Hue Hardware FAQs

You can control Philips Hue lights multiple ways — that's one of the reasons they're so smart! 

The Hue app: You can set up and control your lights in the app, where you can turn lights on and off, dim or brighten the room, group lights into Rooms and Zones, set up automations, and more.

Voice: You can also control your lights with your voice when you connect Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Home & Siri. Go to Settings > Voice assistants to set it up.

Smart accessories: Adding Philips Hue smart accessories, such as the Tap dial switch or the smart button, to your setup gives you even more control over your lights. Cycle through your favorite scenes, use each accessory as a remote control from anywhere in the house, or even get the best light for each time of the day with the press of a button — get as creative as you like! 

Your Hue light may have been physically switched off (e.g. by using a wall switch) or it is out of the operating range of the system. If you are still having issues, please contact Support.

Your Philips Hue Bridge and lights update automatically. You can see the status of your product and system updates in the Hue app in Settings > Software update. Up-to-date products have a green check mark next to their name. New updates will download automatically. 

Enable automatic updates on your device to allow the Philips Hue app to update automatically. To see if your software is up to date, go to Settings > Software update in the Hue app.

We are continuously updating our software to add features, improve performance, and enhance security. We recommend all Philips Hue users turn on automatic updates in the Settings section of the Hue app to ensure the latest firmware is installed. The Hue app only supports the most recent Bridge firmware, while the Hue cloud supports the last three major Hue Bridge updates. These limitations ensure the ongoing quality and security of the Hue system.

Check the settings in your Hue account to ensure your Hue Bridge is connected properly. If you are still having trouble, contact Philips Hue support.

Check to make sure that your phone is updated to the latest version of its operating system. Ensure your lights are plugged in or powered on via the traditional wall switch and reachable in the Philips Hue app. It can take up to several hours to transfer firmware updates to all of your lights, meaning that they may not show the latest update immediately. If you cannot connect to your lights a few hours after a firmware update, contact the Meethue Support Center.

You can set up two starter kits independently and switch between them in the Hue app, but you can't control both Hue Bridges at the same time. You can add the lightbulbs from both starter kits to one Bridge or assign them to separate Bridges.

The Philips Hue ecosystem uses industry-standard encryption and authentication techniques to protect against unauthorized users gaining access to your Philips Hue products. Hue only connects to the internet securely via a dedicated cloud so your devices cannot be seen from the open internet. Hue products update regularly with the latest security fixes and patches — a feature you can activate by linking your Hue Bridge with a Hue account on www.philips-hue.com. 

In addition to Hue’s security precautions, it is important for you to ensure your home network is secured as well. For more assistance on protecting your home network, contact your internet service provider.

Before returning or reselling your Hue Bridge, perform a Hue Bridge factory reset . After the factory reset, your Hue account will no longer be linked to the Hue Bridge and all your data stored on the Hue Bridge will be deleted.

When you use a Coming home or Leaving home automation, the location coordinates used by the Hue app never leave your mobile device. Based on these coordinates, the Hue app sets your Home location on the Hue Bridge. The Hue Bridge only shares your Home location with previously authorized applications.

The Hue motion sensor shares temperature measurements, ambient light levels, and motion events with the Hue app and the Hue cloud — but only if the Out of home control feature has been activated. This data can only be used by previously authorized applications.