Philips Hue Owners: Getting the Most out of Your HUE lights

If you own Philips Hue bulbs, this is a must watch video. I've had them since they first came out and have learned a lot about using them, so I wanted to make a video demoing all the best apps, tips, and tricks that I've found for controlling them.
Here links to all the lights and other things mentioned in the video:
Latest Gen starter pack - geni.us/huelightkit
Floor lights - geni.us/huebloom
Newest style BR30 bulb - geni.us/newbr30
Hue dimmer switch - geni.us/huedimmer
Echo Show - geni.us/echoshowme
Led Strips (under couch) - geni.us/lightstripplus
Apps:
Chrome extension - geni.us/chromehue
Hue widget - geni.us/widgetforandroid
Hue widget - geni.us/widgetforios
Thorlight - geni.us/thorlight
Lightdj - geni.us/lightdj
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Follow more fresh ish below:
Twitter ► / techfreshness
Insta ► geni.us/tfreshinstagram

[@jerrysmith6129]

*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*

[@marlburrow1534]

Hello, i'm the developer of ChromeHue, thank you for mentioning my extension.

[@techfreshness]

hey nicolas! no way, thats amazing, great extension, thanks for making it!

[@saulatino]

Nicolas Varrot I love your extension too

[@marlburrow1534]

Thanks guys

[@freqnlodown]

Been looking for something like this for two years. BOUGHT!

[@duckkeebs]

lol im using the extension right now

[@myabschaef2557]

Seriously -- this is one of the BEST reviews I have seen on KZbin!!! Thank you for sharing. Oh, btw, anyone who is condesending of this video is just jealous of your home & lighting! Great job!!!

[@jjarrettc]

Nice video. Thank you for submission. I am 30 year veteran in IT and just started playing with the Phillips Hue. My best and take care. 👍

[@jrh2555]

Hue finally added "Zones" to their app, so it lets you control several lights, regardless of what "room" they are assigned to!

[@Tropcaliente]

I have watched this way back in 2017, when I hadn't bought hue yet.. now, 2 years later, my entire apartment have smart lights, from hue lamps, blooms, Ikea, xiaomi sensors, SmartThings bridge and so on... I mean, now I get it why you had so many smart lamps.. this thing never ends >.

[@mrlooneycooney8948]

Just finished my renovation and looking into this...freaking awesome! Thanks for sharing :)

[@Doeyhead]

If I wanted to make a custom light show on an android where I can control timing for lights and mix strobe effects with normal effects in a sequencer. which would I chose?

[@adodson927]

Nice setup, I am working on a similar media room. Can't wait to get everything installed.

[@mil3761]

What about for Android? Although Hue Widget exists, it seems a much worse implementation. The app has very poor review as it keeps crashing and it seems like the developer has given up on it. It was last updated on April 2016!!

[@SixEight25]

Great video.. got a starter kit last year and just picked up more and a light strip... video was put together well. Thanks for all the info on the apps and what they can do

[@dragnfire]

Best "party to music" app I've found is HueManic using "Party Lights" mode. Works via phones mic but overall one of the few I was able to find that actually worked with listening to music.

[@IAM5t4rXbox]

Screenbloom for PC, if you have yours connected to your television allows you to sync up with video, you can have your screen output in sections ie left side, left bulb - middle, light strip. - right side, right bulb. It's free and honestly one of the best programs I've found for Hue. Highly suggest.

[@Zaine22]

hi techfreshness couple of question are those floor lights the the philip hue bloom also do you have any of the hue go lamps and if so which are better thehue bloom or the huego and also how are the hue light still performing after having them a while are the colours still nice and bright and have you had any issues with them. thanks .

[@JenniferStolz]

So...if I have a fixture like your IKEA light - would it work fine to mix the color ambient bulbs and the white bulbs?

[@Canadian_Living_in_Mexico]

I have three Hue Color bulbs outside under my soffit. I would like to be able to control them using a Christmas theme. What do you suggest?

[@bhavikpatel5054]

Wicked stuff man, Im in process of buy my first home...deffo given me a clear picture

[@techfreshness]

congrats, and glad to give you some ideas

[@nickgreen3848]

Hey, love the video, and love the set up ! I have just set up my living room with 10 x 2m light strips and I’m trying to get them to chase around the room like you have done with the red light. I have set up links and bands on Thorlight but cants seem to get it work any advice ?

