Features

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Why use iConnectHue for your Philips Hue system?

It’s an app with full feature set – control almost every aspect of your hue lights – and was designed with you as a user in mind
Enjoy constant app updates with improvements – 10 years already and counting – and some may even come from your wishes, because iConnectHue has been developed with its users
It brings new technology to you with MANY FIRSTS:
- First Hue app with AI supported functions (2023)
- First app with gradient color picker and first 3rd party app that works color-correct (2022)
- First app to support new Hue light effects (fire, candle) (2022)
- First 3rd party app with Hue Play Gradient lightstrip support (2021)
- First app with Weekend mode for switches, sensors and geofencing (2020)
- First app with fully integrated Hue Entertainment support (2018)
- First app with animations running on bridge (2016)
- First app with multibridge support (2015)
- First app with Apple Watch support (2015)
- First app with iOS widget (2014)
- First app with switch multi action support (2014)
- First app with group/room support (2013)
- First app with conditional timers
- First app with sunrise/sunset timers
- First app with Multi user geofencing
- Many times first 3rd party app to support new switch and sensor models
- First 3rd party app with full Hue Contact Sensor support (2023)
- First app to support new Hue light effects (prism, opal, glisten) (2023)
- … and the list will go on.
Family focus: Scene sharing, family geofencing (first one turns on the light, last one off – optional), group hiding (locks children out of changing certain groups), Magic/Disco Scene and Animation sharing with Pro membership (which also lets you share the membership via Apple Family sharing with up to 5 family members of the same household)
It lets you group your lights – for example by rooms. You can hide groups, rooms and zones from other apps that you need but don’t want to see.
Divide and group your groups into sections (by type, by bridge or mixed)
Selectively switch and collapse group sections
Split groups by location (Pro)
- Optional: Current location is displayed first automatically
Everything happens on your bridge – your iPhone can be turned off (except for Automation: coming/leaving home functionality and Discotainment)

Multiply the possibilities of your switches with the switch editor

iConnectHue has got the most advanced switch editor available for your Philips Hue system!
Supports all available switch models (2023): Hue Tap, Hue Dimmer (v1 and v2), Hue Smart Button, Hue Wall Switch Module, Friends of Hue switches and Lutron Aurora
Fade time for each action can be set
Use single buttons for two purposes: “Exclusive long press” on Dimmer, Smart Button, Wall Switch Module, Friends of Hue and Lutron Aurora lets you use short and long press separately
Control multiple rooms/zones/groups and lights with one button
Friends of Hue receive a 5th and 6th button (top or bottom buttons combined press) (see also Press release)
Alternations – Select one of four different ways to split up actions:
- Switch between multiple scenes, colors, etc. with just one button (Up to 5 press alternations + multiple actions per alternation) – cycle through all your alternations with each press
- Up to 5 time ranges / time slots each day with each having different actions
- Let switches, sensor or your automation act differently at day and at night
- Use the on state of a room/zone/group (e.g. turn it on when it’s off, turn it off when it’s on)
- Additional: Let the switches act differently on weekdays and weekends via weekend mode – as an exception this one can be combined with all other alternation types
- NOTE: You can select the type at the very bottom of the list (or at the top right, via “Alternation”) – but only if there’s not already another incompatible alternation type in use. If so, delete all steps except the last and then select to split up the switch (option appears then). Except these alternations: Group On can be mixed with other alternations, when added last, weekend (optional) can be added at any time.
Up to 8 actions per button press possible
- Load scenes and Magic Scenes
- Turn groups/rooms/zones and lights on and off
- Set color of a whole group
- Add sleep timers to groups to fade them down or turn them off within a time frame, press it again to reset the countdown
- Add reminders that blink your lights after a set amount of time
- Change group brightness, relative or absolute
- Change relative group color temperature (only w/ Pro membership)
- Color animations / dynamic scenes (with optional animation upgrade)
- Let groups blink (e.g. to alert family members)
- Cancel motion sensor inactivity actions
- Disable/enable motion sensors

Multiply the possibilities of your Motion sensors (indoor & outdoor)

