FabianOnce again, Philips Hue’s attempt at secrecy didn’t really work out. After the Philips Hue Wall Light Module for Nanoleaf Shapes appeared at Home Depot in Canada earlier this week, Philips Hue has now posted a complete support page on its own website dedicated to Nanoleaf integration. And there we find some exciting information.
Let’s start with the basics. What exactly can you do with the Wall Light Module? Here’s what Philips Hue tells us:
- Easy setup, mount, and connect to your Nanoleaf panels
- Integrate Nanoleaf panels into Hue rooms and zones so they can be part of scenes and automations
- Enables control via the Hue app, Hue accessories, and voice assistants
What I find even more exciting is the note that follows immediately afterward: “Once connected, your Nanoleaf panels behave like a Hue light, ready to be used across your entire smart lighting setup.”
And then we learn exactly what I had already suspected: Multiple Nanoleaf panels arranged in a row are controlled in the Hue app like a gradient light strip. So you move the light points on the color wheel, and the Philips Hue Wall Light Module makes the Nanoleaf panels glow with a matching color gradient.
Nanoleaf Shapes seem to work even without the Nanoleaf app
It’s also very interesting that Philips Hue doesn’t mention the Nanoleaf control unit at all when it comes to setup and installation. And in the product images, only the Hue module is connected. It seems you can connect the Nanoleaf Shapes to the new Wall Light Module entirely without the Nanoleaf app.
However, parallel operation is apparently possible, though there are some limitations. The support document states:
- Nanoleaf scenes, music visualizations, touch gestures, and Nanoleaf effects are not displayed or controlled in the Hue app
- If a Hue entertainment sync, automation, or alert is triggered (for example, a doorbell or light alarm), Hue will override any active Nanoleaf effect and will not automatically resume the last effect.
Overall, this sounds like a pretty exciting development and should certainly boost sales of the Nanoleaf Shapes in the Hexagon, Triangle, and Mini Triangle variants.