[@VonSpud]

Hue lights are cool...and they always work. You have a great setup there. We have 10 lamps (3 Bedroom, 3 living room, 2 Gazebo, 2 computer room) and 3 sets of light strips (2 above kitchen cabinets and 1 behind main computer desk in basement.) When I first introduced these to my wife she thought they were a gimmick. Now she uses the Hue magnetic light switches every evening/night. Movie nights she will say "Hey google, turn living room lamps to blue" Just bought a Hue smart plug for use with non Hue bulb lamp and will add more for 3 small Christmas trees this year. "Hey Google, turn off Christmas trees" Convenient and cool.

[@Tlaffer0]

How are you swiping your notification shade down to reveal the widgets page automatically withought having to swipe right on the notification screen? Can you change the default page to Widgets instead of Notications when you bring the shade down?

[@darrent2478]

very informative video. what lght blb will you recommend for ceiling pot lights?

[@alexmichaudon8471]

Hi, Nice Video. Do you have a solution to match my content (Zwifft) on my Ipad to the hue light? (without computer). Basicly hue light will react at the color on the screen on the Ipad (Zwiftt Bike Session).Thank you in advance.

[@ODIN_MQ]

Have you considering doing a newer video with some of the newer functionality they have released. Zones, hue sync, etc?

[@Jupitaah_]

What ceiling spotlights are those? I’ve just been getting 6 GU10’s fitted today and they look smaller than yours?

[@KevBoogieDown]

What is the name of the app you say you use for disco lighting? You said it way to fast in your video and you just showed a quick flash of the apps icon.

[@MattTaylor7]

you should check out the Nanoleaf Aurora with the rhythm module. Really nice for music.

[@kevinswails1590]

Hell yeah rise up. Was researching this light bulb and saw your hat. I was like he knows what he’s talking about.

[@CalmingSoundZZZ]

You sold me but thorlight is only available on IOS. Is there a similar one for android?

[@techfreshness]

ah sorry ami, not that i know of

[@MrZACATECANO100]

Nice setup

[@neversleeps1]

A year and a half on and I saw this, bought the hueDynamic win 10 app and its better than any other pc, ios, android app that I had the misfortune of having.. Cheers noodles!

[@cammy758]

I enjoyed watched your video. It's nice that you combined a range of apps and gadgets into one video.

[@techfreshness]

ty for the comment

[@pn506]

I'm heavily into Hue now, since the early days. That includes the original LivingColors lamps. You have a great set up there. But I would also mention the original LivingColors Remote Control. Gen2 or Gen3. It really makes the Hue system. It's better than the Hue Dimmer Switch (or the Tap), but I use a combination of both. It's good for people without the app, phone nearby, for kids, visitors and older folks. Makes it really 'friendly' for non-tech guys. I wouldn't be without them, even now - we love physical switches, as humans! Being able to change color, hue and brightness on a single remote with a rotating wheel was absolute genius. Although why Philips decided to discontinue them is beyond me. Thankfully, they are widely available still. Even Philips are still selling them as spare parts. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to set up.......but there is a great KZbin Vid.

[@pn506]

Forgot to add.....the remotes are instant too. They act as their own little Zigbee controller........either on or off the Hue Bridge.......

[@techfreshness]

hmm that sounds really cool, thanks for the heads up, i'll have to check that remote out, the wheel sounds good.

[@IsMaski]

That looks amazing. May i ask, what is your total investment in smart lights altogether?

[@darrent2478]

Hi is there an app that changes the colour of the lights based on the scenes on your TV?

[@TinajeroAlam]

what editing program do you use? ive found myself more intresting in than the hue kit

[@NicksStuff]

Hey, I'd like my white ambiance to chance its color depending on the time of day, do you know how to do that?

[@BrandonEngstrom]

How do you get the lights to chase ? I bought Thorlight, I cannot figure out how to get them to chase?

[@RodneyFisk]

Great video! Just got my first bridge and lights today. Super thorough; almost to the point of being boring. That's a compliment, BTW. I wanted a good everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of tutorial.

[@techfreshness]

ha great, hope you enjoying the lights massively?

[@overthetopcargotrailerjerr2278]

This video is EXCELLENT, thanks for posting !!!

[@Kommaardoor64]

Does anyone know a good Android alternative for Thorlight? App looks amazing, but it's not available for Android.

[@gm2543]

I asked same thing still waiting on him 😀

[@FanucM16i]

Great video and commentary. Thanks for taking the time.!!

[@j3ttagrl420]

sweet setup!! now i want those ikea lamps 😄 i use "hue pro" for mine, but now i wanna try another one. thanks for the info!

[@B.Ch3rry]

This Black Friday/Cyber Monday I'm a goin' HAM on the Hue bulbs!

[@techfreshness]

haha nice. good luck!