Set it up for multiple groups, rooms and zones (e.g. to guide the way at night)
Let the motion sensor either return to the last state or turn off your group lights
Up to 5 time ranges / time slots for motion and no motion actions, OR split actions by day and night
Up to 3 actions per time range
Cancel your sensor inactivity actions with switches or the app itself – hence your motion sensor doesn’t turn off your lights when it doesn’t detect any more motion
Combine two sensors for larger or L-shaped areas (with each one cancelling the other)
Have time ranges / time slots where nothing happens (simply delete all actions there)
Restrict the sensor to only trigger if the affected groups are off
You can set up the same group actions as in the switch editor (including animations with a membership or the Animation upgrade)

Edit your contact sensor
Due to constraints of the Hue system and their firmware provided by Philips, we can edit this device, but you’re currently restricted to these options:

Work on groups
Use scenes, Magic scenes and switch actions
Change the delay down to 10 seconds

Extensive timer support

Timers on each day or certain days
Timers on individual lights or groups
Intelligent timers: All timers can be conditional on
- your presence (you, anybody, nobody present) (Requires optional Automation or membership)
- the group/light state – always, or only if a group or light is on or off
Instant timers
- Sleep timers for groups ease your time when you want to go to bed
- Reminders let your group lights blink (once or for 30 seconds)
- Slowly fade over to a color, scene or magic scene
Use colors (for groups and lights) and scenes (for groups) to turn on lights, or just create off timers
With additional Animation Upgrade, start even animations on groups
Add random offset of up to +/- 60 minutes for normal timers (only works for non-conditional timers)
Use sunrise and sunset timers on groups (they auto adjust to your local sunrise/sunset times)

Create the notification center / Home Widget you want, with live preview!

Add scenes, Magic Scenes, Animations (latter with optional Animation Upgrade or membership)
Switches for lights and groups/rooms/zones
Instant timers (sleep timers, reminders)
Group light states (as a stripe)
Dimmers for groups
Enable/disable Hue motion & contact sensors
Show temperature in the widget
Home Widget & Pro only: Switch through up to 4 actions per group and hence save up to 74% space
Duplicate & share (in family) Home Widgets with a Membership

Voice commands via Siri Shortcuts

Scenes, Magic Scenes, group colors, Animations (only w/ Animation upgrade)
Group off and light on/off
Discotainment opening, starting and stopping (only w/ Discotainment addon)
Pro also has these:
- Sleep/Instant timers
- Discotainment scene selection and start
- Toggle Hue Motion & Contact sensors
- Change group brightness
- Set group color via color code

Magic Scenes

Magic Scene Editor (see Video how it works)
Once created they can be used anywhere (groups/rooms, gradient lights, animations)
Magic scenes can be created from self-defined colors
Magic scenes can be changed interactively with just a few taps, and update in real time with your groups
They can be used with timers, switches, the widget and the Apple Watch (with Watch Plus upgrade)
With a membership: Create magical scenes from gradient, images and via AI from descriptions

… it’s getting even better!

Upload color animations to your bridge. No more empty iPhone batteries, and everybody with iConnectHue can stop them!
Gradient color picker for groups and gradient lights – easily create perfect looking color gradients
Color-correctness through the entire app – what you see is what you get
3D/Haptic touch support on app icon – turn your lights on and off instantly!
Directly edit your lights on / off state, lightness and color and save your favorite colors in Favorites
Remote Access: control your lights when not at home
Trigger your mostly used scenes directly from your iPhone search
Drag & drop colors from one lamp to another (on iPad even between groups and bridges!)
Save your current colors as a scene or favorite (They are backed up and shared via iCloud. Scenes are also shared via bridge to each family member)
Disable devices (switches & motion sensor) for a limited amount of time or completely
Works with multiple devices: All groups, timers and light orders are shared, scenes and selections are shared via iCloud (devices need same iCloud account, also works between iPhone & iPad)
TouchLink light search – include your Living Colors lights into your Hue system – iConnectHue can find most of them! (without their remote, similar to the old Lampstealer but works with more recent firmwares; no functionality guaranteed – heavily depends on your Living Colors model and your bridge firmware)
Supports lights of other manufactureres, like Dresden Elektronik FLS-PP lp and FLS-H lp and Osram Lightify, Innr, Ikea Tradfri
Find new lights, new switches/Motion Sensors, add lights from other bridges, update your bridge and lights firmware
VoiceOver support for audio assisted navigation
Integrated tutorials and FAQ make it easy to understand the usage and to solve problems
Fully configure what happens to your light after it lost power (available under the “i” symbol for each light)
- Start with warm white (default)
- Return to the last state (do not turn on unless it was on)
- Return to the last color (always turn on after power loss)
- Return to a certain color

Additional functionality available via membership or in app purchase.

