Philips Hue FAQ

2011

bk wrote: »

BTW if you haven't invested in Alexa yet, then I'd recommend Google Home intead, I have both and find GH better.

+1

Luckycharms_74

2011 wrote: »

+1

Even though GH not supported in Ireland & more skills with Alexa vs GH

I was planning on using echo dot to pair to my bose soundlink and play music through it.
It seems with GH I need to do it a different way ( I could be totally wrong though )

micks_address

Hi folks,
Anyone ever have issues with out of home app control? The status of the lights doesn't seem very reliable. Today we were out and I tried for fun switching on off and on and off lights and when I came home lights were on.
Thanks,
Mick

AndyBoBandy

micks_address wrote: »

Hi folks,
Anyone ever have issues with out of home app control? The status of the lights doesn't seem very reliable. Today we were out and I tried for fun switching on off and on and off lights and when I came home lights were on.
Thanks,
Mick

I’ve never had issues in over 4 years of Hue, and have remotely controlled the lights from as far away as Lithuania & Spain.

AngelaRI

So my Hue lights arrived last night at last (slight delay in the shipping due to backlogs from the snow still) - does anyone have any useful tips and tricks to share?

So far I've pretty much replaced my original bulbs, connected the hub and downloaded the Hue app to my phone, connected Hue to my Google Assistant and played around with the on/off, dimming, and colours a little (colour starter kit with 3 bulbs ,white ambiance for the rest of the house), just using voice control. Also connected my dimmer switch (starter kit included 1) to 2 of my rooms (will get more dimmers, this will be useful for guests who aren't comfortable with the voice control - don't want them turning the switches off and thus disabling the lights!)

I learnt quickly that the starter kit bulbs came pre-linked to the hub, and adding the additional bulbs was easy enough, except that for Google assistant to pick them up I had to unlink and relink my Hue account - seems Google only sees the Hue devices that were paired with the Hue Hub at the time of linking to GA, and cannot pick up any subsequent changes... This will be a tad annoying as I still have another room to do but need to first replace the dimmer switch with a standard switch (I've heard from multiple sources that Hue lights don't like standard dimmers, and these can even shorten the lifespan of the bulb, so won't even try!)

No sensors just yet, I might add those later.

I gather from this thread that people have set up different routines for different days of the week - that'll be tonight's fun!
Has anyone done anything funky like linking to your Google Calendar? I'm thinking of useful things like for public holidays have a Sunday-like routine (nice long lie-in, I don't want my lights coming on at 5:30 on a bank holiday morning, or when I'm on holiday but not away)

What about holiday mode? I've connected my Nest to my Hue account, I read that you can have Nest in away mode trigger the lights to simulate a normal daily routine, to make it look like someone is home - any lessons/tips to make this easier.

I have an IFTTT account and have played around a little, will share any fun applets I might come up with, does anyone have any of their own to share?

Those updates really are slow....
8 bulbs, started downloading the updates last night around 11pm, 3 of the 8 are STILL downloading! It's pretty cool to be able to monitor the status from work - app just shows as 'out of home connection' but still connected via the hub. The updates should be ready by the time I get home. Needed to do those before the scenes can be set up...

AngelaRI

One question if anyone has figured a solution to this: my bathroom and downstairs guest WC have the light switch wired to turn on the light and extractor fan. Ideally I'd like to add Hue bulbs to both, but I can't have the switch always-on as the noisy extractor fans would then be running 24/7. The upstairs bathroom has a separate switch for the fan, but it's too high for me to reach so impractical to use that switch. No windows on either bathroom so the extractor fans are important, especially upstairs for the moisture from the shower and bathtub!

Shy of rewiring (I'm renting so this isn't an option), is there any way to solve this? I'm guessing no, that the bathrooms will have to keep their 'dumb' bulbs and the rest of the house go 'smart'...

Optimus Prime

Hi, im in the exact same situation as yourself, my fan isolator switch is above the door. I asked previously here about replacing that with a sting chord switch so i could turn the fan off when needed but its not recommended apparently. The only option i can think of is replacing the fan itself with one that has a chord on it.

