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MotionAwareTM: Transform Your Hue Lights into Motion Sensors

What is Hue MotionAwareTM?

MotionAwareTM is an innovative feature available exclusively with the Hue Bridge Pro. It transforms your Philips Hue lights into motion sensors by creating a Motion area using 3 to 4 lights in a room. This feature allows you to control any lights when motion is detected or use it as part of a security system by sending alerts if motion is detected, triggering light alarms, etc.

How Does Hue MotionAwareTM Work?

Philips Hue lights communicate with each other using Zigbee. MotionAwareTM measures fluctuations in wireless Zigbee signals, which occur when something (like a person) passes through them. This technology allows Philips Hue lights to detect motion without the need for additional sensors, cameras, or physical installation.

Setting Up Hue MotionAwareTM

To set up a Motion area, you need at least three compatible lights. Here are the steps:

  1. Choose the Room or Zone:  Select the room or zone where you want to create a Motion area. The app will disable rooms that do not have enough compatible lights
  2. Select the Lights: Choose from the reachable and compatible lights available. The selected lights will start blinking to ensure the correct lights are chosen. Make sure to follow the criteria shown in the app (indicated below as well) for best performance.
  3. Calibrate the Area: Leave the area and ensure no one, including pets, is present during the scan and calibration.
  4. Customize the Response: Decide what happens when motion is detected. You can control lights, send alerts, or both.

Key Considerations for Setup

  • Same Home, Same Bridge: All lights must be connected to the same Hue Bridge.
  • Number of Lights: Use three or four lights to create an area.
  • Location: Choose lights that cover areas with the most activity, such as paths and doorways.
  • Distance: Lights should be 1–7 (or 3-23 feet) meters apart for optimal performance.
  • Height and Shape: Lights at varying heights create a 3D space (not all in straight lines), covering the area from floor to ceiling.
  • No Walls: Walls between lights can interfere with performance.
  • Indoor Use Only: Zigbee signals need to bounce off surroundings, making outdoor use less effective.
  • Powered on: Make sure your lights are connected to power

Customizing MotionAwareTM

You can fully customize the behavior of MotionAwareTM, like physical Hue motion sensors and cameras. Create up to 10 time slots in a day to define what the lights do when motion is detected. If you want to temporarily stop MotionAwareTM from triggering lights, you can disable it temporarily via the Motion area settings menu.

Control Lights Only

  1. Select lights in up to 3 Rooms or 1 Zone to control and customize the response when motion is detected in the Motion area. These don’t need to be the same lights/rooms you selected to do the sensing in the previous steps.
  2. If you want to customize it later, it can be done in the Hue app by going to Settings > Devices > Motion areas.

Send Alerts Only

You can configure MotionAwareTM to send alerts when motion is detected without controlling the lights and see a timeline of detected events. This setup is ideal for security purposes. To access this feature, you will need one of our Hue Secure subscriptions if you already own a camera. Alternatively, you can purchase the Motion Aware subscription for €0.99 per month or €9.99 per year. Both options include a 30-day free trial period.

Control Lights & Send Alerts

Combine the functionality of controlling lights and sending alerts for a comprehensive security setup.

Group with Other Sensors

MotionAwareTM can be integrated with Hue cameras and motion sensors by creating Device groups in the Hue app. This allows all your devices to work together seamlessly and increase their coverage.

Troubleshooting

  • Ensure Power: All lights must be connected to power.
  • Update Software: Make sure your app, Bridge, and lights are using the latest software versions.
  • Check Placement: No walls should be between the lights, and they should not all be in a straight line.
  • Adjust Sensitivity: Modify the sensitivity of the Motion area if needed. Increase it if it takes too long to detect you after entering a room or decrease it if it detects you too early or from adjacent rooms.
  • Group Devices: If you have motion sensors or cameras in the same space, consider creating a Device group so they all work together.
  • Detecting Adjacent Rooms or Floors: If your motion area detects people in adjacent rooms or floors, consider selecting lights farther away from walls or ceilings, adding a 4th light (if you have only 3), or lowering the motion sensitivity of the area.
  • Pet Detection: If you don't want your motion area to detect your pets, consider lowering the sensitivity or choosing lights in areas where your pet is less likely to move around.
  • Early Detection: If your motion area detects you too early before you enter the room, consider selecting lights further into the room or lowering the motion sensitivity.
  • Late Detection: If your motion area detects you too late after you enter the room, consider selecting lights closer to the entrance or increasing the motion sensitivity.
  • Unrecoverable Issues: If your motion area claims it is not working or is unrecoverable, it means there is an issue with the lights participating in that area. Please make sure they are powered on and save your motion area again.

FAQs

How is MotionAware different from other motion sensing technologies?

  • Cameras: Unlike cameras, MotionAwareTM does not record video. It’s best for detecting motion in spaces where positioning a camera is difficult or where getting detailed insights on what is taking place is not relevant/necessary
  • PIR Sensors: MotionAwareTM uses Zigbee signals, while PIR sensors detect infrared signals. MotionAwareTM is ideal for non-transitional areas or spaces with many lights.
  • SpaceSense: Although similar to SpaceSense from WiZ, MotionAwareTM uses Zigbee instead of Wi-Fi.

Can  MotionAwareTM detect motion behind objects?

Yes, wireless signals can pass through objects, allowing  MotionAwareTM to detect motion more easily behind furniture.

Can  MotionAwareTM be used with other sensors?

Yes, it can be integrated with Hue cameras and motion sensors by creating Device groups in the Hue app.

What if I don’t want lights triggered at certain times?

You can customize time slots in the Motion area settings to define when lights should be triggered.

What if I don’t want lights triggered when the space is already bright enough?

Although the MotionAwareTM MotionAware-capable devices do not havededicated daylight sensors (like our motion sensors and cameras do), you can still prevent your lights from being triggered if it’s not dark yet. For example, you can ensure they are only triggered by a MotionArea between sunset and sunrise. You can adjust this via the Daylight sensitivity setting of each Motion area.

Does  MotionAwareTM use more energy?

It may increase standby power consumption by around 1%, but there is no measurable difference when the lights are on.

Can MotionAwareTM be used for security?

Yes, it can be integrated with the Hue Secure system to send alerts when motion is detected. A Secure plan is required for these features.

Why do I need at least three lights?

Three lights are the minimum required to detect motion accurately and reliably.

Can I use  MotionAwareTM outdoors?

While technically possible, it is not recommended due to unreliable performance in large open spaces.

Conclusion

 MotionAwareTM is a powerful feature that enhances the functionality of your Philips Hue lights, providing both convenience and security. By following the set up guidelines and customizing the settings, you can create an efficient and responsive motion detection system in your home.

For further assistance, please contact our support team.