The basic app has quite a comprehensive option set. But iConnectHue waits for you with even more functions, if you want them!
Unsure which options are included and which optional? We have an overview for you.
Since iConnectHue is being developed continuously, we have to cover our working and operational costs. The benefit for you is a feature-rich and always-up-to-date app. Get more information here.

Automation with Family Geofencing – the most powerful Hue geofencing available

Multi user geofencing – everybody with iConnectHue installed can take part
Actions for all users: Lights e.g. turn on when the first arrived and off after the last left
Actions individual users: e.g. turn off your work place lighting or your room when you leave
Extremely flexible configuration, with the same actions available as in the switch editor
Visitor mode: Do not switch lights automatically for everybody when visitor present (Pro membership)
Separatable by day and night (use wizard to split it up)
Different setups for weekdays and weekends possible, combine it with day/night or time alternation (Requires Weekend mode upgrade or membership)
Note: To use this feature for multiple people, every affected person needs to have an iPhone with an unthrottled data connection, iConnectHue installed and this in app purchase or a membership – we recommend the Pro membership, which is thought for families

Discotainment

Make your home your Hue Disco – see demo video
Spice up your party with your Hue lights and create a disco atmosphere!
Works with your device’s microphone – hence (almost) any audible audio source can be used
Color effects with Magic Scenes (which you can pick and create yourself), which can react to the beat (use preferably with beat heavy music as electronic and pop music)
Beat detection with electronic and regular pop music with strong beat
Lightness effects which react on music volume
Strobe like effects as sparkle and strobe, with many options
Really responsive thanks to Hue Entertainment – requires a square Hue bridge, and requires Philips Hue color lights
Works with one Entertainment group at a time (with up to 10 lights), works with multiple bridges with optional Multibridge (where on each bridge such a group can be controlled)
Supports Hue Gradient Lightstrip with all its segments
Effect Color, Different Strobe modes in Basic- and Pro Version

Animation Upgrade

Create the color animations / dynamic scenes you want, with colors, scenes and Magic Scenes (Animations only work on groups due to system limitations)
Upload them to switches as well as motion sensors
Use them in timers or when coming/leaving home
Unlike other apps they run on the bridge, don’t waste your battery, and can be stopped by anyone
Up to 8 steps with each step having a fade and next step wait time of 60 minutes
Have them on your Apple Watch and your notification center widget
They also work on many 3rd party color lights, contrary to dynamic scenes (see our supported devices for compatibility)
Animations on single gradient lights: via Membership

Multi bridge support

It’s not switching bridges with iConnectHue – just use them side by side! Use multiple bridges at multiple locations in just one app at the same time, without switching! (See press release). Availble for Members with 2 Bridges per Location in Basic, many bridges at multiple locations with Pro.

Weekend mode

Let your devices act differently on week vs. weekend
Works with all your devices
Even works for coming/leaving actions (for all users)
Configure your weekend days individually (in device editor via the 3-dot menu)
Week and weekend side can have different alternation types
Combine it with all the functions you know
Note: Doesn’t work with long press of Friends of Hue nor Lutron Aurora rotation

Watch Plus adds more functionality to your Apple Watch

Adds group access to your Apple Watch
Full control for your groups
Change group brightness
Load scenes and Magic Scenes
Change group colors, load favorite colors
Start group sleep timers
Have access to your widget (available w/ Pro membership)

Magic Scene and Animation packages

iConnectHue has a big library of dynamic Animations and Magic Scene packages. If you worry about how to make them or just want something you can start with we’ve got you covered!

Magic Scene packages:

Included Scenes
Flower Power
That 80s
Evening Skies
Autumn Leaves
Gradient Scenes
Holiday! Celebrate!
Cities
Christmas Magic
Easter Eggs (seasonal)
St. Patrick’s Day (seasonal)
Young Love (seasonal)

Animation packages:

Included Animations
Spring Awakening
Bring in Nature!
Summer Delights
Slow Down
Christmas Animations
More Christmas!
Happy New Yeah!
Spooky Halloween (seasonal)

Please note: Packages marked with ‘seasonal’ are available seasonally for everyone. Outside this time, the marked packages are only available for users with memberships.

