Question 1

What are effects?

Accepted Answer

Effects are a setting in the Hue app that let your lights mimic things from the natural world: the gentle glow of candlelight or a roaring fireplace, for example. Best displayed on gradient lights, effects work on any compatible Philips Hue light. Effects don't work on older generations of Philips Hue lights as those products don't have the hardware needed to support the feature. Additionally, some effects don't work on White bulbs.

Question 2

How do I play an effect?

Accepted Answer

Open a Room and tap the light on which you want to play your effect. Tap on the effects icon, and then tap the play icon on the effect you want to play.

Save your settings as a scene:

1. Tap a Room

2. Play the effect on all the lights you want to include in your scene

3. Tap the plus (+) icon, and then select Create custom scene

4. Name your scene and tap Save to save your current settings

Question 3

How can I tell if my light supports effects?

Accepted Answer

In the Hue app, open a Room or Zone and tap on a light. If you see the effects icon (three stars), at least one light in that Room or Zone supports effects. You'll see a message if you try to play an effect on a light that doesn’t support it.

If you’re not able to check in the app, look for a Bluetooth logo on the light or its packaging. Lights that feature a Bluetooth logo support effects. If your light is a gradient product, it will also support effects.

If you're still unsure, read this PDF for further instructions on determining if your light is compatible with effects.

Question 4

My Philips Hue app is having trouble connecting with my lights

Accepted Answer

If your app is having trouble reaching Hue lights that you’ve already added to your system, check to ensure they are connected to power (i.e. the traditional wall switch is in the “on” position). If they are still Unreachable, contact the Philips-Hue Support Center.

Question 5

What devices support Coming home and Leaving home automations?

Accepted Answer

Coming home and Leaving home automations are supported by all iOS and Android devices with the latest version of the Hue app and cellular data capabilities.

Question 6

Can I set automations in the Hue app when I'm not at home?

Accepted Answer

If you’re logged in to your Hue account in the Hue app, you can control your lights from anywhere — there’s no limit as to how far you can be!

Question 7

How close do I need to be to my Hue Bridge to control my lights?

Accepted Answer

If you’re logged in to your Hue account in the Hue app, you can control your lights from anywhere — there’s no limit as to how far you can be!

Question 8

How do I create Coming home and Leaving home automations?

Accepted Answer

1. Navigate to the Automations tab in the Hue app.

2. Select the plus icon (+) to add a new automation.

3. Select Coming home or Leaving home.

4. Follow on-screen instructions to add your device to location-based automations.

Only one Coming home and Leaving home automation can be created per person. If you want to change or delete an automation press on the automation you want to change.

Question 9

How do I add or remove lights from a Room?

Accepted Answer

Adding, removing, and rearranging lights in a Room is simple in the Hue app:

1. Select the Room you want to edit on the Home tab.

2. Select the three dots (…) and select Edit Room.

3. The Lights section shows the existing lights in the Room.

4. Tap the minus icon (-) to remove a light.

5. Tap the plus icon (+) to add a new light or import a light from another Room.

Question 10

How do I control my Hue lights while I'm away from home?

Accepted Answer

To control your lights while away from home, you’ll need to enable it in the Hue app:

1. Go to the Settings tab.

2. Tap Hue Bridges.

3. Select the Hue Bridge for which you would like to enable out of home control.

4. Next to Out of home control, tap Log in to log in or create a Hue account.

Once you have enabled Out of home control, you can control your lights anywhere you have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection the same way you would as if you were at home.

If you’re having trouble controlling your lights while away from home, please double check that you are logged into your Hue account and your lights are reachable.

*You must be connected to your home Wi-Fi for the initial setup. If you are not connected to your home Wi-Fi, you will receive an error message.

Question 11

How do I create a Hue account?

Accepted Answer

Creating a Hue account is the first step to getting started with Hue. To set up your account, you need to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network.

1. In the Hue app, tap Settings.

2. Tap Hue Bridges at the top of the screen and select your Hue Bridge.

3. Tap Sign up.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Question 12

How do I create a new light scene?

Accepted Answer

1. Tap the Room in which you would like to create the scene.

2. Tap the plus (+) icon in the My scenes section.

3. Choose whether to create your new scene from scratch with the color wheel, from an image in the Hue scene gallery, or from your own photo uploaded from your phone.

Question 13

How do I edit a light scene?

