TL;DR
- The Philips Hue app has launched multi-bridge help, permitting customers to hyperlink a number of Hue Bridges right into a single house system.
- This implies you possibly can handle all of your Hue lights, no matter which Bridge they’re linked to, from a single “Residence” inside the app.
- Beforehand, customers needed to handle every Bridge individually, making it cumbersome for properties with a number of hubs.
Philips Hue, a number one identify in good lighting identified for its huge compatibility with varied good house platforms, has simply made a big improve to its system. Whereas many Hue merchandise supply Bluetooth connectivity for standalone use, they shine brightest when paired with the Philips Hue Sensible Hub (generally referred to as the Hue Bridge). For these with in depth Hue setups spanning bigger areas or a number of flooring, counting on two or extra Hue Bridges has been a typical resolution.
Nonetheless, managing these separate bridges typically meant juggling between totally different “Properties” inside the Philips Hue app. That’s all altering with the newest replace to the Philips Hue app. As of model 5.31, customers can now hyperlink a number of Hue Bridges inside a single house setup within the app, enabling unified management over all linked lights. (h/t: Hue Weblog)
The multi-bridge performance wasn’t closely marketed. As a substitute, it quietly rolled out with the app replace, with no particular point out within the App Retailer launch notes. To reap the benefits of this new performance, begin by updating your Philips Hue app to model 5.31 or later. Right here’s a step-by-step information:
- Navigate to the settings menu within the Hue app.
- Beneath the “Residing areas” part, you’ll see a message studying: “Do a number of Properties truly type a single Residence? Now you can place the Bridges collectively in a single Residence, which makes management a lot simpler.” Faucet on this immediate to start the setup.
- The app will information you thru an automatic migration course of. Choose the Bridge you need to add to your predominant “Residence.”
The migration will depart the secondary Bridge operational however take away its earlier “Residence” designation, consolidating the whole lot below one unified house system. As soon as that is accomplished, you possibly can then organize the rooms and zones from each Bridges to fit your preferences.
It’s value noting that if the Bridge you’re migrating is linked to a Hue Safe system, you’ll have to quickly disconnect the Safe cameras and re-add them later.
Whereas the multi-bridge help is a big step ahead, it does have some limitations as of now. Full integration with Amazon Alexa for properties with a number of bridges will not be but obtainable, and controlling lights on one Bridge utilizing switches and sensors from one other bridge can also be not at the moment supported.
Nonetheless, the report mentions that some superior options already work seamlessly with this multi-Bridge help. As an illustration, triggering a lightweight alarm through the Hue app or a Safe accent can activate lights throughout all linked Bridges, making certain house-wide protection for safety alerts.
We will anticipate Philips to handle the present limitations in future updates, additional enhancing the multi-Bridge expertise. For now, customers with in depth Hue setups can rejoice within the newfound comfort of controlling all their lights extra seamlessly.
