{"id":85267,"date":"2022-04-04T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/?p=85267"},"modified":"2024-10-24T03:28:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T07:28:26","slug":"how-to-connect-philips-hue-lights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/how-to-connect-philips-hue-lights\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Connect Philips Hue Lights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re in the market for smart lights, you\u2019ve probably realized that Philips Hue lights are some of the best and most versatile smart lights<\/a> that you can add to your smart home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philips Hue smart lights<\/a> come in many varieties. Starter kits are the best value, with four white bulbs and the Hue bridge starting at $59.99, or four white and colored lights with the Hue bridge starting at $199.99. You can also purchase other Hue products like smart lightstrips from the Philips website or buy them from Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"How<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Whichever product you start with, the installation and setup process is roughly the same. You\u2019ll need to install the new Hue smart light bulbs, physically connect the bridge to your router, set up Philips Hue software on your Android or iPhone and\/or your computer, and configure the smart bulbs. In this guide, we\u2019ll step you through the entire process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connect Philips Hue Lights Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you can set up the Philips Hue apps and start controlling the new lights via your Wi-Fi network, you\u2019ll need to connect the Hue system, including the Philips Hue Bridge and the Philips Hue light bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing you\u2019ll want to do is take the bulbs from the box and install them into the light fixtures where you\u2019d like to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Connect<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Once installed, turn on the light switch to power the bulbs. Keep in mind that if your lighting system is controlled by a dimmer switch, you\u2019ll need to place the dimmer in the full on position for the lights to work properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Philips Hue bulbs may or may not light up immediately, but you don\u2019t have to worry about that right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove the Philips Hue bridge from the box and place it next to your internet router. There are two connections on the back of the bridge, the power port, and the ethernet port.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Connect<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Plug the included power adapter into the power port and install the plug into an outlet or power strip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, install one end of the included ethernet cable into the LAN port of the bridge, and plug the other end into an available LAN port on the back of your internet router.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Connect<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Make sure to install it into one of the numbered LAN ports, not in the internet port (usually, this has a globe icon to identify it). That port is your main internet connection coming from your cable, fiber, or DSL modem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Philips Hue bridge should now have all lights active in a dark or light blue color. If any of these are not lit up or a different color, unplug the bridge and plug it back in again.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Connect<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With both your Philips Hue bulbs and Philips Hue bridge powered up, and the bridge connected to your home internet, you\u2019re ready to install the apps and start using your smart lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting Up the Philips Hue App<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can download the Philips Hue app for Android from the Google Play Store<\/a> or for iOS from the Apple app store<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you first launch the Philips Hue app, you\u2019ll need to add your lights to a \u201croom\u201d in your house. A room, in the app, is a designated area of your home where the lights are installed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do this, select the three dots at the top right corner of the app window, and select Add lights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Setting<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

When you tap that, it\u2019ll open the Add lights wizard. You can either add lights by typing in the serial number from each bulb or using the Search<\/strong> button. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Search button enables the bridge to scan your local area for the presence of the bulbs and automatically identify them. If the bridge can locate the bulbs (maybe because they\u2019re too far away from the Philips Hue bridge, just add them by serial number instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Once you\u2019ve added the bulbs, you\u2019ll need to add a new room to the app. To do this, select the three dots at the top right corner again, and this time select Add new Room or Zone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Setting<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This will open a new wizard for this. Select Room<\/strong>, and on the next screen you can select the type or room you\u2019re adding, like Living Room or Office. On the final page, you\u2019ll need to select the lights you want to assign to that room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you select Done, your Philips Hue app is set up, and you\u2019re ready to start controlling your Philips Hue lights!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the Philips Hue App<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now, whenever you open the Hue app on your mobile device, you\u2019ll see the rooms available to control. When you select a room, you can control individual bulbs (brightness or color) or select a \u201cscene\u201d, which is a pre-programmed color combination that sets a certain mood or ambiance<\/a> in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Using<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You can also use the single switch at the top of the Room window to control all of the bulbs assigned to that room at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several additional very cool features and functionality available in the Philips Hue app.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Using<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n