[@TheSeliner89]

Hey what are the pot lights on your ceiling. I can't find them online 😪

[@dylanw890]

That was an awesome video! would this be compatible with routine apps/software, so say for an instance im bringing home a hot date i can have "Date Night" scenery set and I could have the sonos playing in the background? I think that would be awesome

[@techfreshness]

yep, if you know some software that could do that, probably ifttt, you could recipe that up just exactly as you say

[@arturomartinez9125]

Where did you get your locked screen wallpaper?

[@rashadb954]

Don't forget screenbloom. It syncs your lights to match what is being displayed on your computer monitors. Really great for watching movies

[@ScottSchramm]

What is the "today" widget you have below the hue widget? It looks like a really nice thermostat controller.

[@techfreshness]

good eye man, yeah for some reason the nest app doesn't offer a widget, which is mind boggling. but the one in the video is called Kontrol

[@Meaderf]

I’m not seeing that sequence screen on the app you showed in landscape where you can pre program the lights. How can I find it? Can you send a link to the correct app?

[@EdwininfanteLeocadio]

I can't find the Thorlight on the playstore. Is it available to get on android?

[@Eldare]

Amazing Video man, love your dedication (and home cinema)

[@techfreshness]

thanks a lot elias

[@tatabin88]

May I know what bulbs and holders you are using for the ceiling? I’m planning to use all philips hue color for my house too but I’m afraid it would not be bright enough

[@anorax25lancashire87]

If you are going to use GU10s, the fire rated ones won't take the extra length of a Hue GU10. Found this out to my extra expense, had to replace my 10 fittings with the 'open at top' versions.

[@JamesCaprioPhotography]

Love this video, and all the lights. I have Hue lights all over my house and I'm getting ready to buy the outside lights. My problem is everyone keeps turning the light switches off and the I cant reach them. Other things I have in my house: Honeywell Thermostat, MyQ Garage, Wemo: Netcams, Mini Outlets, Wall Switches Ring Doorbell Pro, Arlo security cameras outside, August Lock, Harmony, Kasa Plugs, Nest Smoke and Carbon-monoxide, Apple TV, B-Hyve Sprinkler system, Sonos.

[@mrgeraldbrent]

James Caprio Lutron Aurora dimmers. They clamp over your switches and give you on/off and dimming for your lights. Well worth it to keep people from killing your lights/automation.

[@GardnersGarage]

sorry if its been asked, what about light switches.. if you turn them off the hue bulbs wont work, have you found some switches to avoid this? Other then expensive wifi switches? Thanks, I have the bulbs and having this problem with the kids turning off their light switches

[@techfreshness]

hmm, i have not no, just tell them to stop switching them off, problem solved. jk, do you ever use the lightswitch? what if you just put the blank plate over it?

[@scotteebee]

Thanks. Good app summary. Any tips on how to deal with power outages and having the hue lights return to their state before the power outage? I hate coming home to find all of my lights are on because the power went out for a few seconds.

[@techfreshness]

thansk scott, unfortunately i have no solution for what you are talking about, except move to where power isn't going out so much ha, jk

[@SuperDelusionist]

Wow... You really went nutz with the Philips Hue lights.

[@niko8010]

Can you make a video how you got all those movies from your previous videos please?

[@valleyboychris]

I have the new Echo plus and not got a bridge in my house so cant set up app. Is there a way around this because if i buy the coloured hue buld i cant control the colour via alexa app?

[@techfreshness]

u don't have a bridge? do you mean router?

[@gm2543]

Hello i have android phone cant dind that thorlight please what is the obe that dose same so can do that wave light colours thanks.😃

[@Abkpanda]

HueDynamic is the best app hands down. I've tried everything else and HD is the least frustrating app out there. 5 bucks isn't bad for something that is so feature rich and they're constantly adding stuff.

[@k0ns0le78]

Have you found any app that will allow you set a dimming timer. eg - dim to off over 2min or 10min either as a direct command or scene ?

[@techfreshness]

hmmm, not that i know of, but i'm sure there is a way to do it

[@DrewMcIntyreBrand]

Hey man, i just downloaded the Thor app. Would you mind telling me how to create the effect at 8:50? It REALLY want to use it, but can't figure it out how to set those colors in the app??! I already have the lights linked, I just don't know how you got that effect. Please let me know how, thanks!

[@techfreshness]

hey drew, oh thats an effect under animation, then party, then at the bottom its called 'where' or somethign like that

[@taranagnew436]

do you need to have a hub in order to control the lights?