AngelaRI wrote: »

One question if anyone has figured a solution to this: my bathroom and downstairs guest WC have the light switch wired to turn on the light and extractor fan. Ideally I'd like to add Hue bulbs to both, but I can't have the switch always-on as the noisy extractor fans would then be running 24/7. The upstairs bathroom has a separate switch for the fan, but it's too high for me to reach so impractical to use that switch. No windows on either bathroom so the extractor fans are important, especially upstairs for the moisture from the shower and bathtub!

Shy of rewiring (I'm renting so this isn't an option), is there any way to solve this? I'm guessing no, that the bathrooms will have to keep their 'dumb' bulbs and the rest of the house go 'smart'...

AngelaRI

Optimus Prime wrote: »

Hi, im in the exact same situation as yourself, my fan isolator switch is above the door. I asked previously here about replacing that with a sting chord switch so i could turn the fan off when needed but its not recommended apparently. The only option i can think of is replacing the fan itself with one that has a chord on it.

Thanks, feared it might be something like that. This is a rental so I want to keep permanent changes (after landlord permission) to a minimum. Happy with the lights excluding bathroom, I can live with that for now.

THE ALM

AngelaRI wrote: »

I learnt quickly that the starter kit bulbs came pre-linked to the hub, and adding the additional bulbs was easy enough, except that for Google assistant to pick them up I had to unlink and relink my Hue account - seems Google only sees the Hue devices that were paired with the Hue Hub at the time of linking to GA, and cannot pick up any subsequent changes... This will be a tad annoying as I still have another room to do but need to first replace the dimmer switch with a standard switch (I've heard from multiple sources that Hue lights don't like standard dimmers, and these can even shorten the lifespan of the bulb, so won't even try!)

AngelaRI if you say 'hey google sync devices' it will pick up any new items added to hue without having to unlink and link again.

AngelaRI

THE ALM wrote: »

AngelaRI if you say 'hey google sync devices' it will pick up any new items added to hue without having to unlink and link again.

Ooh nice one! Thank you!! Have 1 more light to add tonight to the entryway, I'll test that out, thanks! Hoping to get the spare room sorted soon, where is the best place to get a normal switch to replace the old dimmer? Maplin is sold out of the singles, only 2- and 3-switch plates remaining. Amazon?

THE ALM

AngelaRI wrote: »

Ooh nice one! Thank you!! Have 1 more light to add tonight to the entryway, I'll test that out, thanks! Hoping to get the spare room sorted soon, where is the best place to get a normal switch to replace the old dimmer? Maplin is sold out of the singles, only 2- and 3-switch plates remaining. Amazon?

Do you mean an ordinary on/off switch instead of Hue? I would think any electrical wholesalers, woodies, b&q etc.

AngelaRI

THE ALM wrote: »

Do you mean an ordinary on/off switch instead of Hue? I would think any electrical wholesalers, woodies, b&q etc.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean - there is a very dodgy dimmer already there that needs replacing whether I put a Hue bulb in that room or not. There's a B&Q near work, I'll drop in at lunchtime and check

The high horse brigade

AngelaRI wrote: »

So my Hue lights arrived last night at last (slight delay in the shipping due to backlogs from the snow still) - does anyone have any useful tips and tricks to share?

So far I've pretty much replaced my original bulbs, connected the hub and downloaded the Hue app to my phone, connected Hue to my Google Assistant and played around with the on/off, dimming, and colours a little (colour starter kit with 3 bulbs ,white ambiance for the rest of the house), just using voice control. Also connected my dimmer switch (starter kit included 1) to 2 of my rooms (will get more dimmers, this will be useful for guests who aren't comfortable with the voice control - don't want them turning the switches off and thus disabling the lights!)