Accepted Answer

Follow the steps to edit a light scene in the Hue app:

1. Tap the Room for which you would like to edit the scene.

2. Tap the scene you want to edit.

3. Tap the pencil on the top right of the scene you would like to edit.

4. Tap on one of the lights to bring up the color wheel.

5. Drag the icons in the color wheel to select their color and use the slider to adjust the brightness.

6. Tap the X to close the color wheel.

7. Tap Save in the upper right-hand corner to save your new scene.

Question 14

How do I recover deleted default light scenes?

Accepted Answer

All default (preset) light scenes are saved in the Hue scene gallery, even if you remove them from the Room, making it easy to recover:

1. Tap the Room in which you would like to recover the scene.

2. Tap the plus (+) icon in the My scenes section.

3. Tap Hue scene gallery and select the scene that you want to recover.

Question 15

How do I set all the lights in a Room to the same color?

Accepted Answer

1. Go to your Home tab.

2. Select the Room in which you would like to set all the lights to the same color.

3. Tap on one of the lights to bring up the color wheel.

4. Drag the light icons on top of each other. A number will appear in the icon showing that all lights are the same color.

5. Tap the three dots (…) and select Save as new scene to save this as a light scene.

Question 16

How do I set one light in a Room to a specific color and/or brightness?

Accepted Answer

To change the color or brightness of a single light in a Room, tap on the Room in which the light is located in the Home tab. Tap on any light in the Room, which will open the color wheel. Tap the individual light for which you want to change the color or brightness.

Change the light brightness:

1. Make sure the light is on by moving the toggle on its icon to the on position. Drag the brightness slider to the desired brightness.

Change the light color:*

1. Tap the individual light to open the color wheel.

2. Tap and drag the light icon to the color you'd like.

3. Tap the X in the top right corner of the screen.

*Only available with Hue White and color ambiance bulbs.

Question 17

How does Philips Hue work with the camera on my phone?

Accepted Answer

You can create a customized light scene based on a photo uploaded from your phone in the Hue app:

1. Select the Room in which you would like to create the scene.

2. Tap the plus icon (+) and select Use a photo.

3. Choose the photo you’d like to use for your scene. The Hue app will automatically choose colors from the photo.

4. Tap Done to continue.

5. Name your scene and tap Done.

Tap Save.

Question 18

What is a Zigbee channel change in the Philips Hue app?

Accepted Answer

Zigbee is a wireless technology that allows your smart home devices to talk to each other. If you are having connectivity issues between your Hue lights and Hue Bridge, a Zigbee channel change may solve the problem.

1. Navigate to the Settings tab in the Hue app.

2. Tap Hue Bridges and select your active Hue Bridge.

3. Tap Zigbee channel.

4. Select Change channel and follow the on-screen instructions.

Question 19

Can I assign one light to multiple Rooms?

Accepted Answer

No. An individual light can only be assigned to one Room. What you can do is create zones. Then you can assign one light to multiple Zones.

Question 20

Can I control my Philips Hue lights from multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Simply download the Philips Hue app on each device and connect it to the Hue Bridge that you want to control. Each Hue system can be controlled by up to 10 devices.

Question 21

How do I remove an unused smart device from my Philips Hue system?

Accepted Answer

You can delete a smart device from your Philips Hue system via your Hue account. To revoke permissions from a smart device, go to www.philips-hue.com, click Account, and then log in to your account. Once you are logged in, click Applications at the top of the page. This will display the devices that are currently connected to your Hue system. From there, you can click Deactivate to remove the device.

Question 22

Can I add multiple devices for the Coming home and Leaving home automations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can create multi-user Coming home and Leaving home automations by adding multiple devices to the location-enabled devices list. To add another device, open the Hue app and navigate to the Settings tab. Select Location settings and set a Home location on that device.

Question 23

Can I delete location-enabled devices that can trigger Coming home and Leaving home automations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the Hue app, navigate to the Settings tab, then select Location settings. Tap the device you want to delete, and then tap delete.

Question 24

How do I delete an automation?

Accepted Answer

In the Automations tab of the Hue app, swipe left on the automation you want to delete and tap the delete icon.

Question 25

How do I create an automation?

Accepted Answer

If you’re adding your first automation:

1. Navigate to the Automations tab in the Hue app.

2. Tap the plus icon (+) at the top of the screen.

3. Select the automation you want to set up and follow the on-screen instructions.

Question 26

Where can I find Hue Labs?

Accepted Answer

You can see all your currently installed Hue Labs formulas in the Automations tab of the Hue app. Tap the arrow icon, and then tap Hue Labs. If you don’t have any formulas installed, tap the three dots (…) at the top of the screen and select Hue Labs.

Question 27

How do I change the sunset and sunrise times for my automations?

