YOU CAN MAKE THE FURBY HASBRO ABANDONED SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT
Hasbro no longer supports the Furby Connect; Jeija reverse-engineered its Bluetooth protocol so you can control it without the company.
by Jeija
AutomationOpen-hardware
Built withRaspberry Pi
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- an evening
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE576 stars
●●●○○ · an evening · MIT · 576 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
COMPAREE VERDICT
bluefluff is the reverse-engineering work that keeps the Furby Connect useful now that the toy is no longer supported. Jeija decoded the Bluetooth LE protocol and the DLC update format, so you can play custom audio, trigger actions, change the antenna colour and mood, and read the sensors from a computer. His fluffd tool runs on node.js (Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Windows or a Raspberry Pi) with a browser control panel; Martin Woodward's PyFluff port does the same in Python. Custom images on the LCD eyes are not solved yet. The hardware you need is just a working Furby Connect and a computer with Bluetooth LE, and the riskiest step is flashing modified DLC files, which the README warns can brick the toy. If you have one sitting in a cupboard and are comfortable on the command line, this is an evening's fun.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —The repository contains working node.js code (fluffd plus a browser control panel) to control the Furby Connect over Bluetooth LE, along with Python utilities and protocol documentation.
- —There is a separate Python port by Martin Woodward called pyfluff, also MIT-licensed.
- —There is no parts list because the only hardware is the Furby Connect itself, which Hasbro stopped selling.
- —The README warns you may brick your Furby when interfacing with it in unwarranted ways — flashing modified DLC files is the riskiest part.
- —License is MIT: you can use this commercially, modify it, and redistribute it.
- —Documentation explains the protocol and includes example commands; there is no step-by-step tutorial for non-programmers.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Jeija's own video, "Furby Connect Bluetooth Protocol Hack - he says whatever you want!", shows the hack in action and is linked from the README.
More builds like this
All projectsGallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the protocol documentation in the bluefluff repository to understand how the Furby Connect communicates. (Start here to see the available commands and the risks.)
- 2.If you want a Python version, check Martin Woodward's pyfluff repository.(PyFluff (github.com/martinwoodward/PyFluff) is MIT-licensed, installs with pip and adds a web interface.)
- 3.Test the safe commands (play audio, trigger movements) before attempting to flash custom firmware.(The README warns you can brick the Furby; start with the commands that do not touch the update mechanism.)
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying a Furby Connect that is already broken or has a dead Bluetooth module—test the connection before you commit.
- Flashing malformed firmware and bricking the toy; the README is explicit about this risk, so do not skip the safe commands first.
- Expecting a phone app; you start fluffd from the command line on a computer and then control Furby from a simple browser panel — it is not a replacement for Hasbro's mobile app.
- Assuming it works on the original 1998 Furby; this is for the Furby Connect only, which has Bluetooth LE and an LCD screen.
- Not checking Bluetooth LE support on your computer; fluffd needs built-in BLE or a USB Bluetooth 4.0 (or newer) adapter.
Will this work on the original 1998 Furby?
No. This is for the Furby Connect, which has Bluetooth LE and an LCD screen. The original Furby has no wireless capability.
Can I brick my Furby?
Yes. The README warns that you may brick your Furby when interfacing with it in unwarranted ways, and flashing modified DLC update files is the riskiest part. Start with plain commands (audio, actions, antenna colour) before you touch the update mechanism.
Do I need to compile code?
No compiling. bluefluff's fluffd runs on node.js (npm install, or the provided Docker container) on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD or Windows, and you control it from a web page. The Python port (PyFluff) installs with pip. Either way you need to be comfortable on the command line.
Where do I get a Furby Connect?
Hasbro stopped selling them. Second-hand marketplaces are the only option; prices vary and many units are already broken.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Hasbro discontinued the Furby Connect and its companion app, and plenty of these toys are still sitting in cupboards. If you dug one out, what would you make it do first?
Jeija
Jeija (Florian Euchner) reverse-engineered the Furby Connect's Bluetooth LE protocol and its DLC update format back in 2017, publishing the docs plus fluffd, a node.js tool with a browser control panel. Years later, after the official app disappeared, Martin Woodward built a Python port (PyFluff) on top of that work to resurrect the toy.
DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM12d agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repository is a node.js daemon (fluffd) with a browser-based client, a set of Python utilities and protocol documentation, and it runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD or Windows, or in Docker. You need a computer or Raspberry Pi with Bluetooth LE built in or a USB Bluetooth 4.0 adapter. Jeija also published an official demo video, and Martin Woodward later wrote a separate Python port, PyFluff. One honest limit from the README: controlling the LCD eye content was not yet achieved. The single biggest practical barrier is not the code — it is finding a working Furby Connect second-hand now that it is no longer sold. Test before you buy. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.