[@ArnoldNathan]

What is the height of that room? I want a movie screen but don’t think I gotta enough room

[@Guarnere010]

Nice Vid! My hue app does allow me to add lamps to multiple groups, so that's updated 😊

[@elviswjr]

Is there a good Thorlight alternative for Android? I like the light band and link functions.

[@techfreshness]

hmm, not that i'm aware of sorry

[@Kuleaze]

Hey, just watched your video, was wondering where you got the floor lamps that are in the corners of your basement, the ones on the floor, not the IKEA lamps... I can't seem to find them when searching floor lamps. I watched another video where they guy had the same lamps in the corners on the floor and he called them Balloon lamps, but when I search that it comes up with actual balloons as lamps.... Can you tell me where you got those?

[@techfreshness]

hey kuleaze, they are these geni.us/huebloom

[@Pr3dator80]

Hello, How do you do the one that lights the colours change successively? or that runs the red light by all lamps ? I mean The scene at 8:50min in your Video. Which Animation is this ? I Hope you can help me. :-) Best regards 🙏

[@techfreshness]

hey freedom its under animation, party, then at the bottom, 'where'

[@skybox3550]

Which Hue lights are in the ceiling cans?

[@xavjee]

What kind or model floor lights do you use?

[@terolix]

Thanks for the video it was super useful! I just bought my first hue lights 2 days ago

[@techfreshness]

awesome man, hope you are enjoying!

[@skyserf]

Any ideas about getting around the Hue device limit?

[@xuk]

Great video! Thank you!! Finally, I can get some app from reliable audio API

[@iamdavidirwin]

Brilliant review, thanks

[@adamsloan309]

A question if you don't mind. The ikea lights in the back of your room, are you using a19's or e12's?

[@techfreshness]

definitely the a19's, i just got an adapter, that way its nice and bright vs the e12's....kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ2WaoN5ocepl7M

[@phantasmwolvez4095]

One question, is there apps that don’t require the hue bridge?

[@Sembazuru]

I accidentally found a way to have single bulb on multiple different "rooms". I have my hue lights synced to my google assistant. I can assign individual bulbs to different "rooms" in assistant. So far, all I've done is be able to control the fan lights in my living room by either "fan lights" via the hue settings, or "living room" via google assistant. Eventually, once I get some pot-light hue bulbs into the living room above the couch, I'll have them set as couch lights in hue, but add them to the living room in google assistant. Other home automation assistants may offer similar possibilities.

[@anorax25lancashire87]

I have 10 x GU10s in two parallel banks of 5 in my kitchen. On switch on, I would like to have a running light, starting at Light one (fade in ), light 2, light 3 and so on to 5, then back down the other bank going 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. A bit like the launch lights of fighters on sci-fi shows. Can anyone suggest the best app to use and a rough guide how to do it. I'm 67 and quite tech savvy but not as quick as I used to be. Any help or suggestions welcome. Best wishes, Col.

[@anorax25lancashire87]

I would also be willing to pay US$10 for an app that just does that!!!

[@RobPenna]

Does Alexa recognize and work with the groups you create in the hue widget?

[@rccipriani]

I'm guessing no. It doesn't recognize groups set up in the native Hue app either.

[@davidchidester5463]

Hue and Amazon devices dont like playing together when you get more complex.

[@boneschapel]

Nice video! I’ll definitely implement a LOT of your advice on my Lights. One question?...what do you have your projector source as? I saw you had an iPad sitting there, do you play movies/stream to the projector using an iPad? And if so, how well does that work? Also, what kind of screen do you have? I’m setting up my own theater room right now and love how yours looks!!! Thanks for the video! And thanks for editing it and having GOOD Audio!!! (...like...some ppl...just...🤦🏻‍♂️). But, thank YOU for doing it right!!! Haha😄😄😄

[@techfreshness]

awesome thanks jason. so you could check out this vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/fau7pWh_jJx9qMk about my projector, but i basically just have an appletv plugged into it, so i use that as my main source, then of course yeah i can airplay the ipad to the appletv and thus to the projector, works perfect......i'm sad to say the audio in the projector vid was before i got my lapel mics so sorry in advance! haha

[@mlisa]

Does the Hue Widget app works without the bridge? I just have a Bluetooth light. Pls can someone help me?

[@subzeroarctics1299]

Is there a setting or app that allows you to have lights rapidly run through the rainbow? Or is that not possible? I’ve had no luck finding an app that can do this but I don’t feel like it’s an unreasonable desire

[@carbide8582]

Hey man I really dig your whole basement setup, watched your projector video and you sold me on that projector for sure. Question though, did you do any fail-safe protection for moisture in the basement so you never have any water come up? I'd hate to put all my stuff in a finished basement to have any sort of water pop up. Thanks.

