With these 7 Philips Hue tips you get more out of your lamps

With Philips Hue you make the lighting in your home smart, but that is more than switching lights on and off, dimming them and choosing different colors. With these Philips Hue tips you get more out of your lamps.

Philips Hue tips

If you think of smart lighting, you will soon end up at Philips Hue. The company Signify releases a wide range of lamps under this name, both for indoor and outdoor use.

Of course you can control these lamps via the app, HomeKit, Google Home or your voice via a smart assistant. You can then easily switch the lamps on and off, dim them and change color. But there is much more to do with it. That is why we have listed a few tips to get more out of your lamps.

1. Set the behavior after switching on

If you use smart lamps, you must always switch off the lamps via your smartphone or via a smart assistant. If you use a wall button, the lamp can only be switched on afterwards by pressing the wall button again. Then the lamps suddenly forgot your preset color and brightness. There is a solution for that.

In the settings of the Philips Hue app you will find the option ‘Behavior when switching on’. Here you set per lamp what should happen if you have pressed the wall button or if the power has failed. If you choose ‘Recovery after power failure’, the last used color and brightness will be restored.

2. Sync your lights with your media

There are several ways to sync your lights with your music, videos or games. You can use the official Hue Sync app for your PC for that. You can also buy a Hue Play Sync Box to connect to your television.

In addition, there are several options from third parties that are a lot cheaper than a Play Sync Box and still offer many options. Check out the apps HueParty, iLightShow and hueDynamic in the App Store.

3. Try other apps

Above we already mentioned some apps that you can download to sync your lamps with your music, movies or other media, but there are more apps in the App Store that expand the possibilities of your lamps.

Take the aforementioned hueDynamic, with the option to start ‘experiences’ with lights and sound, to turn on a disco or the option to let the lights breathe with you to fall asleep better. OnSwitch is also recommended. With this app you let your lamps show the most beautiful colors.

4. Control your lights when you are not at home

You don’t have to be home to operate your lights. If your lights are connected to a Hue Bridge, you can also control them on the other side of the world. You must first enable that function. To do this, go to settings and ‘Outdoor control’ in the Philips Hue app.

5. Routines make life easier

In the Philips Hue app you will find useful ways to teach your lights a behavior under the Routines heading. For example, with ‘Home and away’ it is possible to have the lights switch off automatically when you leave home and to switch them on again when you come home.

If you have to get out early, you can use ‘Awakening’ to ensure that the lamps slowly wake up with you. You can also add your own routines based on the sunrise or sunset.

Dive into Hue Labs for experiments

A great part of the Philips Hue app is the laboratory. Here you will find all kinds of experiments from Philips Hue for your lamps. To do that, go to the Discover tab and choose Hue Labs. Your lights then help you exercise or do yoga. You can use your lights as a timer, or have them act like you live at home while on vacation.

7. Use accessories

The possibilities of Philips Hue can also be expanded via accessories. For example, buy a dimmer switch to dim your lamps via a button. With the motion sensor, the lights turn on automatically when you are in the area. These sensors are available for both indoor and outdoor use. There are also Philips Hue Smart Plugs for sale. You put this between the plug and the socket of your ‘dumb’ lamps to make them smart too.

Philips Hue Play Gradient review

Earlier this year, we tested the latest Philips Hue products. Read our review of the Philips Hue Play Gradient and the latest Filament bulbs.

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