Color
Clamped to the bulbs' Gamut CWhite
2700 K · 370 miredEffects
Run from this page on the ticked bulbs. With several bulbs, candle, fireplace, party and ocean give each bulb its own variation, and color loop spreads a rainbow across them. Keep the tab open while they play.
Timers
Use the bulbs ticked when you start the timer. Keep the tab and helper running.
Saved looks
Device
- Name
- —
Renaming uses an unofficial setting. If the bulb's firmware doesn't expose it, the button stays off.
Release bulbs
A Hue Bluetooth bulb accepts one connection at a time. Disconnecting frees it for another phone or app. Forgetting also removes it from the helper's saved list. Quitting the helper disconnects every bulb.
"This bulb" is the one chosen in Device.
Use on your phone
Scan the code with your phone's camera, or open this link on a phone that's on the same Wi-Fi as this Mac:
Not connected to Render yet. The Terminal window shows what's happening; a sleeping Render service takes about a minute to wake up.
The link contains a secret key, so only people you give it to can control your bulbs. The Mac does the Bluetooth part, so keep it awake, near the bulbs, with the helper running. Pairing prompts still appear on the Mac.
Phone access is off. Quit the helper, then start it with Start Hue Helper with Render.command (works from anywhere) or Start Hue Helper for Phone.command (home Wi-Fi only). This panel will then show a link and a QR code for your phone.
Shortcuts
One link per action, for a home-screen button, Siri or a widgetHow to put it on your phone
- Copy the link. Open the Shortcuts app and tap +.
- Add the action Get Contents of URL and paste the link.
- Name the shortcut, for example "Bedroom off". Siri runs it when you say that name.
- To get a button: tap the share icon, then Add to Home Screen. You can also add it as a widget, or to Back Tap (Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap).
- Easiest: install the free HTTP Shortcuts app, create a shortcut, paste the link, and place it on your home screen. It runs without opening a browser.
- Or open the link in Chrome, then menu → Add to Home screen. Tapping it opens a small page that shows ✓.
Shortcuts only work at home: the phone needs the same Wi-Fi, and the Mac must be awake with the helper running in phone mode. If a bulb dropped its connection, the shortcut reconnects it first.
Can't find or connect to a bulb?
- Close the old site. If the previous page is still open in a tab, on a phone or on another computer, it can still be holding the bulb. Close it, or turn Bluetooth off on that device.
- "Insufficient Encryption" means the bulb is paired to another device. Only that device can control it until the bulb is back in pairing mode.
- Reset with the lamp switch (no app or remote needed). Start with the bulb on. Turn it off for 2 seconds, then on for 8 seconds. Do this 5 times. The bulb pulses when it has reset. This works on recent bulb firmware. After a reset the bulb appears as a new device, so use Add bulbs, not Reconnect.
- Or use the Philips Hue app on the device that controls the bulb: Settings → Voice Assistants → Amazon Alexa (or Google Home) → Make Discoverable.
- Accept the Mac's prompts. macOS asks whether Terminal may use Bluetooth (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Bluetooth), and may ask to pair each bulb. Accept both. The helper waits about 30 seconds for the pairing prompt.
- Still not listed? Use "Show all Bluetooth devices" in Add bulbs. Hue bulbs sometimes advertise without a name.
Every setting on the bulb
Lists every service and value one bulb exposes. Read any of them, write raw bytes as hex (for example 01 or fe 00), or listen for changes. Writing unknown values can change bulb behaviour; a power-cycle usually restores it.
| Characteristic | Can | Value | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect a bulb, then scan. | |||