Philips Hue is built to enrich what you love and how you want to live with smart light – and how it does it is unique. So just how do smart bulbs work? There’s much more to Philips Hue than smart bulbs, so let’s start from the beginning.
Three things you need for smart lighting
As advanced as our smart lighting is, setting it up is simple. It works in every home – and these three things will form the foundation of your personalised lighting experience.
1. Hue Bridge
If you’re wondering what the Philips Hue Bridge is, it’s this: the heart and brains of your smart lighting system. Connect it to your router to see the power behind all of the features Philips Hue offers.
Advanced light control
Customise how, where and when you use your lights – at home or even away. The Hue Bridge allows you to control your lights from anywhere in the world, as long as you have the Philips Hue app and an internet connection.
Intuitive, reliable technology
Zigbee technology enables instant response times and an ultra-stable connection. Your lights also feature a Zigbee chip, which makes them a mesh network, so you can install them anywhere in or around your home without loss of connectivity.
Always up to date
The Bridge is frequently updated, keeping your system secure and futureproof. And, as advanced as it is, it’s easy to install – just plug it in to a power source and your router, and you’re good to go.
Automate your lights
Schedule your lights to turn on or off when you want. Set up an automation and the Hue Bridge will remember what you want your lights to do – whether you’re coming home, leaving home, waking up or going to sleep.
2. App
The Philips Hue app is the command centre for your smart lighting system: control your lights, create automations, set up voice control, organise your lights into Rooms and Zones, and more.
3. Lights
It's more than just smart bulbs. Decorate your home, inside and out, with table lamps, floor lamps, wall lights, lightstrips and more. We’ve got the widest range of smart lighting products – and it just keeps expanding.
Technology
We only use technology that we trust. You’ve invited us into your home, so we make sure that we respect it.
Zigbee
It’s a mesh network that’s enabled by a chip in your smart lights. The network expands as you add more bulbs, which is why outdoor smart lighting is possible with a Hue Bridge.
Matter
It’s the new foundation for connected things. If you’ve got a Hue Bridge, your Hue lights and accessories can connect via Matter.
Bluetooth
Philips Hue can also connect via Bluetooth, so you can enjoy a limited set of features if you don’t have a Hue Bridge. Perfect for a dorm room, a shed in the garden or even at your favourite campsite.
Ways to control your lights
Build your smart home the way you want with smart accessories and smart home assistants.
Switches and smart buttons
From dimmer switches to smart buttons and beyond, smart accessories make it easy to control your lights anywhere in your home.
Sensors
Let movement trigger your lights! As you walk by, your lights will turn on to any setting you like. After a set amount of time, the lights will turn off again.
Voice control
Add Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Home and Siri to your smart lighting setup to control your lights with simple voice commands.
What can you do with Philips Hue?
Set the mood
Night in alone? Feel comfy, cosy and completely at home. Throwing a party? Match that joyful mood to the environment around you with colourful scenes or dynamic effects.
Get surround lighting
Sync your lights to your TV programmes, films, games or music! Immerse yourself in what you watch or listen to with lights that flash, dance, dim, brighten and change colour.
Feel safer
Let your lights turn on automatically to welcome you home as you pull into the driveway – or turn off when you leave. Make it look like you’re home when you’re away with a Mimic presence automation.
Feel better
Wake gently in the morning, work from home comfortably, wind down in the evening and fall asleep peacefully with light that matches each part of your day.
*When a bulb displays "Up to" a certain number of lumens in its specifications, it displays the maximum lumen output of the bulb. It shows how bright the bulb can get at 2700 K (White bulbs) or 4000 K (White ambiance or White and colour ambiance bulbs). Learn more about brightness.