Smart lighting

When it comes to controlling Philips Hue lights, there are two options: using a Bridge or Bluetooth.  

With a Bridge, you get Out of home control, which means you can control your lights from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. You can also add up to 50 lights and accessories, add outdoor lighting, and create automations.  

With Bluetooth, you can control up to 10 lights in a single room. You can create a single automation (called a routine), but it will only occur once.  

Even if you have Philips Hue bulbs or lights that you’re using with Bluetooth, you can always switch to a Bridge — they’ll all still work. 

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

The Philips Hue app: You can set up and control your lights in the app, where you can turn them 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 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.

You can add a light to your Bridge one of two ways: 

From the Settings tab: 

1. In the Settings tab, tap Lights. 
2. Tap the plus (+) icon in the top left corner and follow the on-screen instructions. 

From the Home tab:  

1. Tap the Room in which you want to add your light. 
2. Tap the three dots (…) in the right corner.  
3. Tap Add lights and follow the on-screen instructions. 

Yes. All Philips Hue light fixtures are fully compatible with the Hue ecosystem. Some can be used as standalone light fixtures, while others require a Hue Bridge in order to operate. However, all Hue products can connect to a Bridge for advanced control via the Hue app.

Newer versions of Philips Hue bulbs feature “richer colors,” meaning that the bulbs have deeper greens and blues to more consistently match the colors of the Philips Hue Go and lightstrip. You can identify all richer color bulbs by their white base, with the exception of the BR30 bulb. The older BR30 bulb features a gray rim, while the richer color version does not.

When purchasing new products, you can identify richer color bulbs by their packaging: the packaging features a round green label in the top right corner with the text “richer colors.”

Certain light fixtures come with a dimmer switch to make it easier for users without a Bridge to control their lights.

Newer products have optimized color capabilities. As a result, older bulbs and lights do not have the same color richness as the new generation of Hue products. You may notice this most when your lights are set to blue or green.

Bluetooth-compatible Philips Hue lights have a Bluetooth logo on both the product itself and the package it comes in.

To control Philips Hue lights with Bluetooth, you'll need the Philips Hue app and a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Add a Bridge to your setup to unlock the full suite of smart lighting features.