Key Takeaways

  • To add new Philips Hue bulbs, use the Hue app to connect them to your smart home. Make sure the light switches are on and check for the correct brand.
  • If you can't find the Hue Bridge, ensure it's powered on, connected to your router, and on the same network. Restart the bridge if necessary.
  • If your Philips Hue lights are unreachable, check that the switches are on, keep the bulbs within range of each other, and ensure they're on the same Wi-Fi network. Rebooting your Wi-Fi router may also help.

Smart bulbs let you automate the lighting in your home and wirelessly control it from other devices, like smartphones or tablets. Some of the most popular smart lights on the market are Philips Hue bulbs, but even these can suffer technical problems from time to time.

Whatever is going wrong with your Philips Hue bulbs, you should be able to fix them with some basic troubleshooting tips. Here's how to fix all the most common Philips Hue problems, from new bulbs not connecting to existing Hue lights being totally unreachable.

1. You Can't Add New Philips Hue Bulbs

Before you can start using your Philips Hue bulbs, you need to pair them to your smart home using the free Hue app for Android and iOS.

To add a new bulb to your light set up, open the Hue app and go to Settings > Lights and tap the Add (+) button. The app will search for new lights on your network and allow you to add them.

Try these troubleshooting tips if the Hue app can't find your new Philips Hue bulb:

  • Switch the light on: Philips Hue bulbs only work when the light switch they're connected to is turned on. Check the wall or lamp switches for all your bulbs.
  • Check the brand: You can only add Hue-compatible bulbs to the Hue app. Official bulbs say Philips Hue on the bulbs themselves and Hue-compatible third-party bulbs should have a Hue logo on the packaging. Make sure you didn't mistakenly buy a different kind of Philips bulb instead.
  • Add the bulb manually: If the Hue app doesn't find your bulb automatically, you can add it manually instead. From the Add lights screen, tap Use serial number, then type the characters printed on your bulb.

2. You Can't Find the Hue Bridge

If you want multiple smart bulbs, or you plan to create Philips Hue automations with them, you need to use a Hue Bridge. This acts as a smart hub for your lighting setup, connecting all your bulbs to the internet and allowing you to control them when you're away from home.

Most Philips Hue starter kits come with a Hue Bridge, but you may need to buy one separately if you didn't get one. They can be a little pricey, which is one of the reasons we don't always love Philips Hue products.

To connect to your Hue Bridge, open the Hue app and go to Settings > My Hue System, tap the Add (+) button, and hit Add a Hue Bridge. Then click the circular button on the top of the Hue Bridge to enter pairing mode.

Searching for Hue Bridges animation in Hue app

If you can't find your Hue Bridge:

  • Make sure it's powered on: Connect your Hue Bridge to power using the supplied cable. You should see lights appear on the bridge when it turns on.
  • Connect it to your router: Use an Ethernet cable to connect your Hue Bridge directly to your router, allowing it to connect to the internet.
  • Connect to the same network: Make sure the device you're using is connected to the same network as your Hue Bridge. You typically need to connect over Wi-Fi even though the bridge connects with a cable.
  • Restart the Hue Bridge: If you still can't find the Bridge to pair with it, unplug the power cord and wait for 30 seconds before plugging it back in. Then wait two minutes for the bridge to start up before trying to pair again.

3. Your Philips Hue Lights Are Unreachable

After pairing your Philips Hue bulbs to the app, you might later find the lights say "Unreachable" and you can't turn them on or off anymore using your smartphone or other devices.

Unreachable lights in Philips Hue app

This is a common problem that you can usually fix with one of these quick tricks:

  • Make sure the light is switched on: You or someone else in your home may have switched off the Philips Hue bulb using the physical light switch. Make sure all the switches for your Hue bulbs are turned on to control them from the app.
  • Keep your bulbs within range: You can still use a Hue bulb far away from the Bridge as long as there are other Hue bulbs in between to act as a link. If you have one bulb far away from all the others, move it closer to the bridge or add another bulb in the middle to keep it in range.
  • Ensure your bulbs are still on the same Wi-Fi network: Check to ensure your bulbs are on the same network as your mobile phone.
  • Reboot your Wi-FI router: Rebooting your router can sometimes solve connectivity issues between your hue light and your network.

4. Your Philips Hue Bulbs Flicker or Buzz

The last thing you want from an expensive Philips Hue bulb is for the light to flicker or buzz. If that happens to your bulbs, it's usually because you connected them to a dimmer switch.

Although you can dim Philips Hue bulbs using the app, which is one of the advantages of smart bulbs, they don't work well with physical dimmer switches. Here are some steps you can take to fix it if that's the case:

  • Change to a different socket: Move your Philips Hue bulb to a socket that doesn't use a dimmer switch to see if that fixes the flickering or buzzing.
  • Get rid of the dimmer switch: If you want to keep your Philips Hue bulb in that socket, you may need to rewire the switch to get rid of the dimmer. You could change to a Wi-Fi light switch instead.
  • Try a different bulb: If your bulb continues to flicker or buzz, you might need to replace it. Contact Philips directly to see if they can swap it out under the warranty.

5. You Can't Reliably Control Your Philips Hue Bulbs

Sometimes your Philips Hue bulbs appear to connect seamlessly, but when you try to control them, they don't work properly. You might find your Hue bulbs turn on by themselves, don't change color, or don't respond to voice commands.

If you have any of these problems, here are a few tricks to try:

  • Check for software updates in the Hue app: Smart bulbs run their own software, which means you might need to update them. Open the Hue app and go to Settings > Software update to install new updates. Be prepared to wait several hours if you have a lot of bulbs to update.
  • Remove and re-add your bulbs: If one particular bulb is playing up, go to Settings > Lights then tap the relevant light and choose to Delete it from the Hue app. Now unplug the bulb from the socket, reconnect it, and pair with the app again.
  • Change your rooms and zones: It's possible the Hue app can't control your lights properly because it doesn't know where they are. Go to the Home tab in the Hue app, tap a Room, tap the Options (…) button, then choose to Edit Room to add or remove bulbs.

Maybe It's Time to Start From Scratch

You should be able to fix most problems with your Philips Hue bulbs using the troubleshooting tips above. If your Philips Hue bulbs are still not connected, unreachable, or flickering, you might need to unpair everything and start from scratch.

Open the Hue app and go to Settings > Hue Bridge settings > Clean up. This deletes all the data from your bridge, including saved automation and paired bulbs. You can also use the physical reset button on the back of the bridge.

Then remove and re-add every bulb in your house and follow the initial setup instructions again.