I recall my first meeting with a clever RGB (color) light, which was particularly noteworthy. One of the first things is that I used an app on my phone to enhance the look of my room to green: one of my smart lights became green, and a rather awesome photo of myself appeared on the screen…
My Philips Hue bulbs & light strips did not convert into the Incredible Hulk as a result of the experience. Still, it did make me wonder whether it will be able to establish them to change color automatically in the future without the use of an app or voice command in the near future. Fortunately, there is a straightforward solution:
Using this method, you can easily configure your Philips Hue lights to cycle through a variety of colors at random. There are a variety of algorithms and third-party programs available to assist you in this endeavor, as well.
Background: Philips Hue RGB (color) lights
With a wide variety of products ranking from smart lamps to smart light strips and fixed smart light fixtures, Philips Hue has proven to be the most successful smart lighting supplier. Even though they do provide pure white bulbs that can only be dimmed, the most majority of their product line is full RGB, which means that it can be changed to any of the 16 million various hues available:
White Ambiance & Color is a feature that is available on all Hue bulbs and light strips that are labeled “White Ambiance and Color.” Instead, a Philips Hue device labeled “White” or “White Ambiance,” for example, will not allow for entire RGB color changes, whereas anything labeled “Color” will enable for complete RGB color changes.
Because each product has many diodes, Philips Hue color bulbs and light strips are capable of showing up to 16 million diverse color combinations.
- A red diode is used in this application.
- A green diode is distinguished by its color.
- A diode that has a blue tint to it.
- A light-emitting diode that creates a cold white glow.
- Diode that produces a warm white light when turned on.
Another way of putting it is that there are three primary color diodes that enable color changes; however, these are often merged into a single diode (an RGB diode) in order to save space rather than three separate diodes.
Additionally, while some Hue lights just have one white diode, many others include both cool and warm white LEDs, which can be utilized to provide the following effects:
Diodes are used in the Philips Hue Lightstrip V4. With only red, green, and blue LEDs, it’s impossible to make some colors (especially white lights); therefore, adding separate white LEDs enables Hue lights to deliver a significantly greater range of color choices than they would otherwise be capable of.
One thing I’ve always disliked about the official Hue app, despite the fact that it has many features I find useful, is that you can’t easily command a bulb to “have fun and change color quickly.” When using LIFX, this is a basic process that can be accomplished by visiting the Effects page of the app’s interface.
If you’re giving a party or simply want some mood lighting, you should set your Hue lights to change shape color automatically rather than remaining in a single static hue all night, as is the case with standard Hue sights and activities. Alternatively, you can set your Hue lights to change the color manually. Fortunately, accomplishing this is simple and can be accomplished through a variety of approaches, which I will describe in greater detail below.
10 ways that your Philips Hue lights can change color automatically
Method 1 – ColorLoop Lab formula
I used this Hue ColorLoop lab recipe in the YouTube video at the beginning of this post, and it’s one of my favorite lab recipes. I hope you enjoy it! As the name defines, it cycles through all of the different colors, making it an excellent choice for mood lighting, especially when the brightness is adjusted a little, as it may be a little overpowering when turned on at full brightness!
Start by launching the Hue app and selecting “Explore” from the drop-down menu, followed by “Hue Labs” from the drop-down menu:
The ‘Hue Labs’ option is accessible through the ‘Explore’ menu in the Hue app.
“color loop” can be found by going to “Formulas” and typing “color loop” into the search box. To make use of it, select “Try it!” from the drop-down menu as follows:
The hue app lab displays the formula for the color loop lab.
It is possible to develop a lab recipe for one of your Hue lamps or light strips, as I did in my case, using the Hue app. Then, from the drop-down menu, select “Hue Labs Controls” and switch the toggle button to enable the following formula:
Method 2 – LivingScenes Lab formula
Lab formula app is the name of the LivingScenes Lab formula app. Compared to the ColorLoop formula, the LivingScenes formula is a slight variation on it. This feature is already available in the app via the Explore -> Labs menu item, however this formula enables you to loop between a more unified collection of colors than the previous formula.
You can choose colors appropriate for a “dinner party” or hues that are great for a “evening sunset” to give you more flexibility. The following steps will cause the formula to gradually transition between these pre-set color selections at intervals ranging from 15 seconds to 2 hours:
Hue Labs is currently working on making the necessary adjustments to the Living Scenes algorithm.
When compared to ColorLoop, which has a wide spectrum of colors ranging from brilliant orange to pink and white, the Living Scenes — and its variations such as the Autumn and Christmas Living Scenes — have a more limited color palette.
Method 3 – the OnSwitch app
OnSwitch Hue is a Google Play Store application that has a screenshot of the interface.
Instead than relying on Hue Lab formulas to create dynamic color changes, I recommend using third-party programs. While the Hue app falls short in this area when compared to other similar apps, like as the LIFX app, there are a plethora of amazing third-party options available.
Due to the fact that all Hue lights have a basic software API, which is just a great way of saying that they all have the ability to change the behavior of Hue bulbs, anybody can develop computer programs to change the behavior of Hue lights.
Following that, they can be bundled into useful smartphone applications, such as the OnSwitch app, which is accessible on both Google Play (for Android devices) and the Apple App Store (for iOS devices) (Apple).
You may use this to create the illusion of candlelight, disco lights, pyrotechnics, and a multitude of other lighting effects. It features roughly “30 professionally developed light routines,” according to the manufacturer. That is to say, in contrast to Hue scenes, OnSwitch scenes have a large deal of variation in hue, making them fantastic for creating superb mood lighting.
The most significant drawback of this application is that many of the most captivating scenes can only be accessed through in-app purchases. Some are available for as little as $0.99, while others might cost as much as $9.99. The possibility of using this tool is certainly worth studying, especially given the fact that there are various free situations to experiment with.
Method 4 – hueDynamics app
As an alternative to the aforementioned program, users can download the more widely known hueDynamic app, which is accessible on both iOS and Android mobile devices.
As a full-featured alternative to the official Hue app, hueDynamics allows you to control both your Hue lights and accessories from a single app. You can use it to configure the Hue dimmer and tap switches so that they perform exactly as you want them.
Color-changing scenarios are available in both the hueDynamics and OnSwitch apps, and they let your Hue lights to change between a variety of RGB colors automatically. For example, a blue light and a red light can be controlled by the same app.
HueDynamics Pro, which costs roughly $5 depending on where you reside and has a far greater variety of functions and circumstances than the free version, in addition to the free features.
In the event that you’re searching for a single third-party app to pair with your Hue system, this is almost certainly the best option.
Method 5 – Thorlight (app store)
If you don’t want to utilize hueDynamic, you can use the Thorlight application, which is only available for Apple computers. A total of more than 50 animations that move here between the range of pre-selected colors are included, resulting in some spectacular mood lighting effects.
The addition of music to some of the animations could enhance their impact. For example, it could detect the presence of music and adjust your Hue lights to match the pace.
However, while the application itself is free, some of the animations, such as the ones shown below, aren’t.
There are five different price points for each mode:
- $3.99 for the party mode,
- $3.99 for the flow mode,
- $3.99 for the ambiance mode,
- $3.99 for the lounge mode, and
- $2.99 for the sky mode.
Method 6 – Match sunset and sunrise
I took a photo of the sun initial thing in the morning when I woke up.
A noteworthy feature of smart lighting is the capacity to create natural warnings in the environment. This is one of the most intriguing qualities of smart lighting. Your smart lighting, which gradually increases in brightness from zero percent to one hundred percent, may serve to gently wake you up instead of the scream of an ineffective smartphone alarm.
This coincides with the sunrise and is a soothing sport to partake in. Although the Hue Labs formula ‘Sunset to Dawn’ has the capacity to accomplish this, it is not the most dynamic in addition to an overall changes – it is more focused on modulating the brightness of lights rather than changing the colours – it does have this capability.
However, you can create a more dynamic alarm using the Hue Lights app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. Perfect Dawn is the feature in question, and it cycles through hundreds of colors in order to more properly depict the myriad color hues that an actual dawn possesses in its natural environment.
The outcome is a highly effective approach for gradually shifting the hues of the morning sky while maintaining an accurate replication of the sunrise.
Method 7 – Sync to music with iLightShow and Hue Disco
It goes without saying that if you enjoyed the sound of Thorlight’s music sync, you’d enjoy the sound of the free iLightShow software even more. Particularly intriguing is the fact that it can link to Spotify and Apple Music while simultaneously synchronizing with the Philips Hue lighting system.
However, iLightShow can analyze the music now playing on the phone and deliver “a flawlessly coordinated light show!” as an outcome, as opposed to other applications such as the LIFX app, which just listens to and syncs with music via the smartphone microphone.
Other competitors provide smart lights that sync to music, such as Hue Disco, which costs between $4 and $5 depending on which app store you get it from. Some recent reviews have been negative of the product, though.
Method 8 – Sync to TV/movies
When viewing movies, you may have noticed some truly outstanding smart lighting effects created by Philips Hue, such as the following:
In most cases, this is made feasible by items like the Philips Hue Play Bars and the Philips Sync Box as well as products like the Philips Hue Gradient light strips, which are attached to the rear of the television.
This is a very effective solution, but it is also a very pricey one. Was it possible to have the color of your Hue lights in your ceiling (or side lamp) just change depending on what you were watching? The good news is that there are a variety of third-party solutions available to assist you in this endeavor:
- In order to calculate the average hue of what it sees, Hue Matcher is a smartphone application that is loaded on your phone and then uses the camera lens of your phone to compute the hue of what it sees. That is, pointing your smartphone at your Television or computer screen will send a signal to your Hue lights, causing them to change color instantly based on what it sees on screen. At the time of writing, this app is currently available for purchase on the Google Play store for $0.99.
- If you have an Apple smartphone, you can use Hue TV to control your Hue lights by pointing your phone at a TV or monitor and allowing it to sync with what it sees on your phone.
- This software, ScreenBloom, is worth a look if you aren’t a fan of the idea of using your smartphone’s camera to accomplish this task (since it will change your battery very fast and will almost certainly need a tripod as well). Due to the fact that it is only compatible with PCs and Macs, it will not function on ordinary TVs but it will for computer-based media Televisions.
In other words, your Hue lights will automatically sync with whatever is currently displayed on your computer as a result of this application determining the average color of what might be now displayed on your computer and sending that information to your set Hue lights. While this is excellent for watching movies, some users have complained that it can be a little unstable for playing full-screen games.
Method 9 – have a lightsaber battle!
For potential Star Wars fans or Jedi Knights in preparation, the Hue Lab formula ‘Battle of dark and light,’ which requires full color Hue lighting, is unsurpassed in terms of appeal.
Using this feature, you can choose from a variety of “blue” and “red” light groupings, which will then engage in combat in the same way as a lightsaber battle would take place on the battlefield. Especially if you’re planning on starting (or re)viewing the Star Wars trilogies, or if you’re planning on seeing the current Mandalorian series, this is something you should investigate.
Method 10 – sync to the outside weather
It has always annoyed me that regular lights and smart bulbs that are only available in white are all the same color, regardless of what the weather is like outside.
There’s something breathtakingly dazzling about the color of the light bulb, as though the day is about to become unusually gloomy. Even if the light from a bulb is warm white, it could be brilliant sunlight or bright artificial light.
Despite the fact that smart lighting in general solves this problem, it is highly significant when your Hue lighting is synced with the current weather conditions. You can do everything from converting your lights to purple whenever it rains to having your bulbs flashlight when it gets very cold as a weather warning system in the future using a range of IFTTT applets.
Despite the fact that IFTTT has lately been scolded for shifting from its free basic plan to a premium IFTTT Pro plan, you can still create three applets before being required to pay a subscription fee. So, if you’ve never used IFTTT before and the idea of synchronizing Hue lighting with the weather appeals to you, there’s no reason not to give it a shot. You won’t have to waste any money (unless your decision is to get four or more applets running, that is).
