Philips Hue setup: A complete guide to Building a Smart Home

Smart lighting systems are all the rage right now, and every new housing estates already come preinstalled with smart lighting systems. But do you want a complete guide to Building a Smart Home? Philips Hue is the answer for you.

Philips Hue has been in the market for a long time and is probably one of the best smart lighting systems. It is because Hue is compatible with many applications like Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home devotees, Razer gamers, Logitech Harmony connoisseurs, Nest aficionados, and more.

You can integrate anything from fairy lights to colored bulbs, fancy lights, light strips, and outdoor lights with Philips Hue.

What is Philips Hue?

Philips Hue is a smart lighting system for your smart home that was released in 2012 and has been a consumer favorite since then.

These are a series of smart LED light bulbs and strips that work wirelessly to give your home a sleek and elegant look. Philips has kept on bringing out newer versions since then.

Unfortunately, they have too many models to choose from, like the Philips Hue White Starter Kit, Philips Hue Play, and Philips Hue Tap, and their most popular models are the E26 models. These bulbs can change colors, but you can also opt for plain white ones for a minimal look and feel.

How does Philips Hue Work?

Philips Hue works via Bluetooth connectivity. They have to be connected to a Hue Smart Hub. It works as a Hub or a Bridge for all your lighting systems. A single Bridge can support up to 50 lights. It is necessary to control the lights away from home via applications like Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Home.

So Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in your home are essential for optimal smooth functionality of the lighting system.

These lights are also automated, i.e., you can easily switch them on or off even without internet connectivity.

Philips has its Hue app (compatible with Android and iOS devices), which you can use to control your lights.

So integration with other applications is unnecessary, but if you want something like voice commanding, you can go for the likes of Alexa and Google Home.

See: 10 Google Nest Thermostat Black Friday Sale & Deals

What are the things needed to use Philips Hue?

1. Any Hue light(s)
2. A hue Hub
3. Hue app on your Android or iOS.

These three are the minimal requirements; of course, you can expand them with your needs and preferences.

Philips Hue Setup

Follow the steps below to install Philips Hue in your house:

• The first step is to plug in the Hue Bridge. Then connect it to your router via an Ethernet cable.
• Fix the light bulbs wherever you want them in your house, just like a regular bulb.
• Now, download the Hue app on your Android or iOS device. It is where you will connect the bulbs and control them. Scan for new devices around, and the app automatically shows you nearby Hue lights that can be paired. (Do ensure that the lights and the app are on the same network)
• After pairing the lights, you can adjust and group them according to rooms and placement.
• You can also integrate your Alexa or Google home with the Hue app to use voice commands with your lights.

Step 1: Set up the Hue Bridge

• Plug the Hue Bridge device into the socket and connect it to your router using an Ethernet cable
• You will see the device light up its LEDs
• Next, use your phone and open the Hue app.
• Go to Settings > Hue Bridges > Add Hue Bridge
• Your Bridge is set to help you connect the lights with your phone.

Step 2: Add lights and customize them

• Put lights or bulbs in sockets as any other bulb.
• Open the Hue app on your device and see the menu icon on the top right corner of the app. Click it to reveal options and select “Add lights.”
• Click on “Search” and wait. The app will tell you about nearby unpaired lights.
• Once the app finds any light, click on “Start Configuration” and customize the name and color of the light. You can put light descriptions as well.
• Select and Drag your new lights into existing groups you created, or create a new group.

Philips Hue automations:

As the name suggests, Philips Hue provides their customers with light bulbs and strip lights which are color changing, i.e., you can change the light color upon your wish.

But other than its light-changing feature, it also offers a wide array of automation.

1. You can set up timers for the lights to wake up automatically
2. You can set up timers for the lights to turn off on their own.
3. The “Go to sleep” option allows you to control the bulb’s brightness. You can manually put them in the night mood and dim them.
4. The lights will automatically turn off if the mobile device they are connected to leaves the range.
5. The lights come with a “Timer” feature. Unfortunately, this feature is not fully automated, as you must start the timer manually for the lights to do anything when the timer goes off.

These are all the predefined automation that comes with Philips Hue. However, you can also create your very own custom options.

For example, you can adjust what time the lights turn on or off on different days of the week and put certain features according to light groups.

These are not necessary but a fun way to limit light usage per day and maintain a system in the house.

Also: 15 Best Philips Hue Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals

Conclusion:

So, This is how you set up the Philips Hue lighting system for your home step by step. It may seem complicated through the manual that comes with the Hue, but it is easy to do. With all the customization features, Philips Hue is the king of Smart lighting systems today.

So whether it’s setting up a mood in a room or hosting a grand party, it’s as simple as screwing the light bulbs and controlling them with a few clicks on the app. All you need is a smartphone, and you’re good to go exploring the powers of Hue!

Frequently asked questions