The Philips Hue app has received a major update. The smart lighting app has a new design, has become smarter and more organized. These are the main improvements in the new Philips Hue app.
Update: Philips Hue app revamped
We have now arrived at the fourth version. The update for Philips Hue is rolling out now, but it may take a few days before you can get started with the new version. It’s the biggest update in a long time, so we’ve listed the most important improvements.
1. New home screen
First of all, the home screen of the Philips Hue app has been overhauled. From now on you will see an overview of all smart lighting in your home. For example, you can directly control the lamps in your living room, game room or a zone set by you personally.
Also cool: you can adjust the layout yourself. That way you can place your favorite room (where you spend most of your time, for example) at the very top.
2. Meet Automations
The Routines have also been given a new name: Automations. However, the idea remains the same and your existing routines are immediately converted when you open the new Philips Hue app for the first time.
By the way, automations are smarter than the Routines of the past. For example, they take into account the others in the house. If your housemates also use the Hue lighting, the lamps will only switch off when everyone is away from home, for example.
3. No more widgets and Apple Watch apps
The update for the Philips Hue app does not only add functions: it also says goodbye to certain things. The Apple Watch app and the Hue widgets are gone.
Do you still want to automate your smart lighting? Then you have to do this via the Assignments app from Apple itself. Of course you can place a widget of this app on your iPhone home screen, which gives you about the same effect.
4. More overview
In the previous version of the Philips Hue app you had to switch between lamps and scenes with a button, but now they are in the same window. This is handy, because it allows you to operate the lighting more easily and quickly.
5. Expansions on the way
Signify, the maker of the Philips Hue app, says it has made more than 100 major and minor improvements in total. For example, the program works better for smart homes that use multiple bridges and you can get started with Hue Labs. Enthusiastic Hue users can get started with experimental Automations.
Furthermore, Signify promises that it will not stop with this update. Later this year, the Philips Hue app will be expanded with all kinds of new functions, such as the addition of ‘Dynamic scenes’. With this you can later have the lighting in a room or zone go through different colors.
Smart living with iPhoned
More and more Dutch people are making their homes smarter and that’s why we write down schrijven iPhoned regularly about the world of smart homes. For example, we compare Apple HomeKit with Google Home, look at the best smart doorbells without a subscription and give advice about the Action’s smart plug.
Want to read more smart home stories? Then tap on one of the links below or go to the Living overview page for all our articles about this.
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