Accepted Answer

Change the sunrise or sunset time within the automation itself:

1. Navigate to the Automations tab in the Hue app.

2. Tap the automation you want to edit.

3. Change the sunrise or sunset time.

4. Tap save.

Question 28

How do I enable and disable automations?

Accepted Answer

In the Automations tab of the Hue app, use the toggles next to each automation to turn them on or off.

Question 29

What are dynamic scenes?

Accepted Answer

With a dynamic scene, the lights in the Room or Zone transition through the colors of the selected light scene rather than staying at one single color. Any scene in the Hue scene gallery can be a dynamic scene. For example, if you set Savanna sunset as a dynamic scene, each of the lights in the Room or Zone will change from red to orange to yellow.

Question 30

How do I set a dynamic scene?

Accepted Answer

Tap the play button on any scene's card to start a dynamic scene. Dynamic scenes require at least one color-capable Philips Hue light in a Room or Zone.

Question 31

Can I adjust the speed at which the lights move when a dynamic scene is set?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set a color scene, and then tap the play button to make it dynamic. Tap the three-dots icon (...) to adjust the dynamic speed while that scene is set. Tap the pencil to permanently adjust the dynamic speed for that scene.

Question 32

Can I adjust the brightness of a dynamic scene?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can change the brightness of the Room, Zone, or light on which the dynamic scene is playing just like any other scene in the app.

Question 33

What kind of lamps support dynamic scenes?

Accepted Answer

You can set a dynamic scene on any Philips Hue color-capable lamp, fixture, or bulb.

Question 34

Can I make my custom scene dynamic?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can make any color scene dynamic — including the ones you created yourself — by setting that scene and tapping the play button.

Question 35

Can I make light recipes (Read, Relax, Concentrate, and Energize) dynamic?

Accepted Answer

You cannot make light recipes dynamic. However, you can make any color scene dynamic by setting that scene and tapping the play icon.

Question 36

Can I play a dynamic scene on a Bluetooth-controlled Philips Hue setup?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the Hue app, set a scene and tap the play icon to make it dynamic.

Question 37

How do I create a Wake-up automation with the Sunrise wake-up style?

Accepted Answer

1. Go to the Automations tab in the Hue app.

2. Tap the blue plus icon.

3. Choose Wake up with light.

4. Adjust the settings and choose Sunrise under the Extra section.

5. Tap Save.

Question 38

Why don't my lights start changing at the beginning of the fade duration I set for the Sunrise wake-up style?

Accepted Answer

The Sunrise wake-up style is optimized for gradient lights, which offer an additional effect in the beginning of a Wake up routine set to the Sunrise style. Since non-gradient lights can't produce this effect, they start the automation slightly later.

Question 39

Can I control the Hue sync box when I’m away from home in the Hue app, just like my other lights?

Accepted Answer

Unlike your smart lights, the Hue sync box doesn’t communicate with the cloud but instead requires a local Wi-Fi connection with your router, meaning you can only control it when you're at home.

Question 40

What does the Mimic presence automation do?

Accepted Answer

The Mimic presence automation automatically turns on and off lights in selected Rooms at times that would generally be expected for that type of room. To ensure that you get the most realistic simulation that someone is at home, make sure that your Rooms have the correct type — do this by selecting the icon that most closely matches the room.

Question 41

Should I disable my other automations when Mimic presence is active?

Accepted Answer

You don’t have to! Keep in mind that if you have automations that control lights and/or Rooms that are not in the Mimic presence automation, they won’t be turned off by your Mimic presence automation. If you are leaving your home for an extended period of time, you may want to disable those other automations to make sure no lights stay on the entire time you are away.

Question 42

When creating the Mimic presence automation, it says it will turn all non-selected lights or Rooms off when starting the Mimic presence automation. What does that mean?

Accepted Answer

When you start the Mimic presence automation, it will turn all the lights that aren’t part of the automation off. If you turn on a light that isn’t in the Mimic presence automation while the automation is running, it’ll remain on until you turn it off.

Question 43

What's the difference between choosing between lights coming on All day and Only when it's dark when I'm  setting up the Mimic presence automation?

Accepted Answer

Everyone's home is different. Some houses may have more natural light inside, while others may need the lights on throughout the day as well as when it's dark.

To decide which option you need, look at your normal light usage. If you usually only use your lights when it starts to get dark outside, choose Only when it's dark. If your lights are often on during the day, choose All day.

Question 44

Can I set up multiple Mimic presence automations?

Accepted Answer

You can only have one Mimic presence automation per Hue Bridge.

Question 45

Is the Mimic presence schedule always the same?