I learnt quickly that the starter kit bulbs came pre-linked to the hub, and adding the additional bulbs was easy enough, except that for Google assistant to pick them up I had to unlink and relink my Hue account - seems Google only sees the Hue devices that were paired with the Hue Hub at the time of linking to GA, and cannot pick up any subsequent changes... This will be a tad annoying as I still have another room to do but need to first replace the dimmer switch with a standard switch (I've heard from multiple sources that Hue lights don't like standard dimmers, and these can even shorten the lifespan of the bulb, so won't even try!)

No sensors just yet, I might add those later.

I gather from this thread that people have set up different routines for different days of the week - that'll be tonight's fun!
Has anyone done anything funky like linking to your Google Calendar? I'm thinking of useful things like for public holidays have a Sunday-like routine (nice long lie-in, I don't want my lights coming on at 5:30 on a bank holiday morning, or when I'm on holiday but not away)

What about holiday mode? I've connected my Nest to my Hue account, I read that you can have Nest in away mode trigger the lights to simulate a normal daily routine, to make it look like someone is home - any lessons/tips to make this easier.

I have an IFTTT account and have played around a little, will share any fun applets I might come up with, does anyone have any of their own to share?

Those updates really are slow....
8 bulbs, started downloading the updates last night around 11pm, 3 of the 8 are STILL downloading! It's pretty cool to be able to monitor the status from work - app just shows as 'out of home connection' but still connected via the hub. The updates should be ready by the time I get home. Needed to do those before the scenes can be set up...

Ok Google sync my devices

bk

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Even though GH not supported in Ireland & more skills with Alexa vs GH

Yes, the "supported in Ireland" thing is largely bogus.

Alexa - Officially sold in Ireland, but hasn't been optimised in any way for Ireland and largely uses Bing services which suck in Ireland, so overall a poor experience in Ireland.

Google Home, not officially sold in Ireland, but works really well in Ireland due to using various Google Services that work well in Ireland in general. Overall good experience in Ireland.

As for skills, will you actually use them? I don't use any third party skills and you don't hear many people actually using them on this forum. I could be wrong.

I think native integration of devices and services gives a better overall experience and Google seems to be leading in this area.

I suppose it is a quality over quantity type of thing.

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

I was planning on using echo dot to pair to my bose soundlink and play music through it.
It seems with GH I need to do it a different way ( I could be totally wrong though )

Ah fair enough then, that would be a good reason to use Alexa. Their is an Alexa skill for Bose, non for GH yet.

A lot of complaints on the Bose forum about this. Folks threatening to sell their Bose and go Sonos or Google Home Max if GH support isn't added. I suspect it is just a matter of time before support is added.

I can see why you want to go Alexa so. Perhaps just get a cheap dot, you can always getting a GH mini in future for a reasonable price if they add support.

OU812

New outdoor products revealed

http://www.newsroom.lighting.philips.com/news/2018/20180312-extend-your-smart-lighting-system-this-summer-with-the-new-philips-hue-outdoor-range#

randombar

OU812 wrote: »

New outdoor products revealed

http://www.newsroom.lighting.philips.com/news/2018/20180312-extend-your-smart-lighting-system-this-summer-with-the-new-philips-hue-outdoor-range#

Those prices are fairly eye watering.

The Philips Hue outdoor spot Lily base unit pack will retail for USD 279.99 /EUR 299 and includes three light points and all the accessories you need to get started. The Calla bollard will retail for USD 129.99 / EUR 139.99 as base unit pack. The Philips Hue white range offers a number of products matching the decor of your house. Products in this range are named Lucca, Tuar, Turaco and Ludere (United States only) and retail prices will start from USD 49.99 /EUR 69.99. United States only: the PAR38 lamp will retail for USD 29.99 for a single pack and double pack for USD 49.99.

copacetic

OU812 wrote: »

New outdoor products revealed

http://www.newsroom.lighting.philips.com/news/2018/20180312-extend-your-smart-lighting-system-this-summer-with-the-new-philips-hue-outdoor-range#

Prices area bit crazy. I have two philips garden fittings at front door, changed the bulbs to hue ones. Can be hard to find e27 garden fittings but there are a fair few around.

ablelocks

irelandrover wrote: »

thanks - but light isn't appearing in the philips hue app - do i need to get iconnecthue or a different app?

irelandrover

ablelocks wrote: »

thanks - but light isn't appearing in the philips hue app - do i need to get iconnecthue or a different app?