NOTE: If you’re on the desktop, you can open the price list on the App store app page.
With a Basic or Pro membership many (Basic) or ALL (Pro) features are available without additional in app purchases.

We need to offer you in app purchases to be able to continue to develop iConnectHue. In app purchases are laid out in a way that you usually don’t need every one of them. For more information please have a look at the App costs page.

iConnectHue in the press and blogs

Requirements if you want to use iConnectHue

A Philips Hue bridge, v2 (square, recommended) or v1 (support guaranteed until end of September 2021), NO BLUETOOTH BULBS without bridge supported
At least bridge firmware 1.14 (of 2016), most recent firmware recommended (update is free)
An iPhone 6 or SE (recommended: at least 6S/SE), an iPad mini 2, iPad 4
iOS and watchOS: Always the current and the last major version are supported (e.g. when 15 is current, then 14 is last)
A local Wifi connection to use advanced features like Animations, Discotainment or switch editing
For automation: A stable at least 3G (UMTS) connection without data throttling

Compared to Philips’ v4.2 app

Fully configurable widget
Use the same lights in multiple groups (as long as you create groups with iConnectHue)
No restrictions when using zones, they can be used the same as groups and rooms everywhere
No beta, everything is tested – have many Hue labs like features fully integrated in an app (examples:
Sunset timer, no motion no fuss, tap dimmer, tap toggle, sensor snooze, sensor couple, three times is a charm – here it is five times, living scenes, scene playlist, meditation lights, multi user geofencing, zones)
iConnectHue on the iPad actually uses the grown space on the iPad with adapted controls
Apple Watch can access your rooms with the optional Watch Plus addon, start sleep timers, change brightness
Color animations (with optional animation upgrade even on your switches, in watch and widget!)
Magic Scenes make color gradients easy to apply and modify in every single group – create once, use everywhere
Supports more light makes than Hue
Discotainment allows light sync to music (optional)
More flexible timers
- Auto adjusting Sunrise/Sunset time timers with the ability to act on group/light “on” state, or with additional automation, to act on presence of a user
- Instant start, easy to adjust sleep timer on each light group
- Flexible, easy to access timers
- Timers on single lights
- All timers can act depending on group state (always, or only if group is on or off) and on presence (with optional Automation – which lets you simulate presence automatically)
Disable devices (switches & motion sensor) for a limited amount of time, toggle them via widget
Trigger your mostly used scenes directly from your iPhone search
Include Living Colors lights and Living Whites plugs
Completely free configuration of switches (Hue Tap/Dial Switch, Hue Dimmer v1/v2, Wall Switch Module, Friends of Hue, Lutron Aurora) and advanced motion sensor configuration
- Up to 8 actions per button press or on activity, which allow completely free configuration
- Cycle through up to 5 alternations on switches
- -or- different actions for day and night on switches
- -or- create up to 5 time ranges / time slots each day with different actions
- Combine the above with the additional Weekend Mode – which lets sensors and switches act differently on week vs. weekend
- Motion sensor: Create up to 5 time ranges / time slots for activity AND inactivity, let sensor only fire if no affected group is on
- Much more configurability for Hue Tap/Dial Switch, Hue Dimmer, Hue Smart Button, Hue Wall Switch Module, Lutron Aurora and Friends of Hue buttons, and you can configure the Dimmer/Wall Switch Module/Lutron Aurora/Friends of Hue long press
Multi bridge support (bridges usable at once without switching between them, needs a membership) and multi location support (with Pro)
Favorite color list lets you add, name and order your favorite colors
Faster bridge connection and faster command execution
Apple Watch extended features (optional)
- Sleep timers via force touch
- Access to all rooms and scenes
3D touch support on app icon
Extended coming home functionality with remote access (optional with Automation)
- Save money with Living Whites or Osram Lightify plugs by turning off devices with them on leaving
- Select which scene should be loaded or actions should be taken not just for arriving, but also for leaving your home.
- Enable or disable your motion sensor
More actions with Siri Shortcuts
- Turn single lights on and off – also those not under the Hue brand
- Load favorite colors, Magic Scenes and animations in groups
More light power loss return states: Return to the last color (always turn on after power loss)
What iConnectHue currently doesn’t offer is HomeKit support – but it supports Siri Shortcuts, which are more powerful at the moment and work properly in conjunction with iConnectHue’s features (which HomeKit can not, by its design)