Accepted Answer

The Mimic presence automation uses a random, 15-minute variation each time your lights turn on or off so that the schedule always varies slightly.

Question 46

Can I select Zones in the Mimic presence automation?

Accepted Answer

You can only select Rooms in Mimic presence automations.

Question 47

Will my other automations continue to function normally if they're not part of the Mimic presence automation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your other automations will continue to run normally, but the lights selected in those automations might also be controlled by the Mimic presence automation.

Question 48

How do I set up an Entertainment area?

Accepted Answer

To set up an Entertainment area, go to Settings > Entertainment areas > Create entertainment area. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Entertainment area, tapping icon for each light and dragging it to its approximate location within the room.

You can rearrange your lights within the Entertainment area’s settings in the Hue app at any time. You don’t need to use all lamps in the Room in which your Entertainment area is located.

Question 49

Which Hue products can I use with the Entertainment feature?

Accepted Answer

You can use all Hue White and color ambiance bulbs and fixtures, as well as Hue Sync-compatible Friends of Hue products.

Question 50

How many Entertainment areas can be active at the same time?

Accepted Answer

Only one Entertainment area can be active at one time on a single Hue Bridge.

Question 51

What is the maximum number of lights I can use in an Entertainment area?

Accepted Answer

You can connect up to 10 Philips Hue or Friends of Hue color-capable lights per Entertainment area.

Question 52

What should I do if I notice a delay while using Entertainment areas?

Accepted Answer

Your Entertainment area may need to be synchronized. In the Hue app, go to Settings > Entertainment areas > Test area and follow the on-screen instructions to resync your Entertainment area.

Question 53

Why am I unable to add lights to my Entertainment setup after a software update?

Accepted Answer

It can take up to 20 minutes for all your lights to reappear in the Entertainment area’s light list in the Hue app.

Question 54

Why are some of my Hue lights not showing in the Entertainment area setup?

Accepted Answer

Hue’s Entertainment feature only works with Philips Hue White and color ambiance lights and bulbs, as well as Friends of Hue color-capable lights. Lights which do not meet the Entertainment feature’s requirements will not show up in the Entertainment area setup menu.

Question 55

Why is the Entertainment feature only enabled for Philips Hue color-capable lights?

Accepted Answer

In order for the Entertainment feature to provide the most immersive experience possible, only Philips Hue and Friends of Hue color-capable lights are compatible. During tests, White and White ambiance lights did not provide the same experience; to ensure that every Hue user is satisfied with Entertainment, the feature is only enabled on color-capable lights.

Question 56

Can I activate multiple entertainment areas on one Hue Bridge?

Accepted Answer

You can create and configure multiple Entertainment areas within the Hue app, but you can only activate one at a time.

Question 57

Can I add a non-Hue light to my Entertainment area?

Accepted Answer

No. Hue’s Entertainment feature only works with official Hue and Friends of Hue color-capable products.

Question 58

How does Hue Sync work?

Accepted Answer

Hue Sync lets your lights react to your movies, TV shows, games, or music. It works by using a proprietary algorithm that analyzes the entire screen or song, producing a custom light script that is instantly sent to your color-capable Hue lights.

The way it works depends on a few things: what kind of media is and how you’re watching or listening.

If you want to sync your lights to the content on your TV screen, you’ll need the Philips Hue Play sync box, a Hue Bridge, and the Hue app.

If you want to sync your lights to the content on your computer monitor, you’ll need the Hue Sync desktop app and the Hue Bridge.

If you want to sync your lights to music, you can use the Philips Hue + Spotify integration. In the Hue app, tap the Sync tab. All you’ll need is a Spotify account, the Hue app, and a Hue Bridge.

Question 59

Does Hue Sync work with Philips Ambilight TVs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box can be connected to a Philips Ambilight TV, but the Hue sync box won't control the lights on the actual TV — only the Philips Hue lights in your Entertainment area. To sync your Philips Hue lights with the lights on the Ambilight TV, download the Ambilight + Hue app on your TV.

Question 60

Does the Hue Sync desktop app work with streaming services I use on my computer?

Accepted Answer

The Hue Sync desktop app works with video upload services such as Vimeo or YouTube. However, Digital Right Management (DRM) limits the Hue sync box's capabilities, so the app doesn't work with streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+.

Question 61

What do I need to sync my lights to my media?

Accepted Answer

In order to use entertainment, you ALWAYS need the following:
Philips Hue bridge
Philips Hue main app
At least one color capable Hue light.

Additionally for syncing with PC:
Hue sync desktop app

Make sure all products and apps are updated to the latest version.

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