[@techfreshness]

well my basement opens to the backyard so its actually only a partial basement, but for sure moisture always a concern in basements, however unless you got a flood or busted pipe, the projector gonna be fine

[@kullipetteri]

So why would you need the bridge? I want to have three bulbs on one room, can I control them all without the bridge and can I change the color (RGB) of the bulbs without the bridge. Thanks!

[@louiswouters71]

Even the smart switch needs the bridge. The switch just sends a signal to the bridge like "Button 1 pressed". The bridge knows what that button means and then sends signal to the corresponding lamps.

[@craig-tj7rm]

is there any music app you can use with the hue go without needing the hue bridge ??

[@techfreshness]

afraid not that i know of

[@pward2482ify]

How do you set up the sensors time I’ve got it for 0440 when I’m up for work but can’t seem to set a stop time I wanted from 2100-0400 so now set all day ?

[@techfreshness]

when you say sensors time do you mean the sheduled time?in the hue app you should just be able to setup a go to sleep action or go in the other routines to schedule them to turn off

[@patricknedz]

These are really cool lights, I only have the white one right now, but I would look forward to getting some color ones. The only thing is they are really expensive but for what you get out of it, I don't think it would be a total waste of money. Is there a color that works as black light on here? I have also heard that some colors such as green are a little washed out, but maybe they fixed that on the newer bulbs, how rich do the colors look in person? Do they offer any bulbs with 800 lumens? I like to use 800 lumen daylight bulbs for normal lighting in my room which I use right now (standard LED bulb) but I do like to change the colors for certain mood settings and having to change out the bulb every time I want a different color can be a pain sometimes. One more thing, If I have Amazon Plus with Alexa would i be able to use any of these apps you suggested? or Do i need a bridge to make them work? I know with Alexa App you don't need a bridge as it works directly off the Amazon Plus. Sorry for all the questions but I am interested in these lights and would like to know more. thanks for the video demonstrations.

[@akuno7294]

just saying, you can do most of this stuff you do in the first app also in the normal app; scenes are there for something. the only thing you can't do, is ad a lightbulb to two diffrent rooms.

[@mlk4life]

great video man and ty. maybe you could help me out - you seem pretty versed and I'm just getting started with Hue. If I wanted to tell Siri something like - "hey siri its movie time." and then have my lights do a special sequence or pattern - something special to indicate an event etc... is there anything that allows that yet or are the apps still pretty generic in their functionality.?

[@techfreshness]

hey frown, you can do exactly what you describe, using the home kit app on the iphone you can set all that up with the hue lights. just takes some tinkering to get it to operate how you want. but let me know!

[@TheTFSstudios]

What is the track around the 11:35 mark?

[@suewade8613]

Question for you: Can you adjust the color to a specific Kelvin?

[@Tropcaliente]

I can on Samsung SmartThings, but not on the hue bridge.

[@chiragmehta8212]

Best review so far, thank you

[@techfreshness]

u bet!

[@motorcyclek]

As usual, great work. Thanks

[@techfreshness]

as usual, thank you!

[@henrikberglund4175]

Nice video, what is the name of the Ikea bulbs ? I can only find them in white ?

[@techfreshness]

hey henrik, so its this setup: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ2WaoN5ocepl7M

[@TheBravo13x]

Is there any apps out there that’ll perfectly sync with your music? Any help?

[@johncarey-young9782]

TheBravo13x I light show is pretty good fro that

[@RayPossibleGT]

Thanks for this! I wanna set it up like a stage

[@maxdondada]

I wish Hue would develop a plug-in for smart tv's and projectors in order to have the lights match the colors in the image

[@vondutch-turbotech]

Nice Video, just installed my Philips Hue set today after using the LIFX for about 1 year.. Missing the option to fade from one scene to another. Is this option available within your favourite app Hue Widget?

[@techfreshness]

hmm, i'm not sure, you mean slowing fading back and forth between 2 scenes?

[@labyoulab]

Check hue labs within hue app. They have this feature but it's kind of hidden

[@mikepeifer6502]

Did u put the A 19 bulbs in the recessed ceiling lights?

[@techfreshness]

no they are actually the br30 model

[@irwin770]

I’ve been using Hue for over a year, can’t you create a scene that only targets specific bulbs? Like your hue bloom, you can set a scene so they only lit up and not the others through the Hue app. Then, you can go to the Hue app settings and have it show in the widgets thus eliminating the need of the third party app you mentioned in the first part of your video.

[@techfreshness]

hmm, yeh i suppose that would work actually, i do think the 3rd party app is just better overall tho