iConnectHue 4 improves user interface, adds sharing, memberships, adds Hue Smart Button support

The group screen gives you access to several color modes (bottom) and timers – here it also shows the Pro version group widget and picture

iConnectHue 4 is the BIGGEST update we’ve ever made! We took your feedback, mixed it with many new ideas and gave iConnectHue a new fresh design and a better, clearer layout. We’ve simplified several processes, like searching for lights and devices, editing light groups or configuring your switches.

In short, we originally planned a separate app, iConnectHue Pro. Instead of doing so, we have decided to give you a good deal of its new layout, functions and premises. It also means you don’t have to switch in case you decide you want our Pro features.

Overview

Main changes

We have polished many things, but these are the main changes we’ve made:

New app design
Improved app layout
Improved dialogue system
Redesigned widget, and improved widget editor
Menu system for scenes, Magic Scenes and Animations
Unified layout for Scenes, Magic Scenes and Animations
Improved group creation and -editing
Improved light and device searching
Better timer editor
Improved user experience
Universal app

Membership and sharing

Starting now you can become an iConnectHue member. This entitles you to get access to all in app purchases, and – we’re very proud to announce this – allows you to share your content with other members!
This means, if you have a really cool Magic Scene or Animation – just send it to a friend. Or do you feel you just can’t get them right? Ask someone who makes great Magic Scenes or Animations!
It’s like the old Hue app, with its color sets, just on steriods, since iConnectHue offers so much more functionality!

Memberships are intended as an alternative to in app purchases, but also to give you something more sustainable we wouldn’t be able to do with simple in app purchases. For a regular fee, you will get some more benefits compared to simple in app purchases – and we have plans how to improve this over time. They also help us to maintain this app – additionally we have a big pile of ideas and things to do, and want to hire more people to do help us. This update is a great example of how we could improve the app in so many places thanks to you! Please continue to do so!
You can find access to our memberships under each in app purchase. Frightened? Please don’t be – we’ve chosen a very fair pricing. And all this is your choice, you don’t need to do what you don’t want to – but you can help this app further!

Membership comes in two flavours: Basic membership and Pro membership. Basic does all the things described above, Pro gives you some cool advances!

Pro membership and version

We’ve been working on a Pro version for a while, where some advanced users can get advanced features. It was originally planned as separate app, but we decided to make it easier for everybody by integrating it into our main app, which also gives every non-Pro user additional advantages. It’s also for the family! You can share your Pro membership with up to 5 family members of the same household! Your child wants to play with the colors and Animations as well? Just share your membership with them! No more hassle with in app purchases.

So, here at a glance the advantages of Pro:

Share your membership with up to 5 family members of the same household
Group widget for each group (also accessible via force touch in group overview)
Each group can have a center picture
Instant timers can be added to Siri Shortcuts
Watch widget – force touch your Watch to change to your widget
Daylight functionality:
- Incandescent mode: If group or light is set to color temperature, changing brightness influences color temperature
- Long press on group switch (or light switch in widget) sets color temperature depending on daylight or night
- Hue Dimmer allows long press for daylight for on-button
- Switches now allow for color temperatures to be increased / decreased
- Hue Tap wizard also sets up daylight functionality

A graphical overview is available on our Pro information page. This list will expand over the time – we already have something new for it coming soon.

Upgrade Levels

We give you A LOT of changes in this version for free. On the other hand, we’ve been working really hard and quite long for this update (just ask Stefan if he had seen REAL daylight in the past two months). If a membership isn’t for you: Several smaller changes will now be collected as “Upgrade Levels”, beginning with Level 1.

This is what you currently get with Level 1 in this update:

Hue Smart Button support
Change your group brightness by sliding its center
Room and Zone type editing
Siri Shortcut editing within the app

Hue Smart Button support

The Hue Smart button is the fourth device we support for this year, and our first bigger addon for Upgrade Level 1.
In iConnectHue, you can use it like a single button similar to a Hue Dimmer. We are waiting for your feedback and your wishes to understand better what you think this device should be able to do!

New Magic Scene and Animation sets

A lot of you have been asking for new Magic Scenes and Animations. We’ve heard you!

Autumn leaves, which captures the beautiful colors of fallen leaves
Slow down – pastel toned Animations, which should help you to relax, or just have a very subtle Animation going on

These sets are also included, if you decide to take a membership.

Some other BIG news

iConnectHue is a universal app by now! It’ll work on iPhone and iPad. This will allow you to use your Siri Shortcuts on both device types.

Full change list

New color scheme
New dialogue design
Universal app
Views for scenes, Magic Scenes, Animations are completely renewed
These named can now directly be added via the menu to Siri Shortcuts (w/ Level 1 or membership)
Swipe left and right to change the color type selection
New Animation design
Hue Smart Button support with wizard (w/ Level 1 or membership)
Siri shortcuts now for favorite colors available (select a named fav color, then select the three dots menu – w/ Level 1 or membership)
Completely redesigned widget and improved widget editor
Magic Scene and Animation sharing (select scene, its menu, select to share it, or tap edit pencil to see all menus at once! – w/ membership)
Saving, loading, showing and changing scenes completely rewritten
Timers: Simpler conditional selection for group on/off & user presence, start of week awareness
Group view allows brightness change by swiping, like lights, group type is shown in middle (w/ Level 1 or membership)
Swipe up on an off light or group will turn them on
Zone/Room type (w/ Level 1 or membership) and image (Pro) can be changed
Group creation completely revised (plus button on top right)
Group displayment revised, now remembers last state also on iPhone
In case of multiple bridges, bridge name appears on top of each list, with a switch for all lights on this bridge
Light search is a wizard now and completely revised
Device search is now a wizard and fully revised
All device setup wizards are now completely revised
Motion sensor can now directly be set up for daylight via wizard
Added haptic feedback in many places
Many new icons for wizards and other instances
Location editor for home location reworked for easier use
Automation wizard completely revised
Several UI detail improvements