Philips Hue Guide: Unlock MotionAware, Mimic Presence, and Hidden Lighting Features

Master your Philips Hue system by discovering hidden features like MotionAware sensor-free detection, Mimic Presence for home security, and advanced automation timers to enhance your smart lighting experience.

Unlock Motion Sensing with MotionAware

Among the coolest brand-new Philips Shade functions is also one that’s limited to the new Hue Bridge Pro. Referred to as “MotionAware,” the attribute allows you transform your Shade lights right into activity sensing units, excellent for causing light scenes when individuals go into or leave an area.

When that’s ready, you’ll see your new timer with a “Play” button on top of your checklist of automations. Press the Play switch, and when the countdown ends, the timer will set off the illumination scene you picked.

Color lights can do greater than just shine in solid colors or white shade temperatures. They can also flicker, shimmer, and pulse in a variety of tones, perfect for simulating a candle, a fire place, or a lava lamp.

Advanced Security with Mimic Presence Mode

To trigger the “Mimic existence” mode, just locate it on the Automations tab and tap the “Play” switch, or “Quit” to shut off the mode. You can additionally set a Shade button to turn “Mimic presence” on or off, or map the setting to a Color smartphone widget.

As you’re configuring Hue Protection, it will certainly lead you through the process of setting up a light alarm. As an example, you’ll have the ability to make a decision which lights in your home ought to blink when the alarm is tripped, in addition to whether your lights must flash white or red.

MotionAware does have its foibles and as I just mentioned, it just collaborates with the Shade Bridge Pro, not the conventional Color Bridge. Still, it makes for an excellent method to promptly deploy activity areas throughout your home, and while the $98.99 Bridge Pro is about twice the cost of the regular bridge, it’s still more affordable than spending for private Hue movement sensing units in each area.

Atmospheric Lighting and Dynamic Effects

I discover the “discolor duration” setting particularly handy for smoothly transforming daytime light scenes from, state, a warm early morning glow to a cooler daytime appearance, all without making any individual in the area do a double-take. (The Tone application additionally has a “All-natural Light” scene that changes the light temperature level throughout the day, with an optional “shift time” between each time home window. Simply pick any of your Shade lights in an area, then touch the Results switch (the one with a sparkly symbol) next to the shade and white color temperature level controls. You’ll after that see a selection of light effects, depending on the kind of Color light you have actually chosen. Dimmable-only Hue white lights will certainly offer Candle light effects, while tunable and dimmable White Environment lights will add Glisten and Shimmer impacts.

Just trigger the “Mimic Presence” mode, and the Color app will instantly turn your lights on and off to “resemble the tasks that would certainly be expected in those sorts of areas,” perfect for scaring off intruders or any individual else thinking of slipping into your vacant home.

Besides such newer features as light alarm systems, “resemble existence,” and– flashiest of all– Hue’s motion-sensing MotionAware technology, there are likewise old favorites like light timers and fade periods. Taken together, these (often well hidden) functions can add gloss to your Color regimens, maintain your everyday routines on the right track, and even safeguard your home from potential burglars.

MotionAware works its magic by spotting disturbances in the cordless Zigbee signals used to attach Color lights to the bridge, and you’ll need at the very least three MotionAware-capable Tone lights in an area to made it possible for an activity zone.

A flashing light alarm, you can also create automations that activate light scenes when a Shade sensor finds task. I developed an automation that triggers an intense light scene in my downstairs home office whenever the upstairs kitchen door is opened, useful for letting me know when my child comes home from college.

Essential Setup for Hue Light Alarms

To utilize light alarms, you’ll need a supporting device such as a Shade Secure video camera, a Tone activity sensing unit (there are indoor and outside models), or a Hue call sensing unit. You’ll also need to enable the Hue Protection center (Settings > Security).

Simply select any of your Shade lights in a room, then touch the Effects button (the one with a sparkly icon) beside the shade and white color temperature level controls. You’ll after that see a variety of light results, relying on the sort of Tone light you’ve selected. Dimmable-only Shade white lights will certainly use Candle results, while dimmable and tunable White Ambience lights will include Glisten and Glimmer effects. While and Shade Feel lights get even more impacts, including Fireplace, Underwater, Universe, and Opal, all with different color options.

Navigating the Modern Hue App Interface

The Philips Tone app has grown in intricacy over the previous several years, with more and more new functions and settings being tucked right into the user interface. That makes it all as well very easy to miss out on the most up to date and biggest in Tone performance.

Touch the “+” button on the Automations display, then select the Timer choice. You’ll require to establish how long the timer should last (anywhere from a min to 24 hours), which room or areas will certainly be included (or your whole home, if you like), and which scene you would certainly like turned on when the timer finishes.

I find the “discolor period” setting particularly helpful for efficiently changing daytime light scenes from, claim, a cozy early morning radiance to a cooler daytime look, all without making anybody in the room do a double-take. (The Tone app likewise has a “Natural Light” scene that changes the light temperature throughout the day, with an optional “shift time” in between each time home window. I just take place to favor my very own scene setups.).

Right here’s an additional Hue feature that can help keep your home safe. Rather than using distinct alarm systems to prevent burglars, the Color app can trigger light-based alarm systems that quickly flash some or every one of your Hue lights, suitable for spooking criminals in addition to alerting your neighbors that something’s wrong.

Ben has been covering innovation and customer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor because 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has actually covered whatever from clever audio speakers and soundbars to smart lights and safety and security video cameras. Ben’s articles have actually additionally appeared in computer Publication, TIME, Wired, CNET, Males’s Health and fitness, Mobile Magazine, and much more. Ben holds a master’s level in English literature.

Fine-Tuning Fade Durations and Automation

Whenever you develop a customized automation (tap the Automations tab, then touch heaven “+” switch in the top-right edge of the display), the Fade Period alternative will appear as you’re establishing the start time for the regimen. The duration itself can last for anywhere between 5 minutes to an hour.

In my case, I drilled down to the setups for my Tone door and window sensing units (Settings > Devices > Sensors > Get In Touch With Sensors), selected the lights that I desired set off (Workplace), then adjust the Actions setups (” Intense” when the door is opened, “Go back to previous state” when the door is shut).

The “Mimic presence” feature is tucked right into a lengthy list of choices on the Automations screen. Tap it, pick several rooms, after that pick some or all the lights related to the space. You can likewise set the setting to run throughout the day, or when it’s dark outside.

If you see a “Play” symbol on a light scene, attempt tapping it; when you do, the scene will stimulate itself, pulsing delicately according to its very own rhythm. Touch the Edit button to alter the brightness or rate of the animation, or to make the scene animate itself by default.