About a month or two ago, I started seeing more and more content creators on TikTok and Instagram using an odd mount on the back of their phones. At a glance, I thought it may have been a MagSafe wallet or charger. It turns out that creators have been using the Octobuddy silicon phone mount as a way to attach their phones in a mirror, window, or similar flat surface. Octobuddy is being widely adopted by gym rats, TikTokers, and lifestyle vloggers.

I’ve been using the Octobuddy on my iPhone 15 Pro for the past week or so. It’s an easy-to-apply-and-use business card-sized mount covered in small suction cups. With an adhesive backing, the Octobuddy can be placed on the back of any phone. Then, users can mount their device on a mirror vertically or horizontally and begin shooting content. It’s far easier to use daily as an alternative to setting up a tripod or other mount. However, it’s not without its setbacks. While affordable and efficient, it ultimately relies on you having a flat and clean surface to mount your phone on. You also need a fair amount of trust to use it.

Price, specs, and availability

Available for $18.99, Octobuddy comes in a variety of colors. This includes blue ashes, chalk pink, darth vader black, teal, spade green, and transparent. The Octobuddy is made up entirely of silicon. There are three sizes available, two of which provide a total of 24 suction cups. Octobuddy comes in a 3.25 x 2.25-inch and a 3.9 x 2.6-inch option with a smaller 1×1-inch mount as well.

The mounts support a 4×6 grid. The 3.25 x 2.25-inch Octobuddy can fit comfortably on an iPhone 15 Pro (filling in the area between the camera array and the bottom). On a larger device like an iPhone 15 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra, you have a lot more real estate to play with when attaching the Octobuddy. It’s easy to set up. All you do is peel the backing, attach the Octobuddy to your phone using the adhesive, and you’re off to the races.

What I liked about the Octobuddy silicon phone mount

A flexible and versatile alternative to a traditional phone mount.

Once set up, the Octobuddy is an easy-to-use phone mount with minimal hassle. For instance, I could easily run over to my patio door, slap my phone onto the window and begin recording using the front-facing camera. The Octobuddy is super versatile, so I can start shooting a video horizontally and move my camera vertically. Using a tripod involves finding enough room to set it up and taking a few moments to securely mount my phone. If I wanted to change its orientation, that takes a bit of time to set up.

Using Octobuddy, there’s a lot of flexibility and utility that should speak to content creators of all sorts.

Octobuddy’s versatility also applies when out of my home as well. It’s easy to find a window, a smooth wall, or a sign to mount my phone on and take a video. With the Octobuddy, the limits of use come down to what sort of surfaces you have nearby at your disposal. It’s also great to have if you’re shooting an impromptu video. Rather than always having a gimbal or tripod with you, the Octobuddy goes wherever your phone is. Using the Octobuddy, there’s a lot of flexibility and utility that should speak to content creators of all sorts.

Content creators who specialize in makeup tutorials can easily mount their phones onto their mirrors while doing their routine. This will undoubtedly save space around their sink. For gym enthusiasts, the Octobuddy can be used to mount a phone onto a mirror during workouts. For vloggers, the possibilities are vast. You can take the Octobuddy with you to events or while on the go and mount it for hands-free recording.

What I didn’t like about the Octobuddy silicon phone mount

Trusting this mount is difficult

With the Octobuddy, you get what you pay for in many ways. There’s an ample amount of trust that has to go into the use of the silicon phone mount. Over the past week, I’ve experienced the mount slipping off a mirror or surface a few times. Thankfully, I was close enough to catch it before my phone fell to the ground. I’ve determined that the weight of the phone isn’t the cause of the issue. I’m convinced it has to do with the surface being used. Outdoor surfaces can be more of a concern as dust, debris, etc. can impact suction. With this in mind, ultimately the Octobuddy isn’t as reliable as a tripod’s mount.

The other thing you have to consider is whether an Octobuddy silicon mount can be used with your phone case. Some phone cases, like Apple’s silicon phone case, can be used with no problem. Other heavy-duty ones, like an Otterbox case, probably won’t be compatible. Depending on the surface of your case, you’ll likely have to forgo the use of it. Now, the adhesive backing of the Octobuddy does allow you to place it on the phone itself. I’ve found that it’s relatively easy to stick onto a phone and remove it if need be. However, like the adhesive backing of a pop-socket, the adhesive wears down over time if it’s removed too often.

Finally, and this is just a personal gripe, the Octobuddy just doesn’t feel all that great. There’s a part of it that’s certainly a sensory issue. Holding my phone, there’s something slightly off-putting to me feeling the small suction cups on the back. I’m also very cognizant of how the Octobuddy’s silicon feels going in and out of my pocket. I’ve seen it get caught and pull the corner off the phone a couple of times. A minor inconvenience for sure, but it’s not enough to make me discard the mount.

Should you buy the Octobuddy silicon phone mount?

If you’re a content creator or someone who regularly takes videos on your phone, the Octobuddy is a minor investment with a lot of functionality. With an affordable price and simple setup, it’s worth trying and experimenting with. The limits of which the mount can be used boil down to the surfaces around you and your imagination. For $18.99, Octobuddy is certainly more affordable than many tripods, mounts, or camera gimbal.

The downside of the Octobuddy is the reliance on silicon suction cups. It’s best to consider which surfaces you’re using before handing the trust of your $1,000+ phone to the Octobuddy mount.