calculations right or figuring out the other person's schedule before making that call. With a friendship lamp, all those problems are eliminated because they'll see their lamp lit up in your color at their convenience rather than yours. Another reason why a friendship lamp makes a great gift is the fact that we're not always keen on making small talk with our friends and relatives. Sometimes, we just want them to know we're thinking of them. And that's exactly what friendship lamps do - they offer a non-intrusive or 'soft' way to let someone know they're on your mind. That way, you don't have to start fretting and sweating over what to say before you make an international call or pick up the phone to tell your grandparents in another city you love them.

How Does a Friendship Lamp Work?

The basic medium of connectivity is the Internet. The good news is that you don't need a blazing-fast fiber connection because it's a simple signal that's transmitted from the source lamp to all other target lamps. Every lamp is connected in the same two-way direction. The lamp just needs to be plugged into a power source using a USB charging cable, which means you don't have to worry about socket configurations and incompatibility issues across different countries. Simply connect the lamp and hook it up to your Wi-Fi connection using the process mentioned in the next section. In a few seconds, you're all set to send your unique color across the miles to a lamp anywhere else in the world that's connected in a similar manner. The way they connect to each other is through a unique identification number, which creates a closed-loop connection for greater security. There's practically no limit to how many lamps can be linked to a group, so even if you have dozens of relatives spread out over the globe, friendship lamps make ideal gifts. Once the friendship lamps are synced together in this manner, they can 'talk' to each other. Even if a particular lamp is unplugged and connected to a different power source, as long as it's the same Wi-Fi, the memory function will have the login credentials saved. Even if you're switching Wi-Fi connections, the set up is as simple as the first time you do it. That's what we'll show you next.

How to Set Up a Friendship Lamp

What's in the box?

When you receive your brand new friendship lamp, be sure to check that it contains the following items:
  • Setup Guide (Contains a link to the online guide)
  • MicroUSB Cable
  • 1 x Friendship Lamp
The friendship lamp will have a MicroUSB charging port on the base, and at the top is a sensor plate that operates the lamp. You will need a USB wall brick to connect the lamp to a wall socket.

How to Set Up the Lamp

First, insert the wall brick into the socket and insert the USB end of the cable into the socket. Next, plus the MicroUSB end of the cable into the charge port at the base of the friendship lamp. When you turn on the wall socket switch, the lamp will glow blue, indicating that it is turning on and attempting to connect to a Wi-Fi signal. Since this is the first time you're using it, the lamp will change to a dim red, indicating that it needs to be set up.
  1. The first step is to connect the lamp to a Wi-Fi network and a Group ID. On your iOS or Android smartphone, open the Wi-Fi settings, tap the Friend Lamp network ID (SSID), and tap Sign In.
  2. In the next screen, tap the Configure Wi-Fi button to go to the network and ID selection page.
  3. Select the Wi-Fi SSID (the one you wish to connect the lamp to), enter the Group ID that was sent to your email address that was used to order the friendship lamp, enter the Wi-Fi password, and tap the Save button. You will be taken back to the Wi-Fi settings page in a few moments.
That's it!

How to Use the Friendship Lamp

Now that you've done the basic setup for your friendship lamp, other lamps connected to this one need to be set up the same way. Once there are at least two such lamps connected to the same Group ID, you can start using them. Since the lamp is already on, the light will again change to blue, indicating that it is connecting to the Wi-Fi. If it turns purple, it means an update is being downloaded and installed. Wait until it turns green. To change your preferred color, touch and hold the sensor plate. The lamp will cycle through all the colors; stop at the one you want to select as your color. Now, whenever you touch the lamp, any lamp on the same ID will turn on in your chosen color. For example, if there's a three-lamp set-up between you, your parents, and a sibling, touching one lamp will change the color of the other two lamps to the one that the sender chose as their preferred color. That way, each user can choose their own color to send to other lamps.

Who Can Use a Friendship Lamp?

The friendship lamp is essentially a tool to communicate to someone that you're thinking of them. That means you can gift one to practically anyone you're emotionally close to who is separated by physical distance. This opens up some tremendous possibilities, as our clients have attested to over and over. Here are some ideas to help you get started. Friends and besties: Friendship is one of the most powerful relationships in the world. If a dear friend lives far away from you, a friendship lamp will be a thoughtful gift to celebrate that friendship. Couples and partners: Many couples in a long-distance relationship find that friendship lamps allow them to connect with each other at random, day or night, without worrying about disturbing the other person when they're busy. Elderly or senior parents: A lot of people who buy a set of friendship lamps for their parents say that it makes a huge impact, especially if the elderly parent has lost their spouse. Their loved ones tend to get lonely, and it's a nice treat to have the lamp light up from across the miles. Kids away at college: A lot of recent empty-nesters find that friendship lamps give their child the freedom to say "I love you" virtually, without the need to feel embarrassed when their friends are around. Grandparents and grandkids: Grandparents love to hear from their grandkids. What better way to facilitate spontaneous moments of affection than by providing a channel of communication that the kids (and the grandparents) can access anytime they want? Military spouses: Separation in the line of duty is often inevitable, which makes friendship lamps that much more special. Couples and families distanced by the coronavirus pandemic: Travel restrictions, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders abound in this time of global upheaval. If you've been forced to be away from your loved ones because you couldn't get back home in time, friendship lamps can help alleviate the pain of separation to a certain extent.

FriendLamps Customer Reviews

Friendship lamps can have a massive positive impact on your long-distance relationships. Whether it's a friend, a much-loved grandma, your first child off at college, or a spouse in the military, it will make a difference in the way you communicate with each other and how frequently you do so. Here's what some friend lamp buyers have said about their purchases:
"I use these to connect with my little sisters that live across the country from me. So fun and special."
"These are the cutest gift! I get to let my Bestie know when I’m thinking of her ♥️ Love them Easy to set up and away you go."
"Feeling the love between the US, UK & Australia!"
"Ordered this as a Christmas gift in 2019 to my parents as I’m in the military traveling around a lot. My light reflects on their lamp over 2,000 miles! Due to the holiday demand, this company was very responsive and excellent with communicating the long shipping time. I just ordered another one for my grandmother to keep her busy! Great long distance gift! I will keep ordering and recommending their product!
"I am a solitary person and in normal times that is fine. I can jump in the car and go see friends and family. Now with the global pandemic I can't go see my loved ones and they can't come see me. We text and that helps but not enough. Then I found FriendLamps and just had to get them. It was the best decision ever!!! When that lamp lights up I know I am loved. I know in that moment that I am being thought of. I can't even express how much it has helped me feel connected. I'm separate but not alone. You are touching lives more than you will ever know. Thank you for such a fabulous product! I very highly recommend FriendLamps, especially for anyone that lives alone."
Go ahead and order your friendship lamps today and see what a huge difference it can make for you and the ones you love.
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