I did it quite a while ago. I used the philips app. I think i had to search for the serial number of the lamp for it to find it.

paulbok

copacetic wrote: »

Prices area bit crazy. I have two philips garden fittings at front door, changed the bulbs to hue ones. Can be hard to find e27 garden fittings but there are a fair few around.

Andy Bobo is applying for another mortgage as we speak.

AndyBoBandy

paulbok wrote: »

Andy Bobo is applying for another mortgage as we speak.

That’s crazy talk!! I’ve just cancelled this years holidays!!

paulbok

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

That’s crazy talk!! I’ve just cancelled this years holidays!!

All codding aside, they are a nice addition for anyone who wants outdoor lights. Pricey though. External WiFi range will be an issue for many, or do they work as a mesh network?
Putting they didn't also release outdoor rated bulbs.
May be tempted by the wall mounted sensor lights.

AndyBoBandy

paulbok wrote: »

All codding aside, they are a nice addition for anyone who wants outdoor lights. Pricey though. External WiFi range will be an issue for many, or do they work as a mesh network?
Putting they didn't also release outdoor rated bulbs.
May be tempted by the wall mounted sensor lights.

They work as a mesh.

I already had an old Hue Lux out the back garden, and when it was turned on, the app could never find it, but when I installed the 10 GU10's in the kitchen, the Lux is found each & every time I search for it.

matrim

Has anyone been having problems with bulbs being "unreachable" recently? Everything was rock solid for me for months but in the last 2 weeks I have a two bulbs which are regularly unreachable and one or two others which it happens to a bit less frequently.

The high horse brigade

matrim wrote: »

Has anyone been having problems with bulbs being "unreachable" recently? Everything was rock solid for me for months but in the last 2 weeks I have a two bulbs which are regularly unreachable and one or two others which it happens to a bit less frequently.

This happened mind a while back. I changed ZigBee channel and they came back

matrim

The high horse brigade wrote: »

This happened mind a while back. I changed ZigBee channel and they came back

Just tried now. Hopefully it works. If not I'll try move my hub to a more central location

The high horse brigade

matrim wrote: »

Just tried now. Hopefully it works. If not I'll try move my hub to a more central location

Your hub doesn't need to be central, ZigBee is mesh, the bulbs themselves extend your network, your hub does not need to connect to the bulb that's furthest away.

matrim

The high horse brigade wrote: »

Your hub doesn't need to be central, ZigBee is mesh, the bulbs themselves extend your network, your hub does not need to connect to the bulb that's furthest away.

I know but even after changing to a new channel 6 lights are showing as unavailable. My hue hub is beside my wifi router so I think there might be interference as zigbee is also on 2.4GHz.

And even with mesh a central location should speed things up a bit.

Optimus Prime

I’ve two blooms in my sitting room. One behind the tv and one on a book shelf. Does anyone know how to make them automatically change colour ? I have them setup to a motion sensor.

Ideally I’d like

Motion detected - lights come on changing colour ever minute.

I see there is a hue labs app to change the colour every minute but there is no motion sensor activated option for it.


Does anyone have anything like this working ?

flangemeistro

Hi guys I'm looking for a bit of advice with my hue dimmer switch.
I have two hue bulbs in my ceiling light and I have a bloom on each locker.
Ideally what I want is on the first press for the two blooms to come on nightlight for when we're getting up for the night feeds on the second press for the blooms to stay off and for the ceiling light to come on dim and on the third pres want all lights to come on Bright.
It's not letting choose off as an option for any of the lights though so on the first press the blooms and the ceiling lights are all coming on as dimmed.
I'm surprised the option isn't there to keep certain lights off for certain presses,
Anyone have a way around this or recommend a third party app that I can do this in?
Thanks