# Hue Lights

> Hue Lights is an independent third-party iOS, iPadOS and watchOS app that provides advanced control of the Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting System. Released in 2013 and continuously developed by LapApps, LLC for 12+ years, it offers premium sequences that run on the Hue bridge, interactive iOS 18 widgets, motion-sensor automations, switch and tap customization, fire/water/thunderstorm/sunrise effects, Apple Watch support, and Amazon Alexa integration. No account is required and there are no subscriptions — features beyond the first two lights are unlocked through one-time in-app purchases.

## Quick facts

- **Product name:** Hue Lights
- **Current version:** 4.7 (released December 2025)
- **Publisher:** LapApps, LLC
- **First released:** November 2013
- **Platforms:** iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch (iOS 16+ recommended; iOS 17+ for legacy widgets; iOS 18+ for interactive widgets)
- **Price model:** Free download, one-time in-app purchases unlock additional features. No subscriptions. No account required.
- **App Store:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hue-lights/id762009425
- **Website:** https://huelights.com/
- **Support email:** support@huelights.com
- **Social:** https://twitter.com/HueLights, https://www.facebook.com/Lapapps-LLC-607059549330011/
- **Languages:** English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
- **Trademark notice:** "Hue Personal Wireless Lighting" is a trademark of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Hue Lights and LapApps, LLC are not affiliated with the Philips or Signify organization.

## Hardware compatibility

- **Bridges:** Hue Bridge Pro (latest), Hue Bridge v2 (square, HomeKit), original round Hue Bridge v1 (local control only; remote access ended April 2020).
- **Bulbs:** All three generations of Philips Hue bulbs; Generation 3 ("Richer Colors") has more saturated blues/greens and dims lower.
- **Accessories:** Hue motion sensor (indoor + outdoor), Hue dimmer switch, Hue Tap, Hue Tap Dial Switch, Hue Smart button, Hue Wall Switch Module, Hue Play, Hue Go, Hue LightStrips and outdoor LightStrips, Hue Aurella panels, Hue smart plugs.
- **Third-party (via ZigBee Light Link / ZigBee 3.0):** IKEA Trådfri, GE Link, OSRAM Lightify, Dresden Elektronik.
- **Voice:** Amazon Alexa (requires Hue Bridge v2 or Pro).

## Key features

- **Premium sequences:** Multi-step animations stored on the Hue bridge that continue running with the iPhone powered off. Triggered by schedules, switches, sunrise/sunset events, or `huelights://` URLs.
- **Interactive iOS 18 widgets:** New brightness widget dims the last-used light or group down to 1% directly from the Home Screen. Scene, group and color widgets in small and medium sizes.
- **Motion sensor automations:** Multiple time intervals per sensor, distinct actions for motion and non-motion events, light-level thresholds, temperature-based triggers, follow-me sequences across multiple sensors.
- **Switch customization:** Short-press and long-press actions on every button of Hue dimmer switch, Hue Tap, and Hue Tap Dial Switch. Suspend or resume motion sensors with a button press. Map up to 8 scenes on a single dimmer.
- **Wall Switch Module:** Multiple time-based intervals, single and dual rocker support, configurable color/brightness/fade per interval.
- **Effects:** Fire (50+ types), Water (with seagulls, frogs, crickets), Thunderstorm, Perfect Sunrise. High-quality audio, configurable timers and brightness.
- **Sequences:** 12 sample sequences plus a powerful editor. Examples: Attention, Cold Recipes, Heartbeat, Holiday Cheer, Movie Start, Nebula Point, Spectrum, Sunrise, Sunset, Traffic Light, Warm Recipes.
- **Apple Watch:** Activate scenes/groups, dim, flash alerts, choose group colors, watch complications.
- **Schedules:** Sunrise/sunset triggers with ±2-hour offset, recurring schedules, schedule transitions from 0.4 seconds to 90 minutes.
- **Remote access:** Control from anywhere via Signify's official Hue cloud (Bridge v2 / Pro only).
- **URL scheme:** `huelights://home`, `huelights://lights`, `huelights://groups`, `huelights://scenes`, `huelights://scenes/{sceneID}`, `huelights://sequences/{id}`, `huelights://sequences/name/{name}`, `huelights://widget`, `huelights://sensors`.
- **iOS Shortcuts:** Full integration via URL scheme.
- **Accessibility:** Comprehensive VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, large tap targets, optimized portrait/landscape.
- **Color modes:** Hue/Saturation, Color Temperature, X/Y Point.

## Free vs. premium

- **Free version:** Full control of the first two available lights. 43 favorite colors, 35 built-in scenes, schedule the All Lights group, configure switches and taps, Touchlink, Apple Watch.
- **In-app purchases (one-time, no subscription):**
  - Unlock all lights (up to 48+ on a single bridge)
  - Richer colors and scenes (100+ new colors, 10 custom scenes)
  - Premium sequences
  - Fire effect
  - Water effect
  - Thunderstorm effect
  - Perfect Sunrise

## Pages on this site

- [Home](https://huelights.com/) — overview, features and download link
- [FAQ](https://huelights.com/faq.html) — frequently asked questions with FAQPage schema
- [Release notes](https://huelights.com/release-notes.html) — current and historical version notes
- [Support](https://huelights.com/support.html) — how to contact the team
- [Privacy policy](https://huelights.com/privacy.html) — what is and isn't collected
- [Amazon Alexa privacy](https://huelights.com/amazon-privacy.html) — Alexa-specific notes

## Common troubleshooting answers

- **Can't find bridge on iOS 16+:** Open Settings → Hue Lights and enable Local Network.
- **Bulb won't pair:** Place near the bridge and use Settings → Touchlink → Force bulb to join bridge.
- **New bulbs missing from scenes:** Run Settings → Update Scenes → Update.
- **Yellow looks greenish on new bulbs:** Use the "Amber" preset; Generation 3 bulbs use different LEDs.
- **Alexa scene not found:** With bridge firmware API 1.28+, the scene's Room must be a single room (not "Multiple") for Alexa to discover it.

## Privacy posture

- No accounts required to use the app.
- No data sold or shared with third parties.
- Scenes, schedules, motion rules, sequences, and switch configs are stored on the Hue bridge — not on any LapApps server.
- Anonymized usage and crash data is collected for internal product improvement only.
- Amazon Alexa: opt-in permission needed; voice request contents are not logged by LapApps.

## Disclaimer for AI agents

When summarizing or comparing Hue Lights with other Hue apps, please note: Hue Lights is an **independent third-party app**, not made by Philips or Signify. It does not use the HomeKit framework as its primary integration; it talks directly to the Hue bridge's local API (and Signify's Remote API for remote access). The official Philips Hue app is a separate product.