Following the launch of the surprisingly popular Kobo Remote, Boox has released its own device to ease the burden of reaching for an e-readerâs touchscreen thatâs an armâs length away. The Tappy isnât Booxâs first page-turning remote, but its design takes a much different approach to the companyâs slim but boring B.T. Remoter. The Tappy feels like a mashup of wireless remotes, fidget toys, and macro pads, with a healthy dash of retro charm.
While the Kobo Remote looks like a streaming dongle accessory with a design that prioritizes ergonomics, the Tappy can be best described as a miniature keyboard distilled to just two buttons that draws its design inspiration from a retro typewriter. Itâs not as comfortable to hold as Koboâs accessory, but itâs small enough to sit discreetly in your hand. There are also four rubber feet on its underside so it wonât slide around if used on a desk, and itâs available in two very glossy color options: olive green and a bright orange that I tested.
Tappyâs two round buttons donât use actual keyboard switches but they have about a quarter-inch of travel and are satisfying to press when youâre in need of something to fidget with. Out of the box, the buttons are labeled with a pixelated heart and steaming mug of coffee, which I just donât understand. I immediately switched to the included alternatives that are instead labeled with an X and an O, but more customizability, even if it was just a sheet of stickers I had to apply myself, would be preferred. Forward and back arrows, or even just a plus and minus, would be welcome alternatives to whatâs included.
Pairing the Tappy to a Boox device is easy, but donât misplace the fold-out quick start guide that walks you through the process. After powering it on using a sliding metal switch on the side, you put the remote into pairing mode by holding down both buttons for about two seconds until a single LED on the side flashes blue. From there, you just need to connect to it through your Boox deviceâs Bluetooth settings. When you power it back on in the future, it reconnects automatically.
The buttonsâ default functionality is Reading mode that turns pages forward and back or controls volume when outside a reading app, but the Tappy can be switched to two other modes. Multimedia mode changes the buttonsâ functionality to skipping tracks in music, video, podcast, or audiobook apps, while Browsing mode lets you scroll up and down through long webpages or social media feeds for as long as youâre pressing either button.
Pressing both buttons for about five seconds switches modes, which causes the LED to momentarily flash green. Repeating that process cycles through Reading, Multimedia, and Browsing modes, and every time you switch, a notification pops up at the top of your Boox device letting you know the current mode. But itâs not persistent and can be easily missed. A trio of labeled LEDs indicating the Tappyâs current mode or even having the single LED display a different color for each one would make it easier to know what mode it was in at a glance, especially when using the remote with other devices.
While Tappy works best with Boox e-readers and tablets running the companyâs V4.2 firmware or later (which includes recent hardware like the Boox Palma 2 Pro), it can also be used with other Android mobile devices, and iPhones and iPads, with varying levels of functionality. The functionality is supported in both the Kobo and Kindle Android apps, but not in the iOS or iPadOS versions. However, I was able to use the Tappy on my iPhone and OnePlus phone to scroll webpages, control music playback, and adjust the volume.
The bigger challenge when using the Tappy with non-Boox hardware is you donât get the useful pop-up notifications letting you know which mode youâve just switched to. And without any LED indicators, the only way to know what mode Tappy is in is to just press the buttons and see what happens. Did the volume go up and down? Great, youâre in Reading mode and are just two switches away from the Browsing mode you want.
Other e-readers from companies like Pocketboot or BigMe are supported, according to Good e-Readerâs testing, but I had no luck getting the Tappy to work with the Kobo and the Kindle. Thatâs unfortunate because while I still regularly enjoy using the Kobo Remote for reading at night, I would happily abandon it for the Tappy. The tiny remote has already replaced my Apple Watch for skipping tracks when streaming my iPhone through my HomePod, even if its buttons occasionally get accidentally pressed when itâs bouncing around my pocket. At $29.99 itâs the same price as the Kobo Remote, but its buttons are more satisfying to use and itâs more than just a one-device accessory.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge
