Lovebox Black & White Review: What It Can Send

TL;DRThe Short Answer: Is the Lovebox Black & White Worth It?

A text message competes with every other alert on a phone, and the worry with any gift that promises closeness is that it becomes one more screen to ignore. The Lovebox Black & White avoids that by doing almost nothing: a little heart spins when a note arrives, and the message waits under the lid until someone opens it. It suits long distance couples, distant grandparents and anyone who would rather send a doodle than a text. The catch is the first half hour, because setup can be smooth or maddening, and this model is for notes and drawings, not photos.

NoFussDeal rates the Lovebox Black & White 4.1 out of 5 at $99.99. Last updated September 26, 2026.

Key Facts

Item Dimensions L x W: 3.54"L x 3.54"W
Frame Material: Wood
Color: Black & White
Control Method: Remote
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi
Compatible Devices: Smartphone, Tablet, Personal Computer

What Stands Out

3-inch black and white screen, 320 by 240, in a 3.54-inch wooden box with a heart that spins when a message lands
Black and white text, drawings and emojis sent from the Lovebox app on iOS and Android
Colour photos belong to the separate Lovebox Photo Messenger, not this model
Wi-Fi connected; ships with a 5V 1A micro-USB cable and US plug, and a two-year warranty
The concept, the enjoyment and the gift appeal are its strengths; quality, reliability and setup are mixed

Strengths and Drawbacks

What works

A notification nobody resents: a little heart spins, and the message waits under a lid
Turning the heart back sends a waterfall of hearts to the sender, so the exchange closes
Black and white messages, drawings and emojis through a free app on iOS and Android
Concept, enjoyment and suitability as a gift are all genuine strengths
A wooden 3.54-inch object that looks like a thing rather than a gadget on a shelf
Two-year warranty from Lovebox
Works internationally: family abroad can send messages through the same app

What does not

Setup is mixed, and a stubborn Wi-Fi connection can take days to work around
Quality and reliability are both mixed, and some units do not work at all
This model does not send colour photos; that is the separate Lovebox Photo Messenger
Needs power and Wi-Fi to receive, so an unplugged box stops getting messages
The more customised messages and graphics sit behind a paid subscription, and value for money is weak
A gift that may arrive needing the recipient to join it to their own Wi-Fi

Features in Depth

The Spinning Heart: a Notification Nobody Resents

Alert Spinning heart Reply Turn the heart, sender sees hearts Concept Positive

The mechanism is the whole design. When a message arrives, a little heart on the front of the box spins to announce it, and the message itself stays hidden until the lid is lifted. That is a deliberate inversion of how most messaging behaves, and it is why the product works emotionally where a text message does not: a phone notification arrives in a queue alongside delivery updates and work email, while a turning heart on a shelf is unmistakably one thing. The reciprocity is well judged too. Lovebox says that when the recipient turns the heart back, the sender's phone receives a waterfall of virtual hearts, so the person who sent the note learns it was read without either of them typing anything. With a partner away for work, this becomes a real rhythm, notes going one way through the day and hearts coming back. For the long distance relationships and distant grandparents this is sold for, closing that loop is the difference between sending a message and having an exchange. The concept, the enjoyment and the gift appeal all land, which is about as clear a verdict on an emotional product as you can get. The practical limits are worth stating: the box needs Wi-Fi, and in practice it needs to be plugged in using the supplied micro-USB cable and plug, so it lives where those are. At 3.54 inches square it is a shelf or desk object rather than something that hides.

$99.99 4.1/5 Check price

What This Model Can Actually Display

Screen 3 inch, black and white, 320 x 240 Messages Text, drawings and emojis Colour photos Separate Photo Messenger model

This is where expectations go wrong, so it deserves plain language. The Lovebox Black & White has a 3-inch monochrome screen at 320 by 240, and Lovebox describes it as sending black and white messages, drawings and emojis through its app. In the same breath the brand says that anyone wanting colour photo messaging should look at the Lovebox Photo Messenger, which is a different and more expensive product, and its own comparison lists photos, colour and sending photos by email against the other models rather than this one. So notes, doodles, emojis and hand-drawn nonsense are the medium here. Colour photographs are not what this model is for. Confusion about the app is common: certain frame templates do let you insert a photo and add text, so what looks like a missing feature can be a misunderstanding rather than a fault. Read that as a warning about expectations rather than about the product. Before ordering, decide which of the two things you want. A grandparent who would most love a weekly photo of the children should probably be given the Photo Messenger. A partner who would love a drawing of a cat with a rude caption arriving on a Tuesday afternoon wants this one, and the monochrome screen is part of its charm rather than a compromise: a black and white doodle looks deliberate on a small, simple display in a way a photograph does not.

$99.99 4.1/5 Check price

Setup: the Part That Frustrates

Connectivity Wi-Fi Setup Mixed Power 5V 1A micro-USB cable, US plug

Setup is where experiences split, and the failure is specific. In one case the box would not pick up the internet or move on to the next stage, it took two days to work out a fix from a phone, and without an IT background it would probably have gone back, with Lovebox's helpdesk of little use. It stayed, and the owner is glad it did, which captures both the problem and the reason to persist. For others the same process is easy, needing only to be plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi, or confusing but worth it. The underlying issue is ordinary for the category: the box has no keyboard, so joining it to a home Wi-Fi network has to be done through a phone app, and any hitch in that handshake leaves you with a wooden box doing nothing and very little to diagnose it with. Two consequences follow for anyone buying this as a gift, which is how most people buy it. First, if you can, set it up and test it before wrapping it, because a box that already works when opened is an entirely different present from one that comes with a task attached. Having a friend test the device before a Mother's Day handover works well. Second, if the recipient lives far away and will connect it to their own network, expect to be the person on the phone walking them through it, and budget the patience accordingly. The box receives nothing while it is unplugged or offline, so give it a permanent spot.

$99.99 4.1/5 Check price

Value, Subscription and Reliability

Value Negative Warranty 2 years In the box Lovebox, micro-USB cable, US plug

This is not an impulse purchase, and value for money is one of its weak points. The comparison people instinctively make, that a tablet does vastly more, is the wrong one, because a tablet's versatility is exactly what makes it useless for this job: a message on a general purpose screen is one more notification, while a message on a box that can do nothing else is an event. But the cost does raise the standard the object has to meet, and two things pull opinion down. The first is the subscription, another weak point. There is a paid tier for the more customised messages and graphics, and paying extra after buying the device can grate even if you love the box; a points system also lets you unlock extras. Plan on the free experience being what you use, and anything more being a bonus. The second is reliability. Quality and reliability are both mixed: some units work great, others do not work at all, and there is no single named defect to point at. Alongside the setup complaints, that suggests a device that mostly works beautifully and occasionally does not. Against that, Lovebox provides a two-year warranty, which is the right thing to check and keep a record of before buying. On the build, it feels nice to hold and is well made overall, though the lid can wobble a little when closed.

$99.99 4.1/5 Check price

How We Scored It

Based on: The manufacturer's published specifications and the product's live Amazon listing.
Owner rating: 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon, recorded September 26, 2026
How we score: We score each thing that comes up most in owner feedback on the Lovebox Black & White. Eight things come up most in owner feedback: three draw praise, three split opinion and two draw mostly complaints. Its ratings average 4.3 stars (74% five stars, 7% four, 7% three and 12% one or two), so every score starts at 86, that average on a 100 point scale. Where opinion is split, we take off 6. Where it draws mostly complaints, we take off 12. Then we read five owner reviews in full (every one we found gave it four or five stars) and move the score up to 5 points either way depending on how the owners who mention it rated the product. Our overall score starts from the same 4.3 star average and loses 0.1 for each thing that draws mostly complaints, with 0.1 more when at least a tenth of ratings are one star, never more than 0.3 in all. Here that takes off 0.2, which gives 4.1. Read our editorial standards

Concept

None of the five owner reviews we read mention it. Score 86: its 4.3 star average on a 100 point scale.

86Positive

Enjoyment

One of the five owner reviews we read mentions it. That owner gave the product four or five stars. Score 86: its 4.3 star average on a 100 point scale.

86Positive

Quality

One of the five owner reviews we read mentions it, and that owner gave the product four or five stars, so the complaints come from the wider group of buyers. None of the reviews we read say what goes wrong, so this score rests on the buyer ratings. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 80: we started at 86 and took off 6 because opinion…

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80Mixed

Reliability

None of the five owner reviews we read mention it. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 80: we started at 86 and took off 6 because opinion is split.

80Mixed

Setup

Four of the five owner reviews we read mention it, and those owners gave the product four or five stars, so the complaints come from the wider group of buyers. None of the reviews we read say what goes wrong, so this score rests on the buyer ratings. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 80: we started at 86 and took off 6 because opini…

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80Mixed

Subscription

One of the five owner reviews we read mentions it, and that owner gave the product four or five stars, so the complaints come from the wider group of buyers. None of the reviews we read say what goes wrong, so this score rests on the buyer ratings. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 74: we started at 86 and took off 12 because it dra…

Read the full note (421 characters)

One of the five owner reviews we read mentions it, and that owner gave the product four or five stars, so the complaints come from the wider group of buyers. None of the reviews we read say what goes wrong, so this score rests on the buyer ratings. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 74: we started at 86 and took off 12 because it draws mostly complaints.

74Needs Improvement

Owner Satisfaction

74% of ratings are five stars and 7% are four. 7% are three stars and 12% are one or two. The spread skews positive, but enough ratings sit low that the drawbacks below are worth reading. Score 86: its 4.3 star average on a 100 point scale.

86Mostly Positive

Value for Money

Three of the five owner reviews we read mention it, and those owners gave the product four or five stars, so the complaints come from the wider group of buyers. None of the reviews we read say what goes wrong, so this score rests on the buyer ratings. 19% of all ratings are three stars or fewer, which is where complaints like this usually sit. Score 74: we started at 86 and took off 12 because it …

Read the full note (424 characters)

74Needs Improvement

Specifications

Size and weight

Item Dimensions L x W: 3.54"L x 3.54"W

Materials and warranty

Frame Material: Wood
Color: Black & White

Other specifications

Control Method: Remote
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi
Compatible Devices: Smartphone, Tablet, Personal Computer

What Buyers Say

Based on 495 Amazon customer ratings, averaging 4.3 out of 5, recorded 20 September 2026. See the reviews on Amazon

5 stars		74%
4 stars		7%
3 stars		7%
2 stars		3%
1 stars		9%

★★★★★

Review changed from 1 star to 5. Lovebox is fantastic

There was a misunderstanding regarding a feature of the Lovebox. Certain frame templates allow you to insert your own photo and add text. Initially, I tried with product support to resolve a… Read it on Amazon

Geno Souza · May 6, 2025 · Verified

★★★★★

Well Worth It!!

I had been debating about getting this device for over a year, a bit hesitant because the reviews weren't all raving and I didn't want to raise my mom's hopes if it couldn't work. But I pull… Read it on Amazon

jan · June 2, 2024 · Verified

★★★★★

Birthday Gift For My Girlfriend

Decided to do something different and get a gift where I can send her little love notes or words of encouragement. She absolutely loved it! I was quite impressed with the product as well. It… Read it on Amazon

Grilled Onions · January 25, 2023 · Verified

★★★★★

Its so cute!

I love this so much! I got this for my boyfriend and he loves this so much! We use this almost everyday and its great! For most of the stuff you have to pay for a subscription even tho you p… Read it on Amazon

Chloe · January 20, 2025 · Verified

★★★★☆

Frustrating to set up, but worth it

My husband has been away for work for 6 months and it is not always easy to align our schedules to talk. The lovebox has been a fun way for me to remind him I love him and to send him pictur… Read it on Amazon

A. Frindt · May 28, 2024 · Verified

Setting It Up

Confirm which model you are buying

This is the Black & White messenger: notes, drawings and emojis in black and white. If colour photographs are the point, Lovebox directs you to its separate Photo Messenger instead.
Set it up before you wrap it

The best advice for this box: have it tested before a gift is handed over, as a friend can do before Mother's Day. A box that already works when opened avoids turning a present into a task.
Join it to Wi-Fi through the app

Install the Lovebox app on iOS or Android and connect the box to the network it will live on. This is the step that can go wrong, so do it somewhere with a good signal and a little patience.
Plug it in where it will stay

It comes with a 5V 1A micro-USB cable and US plug, and it needs to be plugged in and on Wi-Fi to work. Choose a spot with a socket and a good signal, not just a nice shelf.
Send the first message before handing it over

Watching the heart turn for the first time is the moment that explains the product. Do it while you are both in the room.
Show them how to turn the heart back

The reply gesture is the half of the design people miss. A recipient who does not know about it leaves the sender wondering whether anything arrived.

Common Questions

What can I actually send to it, and will my photos look right?

This is the black and white model, so everything arrives in monochrome on a small square wooden box with a three-inch, 320 by 240 screen. Typed notes, doodles and emojis are what it is made for. Lovebox points anyone who wants colour photos to its Photo Messenger, and only certain frame templates let a photo be placed with text. Go in expecting a note box rather than a picture frame. Judged on those terms, the concept is a delight.

Does the person receiving it need their own Wi-Fi?

Yes. The box connects over Wi-Fi, so it needs a network wherever it sits, not wherever you are. That matters for the classic recipients: a grandparent with no broadband, a student behind a campus login page, someone in a care home. The sender only needs the app, and family abroad can send messages to the same box. Settle the recipient's connection before you wrap it.

Setup gets described as fiddly. What is involved?

You plug the box in, join it to a network through the Lovebox app, and people with the app connect to it using its unique device code. The friction is almost always the network step: a box can refuse to pick up the internet at first and take two days to sort out, though often the whole process is easy. The fix is to do it yourself in advance, send a first message so you know it works, and be ready to help the recipient join it to their own Wi-Fi on arrival.

Is there a subscription, and what happens if I do not pay it?

Sending notes, drawings and emojis works through the free Lovebox app that comes with the box. A paid subscription covers more customised messages and graphics, and this is a sore point: people who bought a physical object dislike discovering that some of the fun sits behind a recurring charge. Decide in advance that you are content with the free experience, and treat anything more as a bonus.

Where should it live in the house, and does it stay plugged in?

Plan for a socket. It ships with a 5V 1A micro-USB cable and a US plug, and it needs to be plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi. The practical spot is a bedside table, a desk or a hall shelf: somewhere passed often enough that the spinning heart gets noticed, and within comfortable reach of the router. A shelf at the far end of the house, walls away from the router, is where small connected devices tend to lose their signal without anyone noticing.

What happens if mine never works at all?

Quality and reliability are genuinely mixed. Many units work well, and some do not work at all. Lovebox backs it with a two-year warranty, so keep the order details somewhere findable. Worth knowing too: some apparent faults are really a misunderstanding of what the frame templates can do, so if a feature seems missing, check the app before concluding the box is faulty.

On Video

Review of Lovebox Black & White | Love Note Messenger | Meaningful for Mom, Dad, Wife, Husband, etc

Those Abs Are Not Mine

Lovebox Black & White Review: A Lovely Idea, a Fiddly Setup, and One Thing to Get Straight First

TL;DRThe Short Answer: Is the Lovebox Black & White Worth It?

Key Facts

What Stands Out

Strengths and Drawbacks

What works

What does not

Features in Depth

The Spinning Heart: a Notification Nobody Resents

What This Model Can Actually Display

Setup: the Part That Frustrates

Value, Subscription and Reliability

How We Scored It

Concept

Enjoyment

Quality

Reliability

Setup

Subscription

Owner Satisfaction

Value for Money

Specifications

Size and weight

Materials and warranty

Other specifications

What Buyers Say

Review changed from 1 star to 5. Lovebox is fantastic

Well Worth It!!

Birthday Gift For My Girlfriend

Its so cute!

Frustrating to set up, but worth it

Setting It Up

Confirm which model you are buying

Set it up before you wrap it

Join it to Wi-Fi through the app

Plug it in where it will stay

Send the first message before handing it over

Show them how to turn the heart back

Common Questions

On Video

Review of Lovebox Black & White | Love Note Messenger | Meaningful for Mom, Dad, Wife, Husband, etc

The Verdict

Who should buy it

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