Philips Hue App Gains Support for Widgets

The Philips Hue app was today updated to version 5.14, adding support for widgets. Hue widgets can be added to the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Today View, and can be used for controlling lights and other accessories.

philips hue app widget
Widgets come in small, medium, and large sizes with the largest widget supporting eight actions or scenes. ‌Widgets‌ can be tailored to the entire Hue bridge or to lights that are located in specific rooms, so you can set up a widget for each of your rooms if desired.

Each of the actions can be customized, and you can choose a scene from the Hue app or opt to turn lights in certain rooms on or off. Dimming lights is not an option, nor is activating automations, but some of that can be done through scenes. Adding a widget is a useful way to control frequently accessed lights or scenes.

Along with widgets, the update also improves Friends of Hue switches like the Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch. Switches now support time-based light, the scene cycle mode, the natural light scene, and more.

The Philips Hue app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. It is designed to work with Philips Hue lights and accessories.

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Top Rated Comments

alexandr Avatar
9 months ago
I run all my Hue lights through the Home app — can't stand the native Hue app, it's just blah. But good for them, I suppose.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
9 months ago
Why wouldn’t you just use the Home app/shortcuts for this? Seems like a waste of development effort
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
9 months ago
That screenshot leaves me confused. It strikes me as a poor UX design. Very little distinction between "On" and "Off", and the themed scenes don't indicate their On/Off status at all. Am I confused?

Not a Hue user, so won't affect me, but seems like a missed opportunity to do a better job at the design.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan23 Avatar
9 months ago

Why wouldn’t you just use the Home app/shortcuts for this? Seems like a waste of development effort
People who have hue lights but not a HomeKit hub or any other smart home stuff?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
victorvictoria Avatar
9 months ago
At this point, I'm not buying any smart home devices or items that aren't HomeKit or Matter compatible. I'll stick with Meross lightbulbs for the time being.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Neil Harrison Avatar
9 months ago
Widgets are blank. Can they improve the HomeKit integration
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)