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I'm currently in a bit of a spring slump when it comes to exciting Hue topics. May and June should definitely be more interesting again. So today I'm taking a look at a question from the community. ManniHue would like to know: Is it possible to use the Hue app to realise that pressing a button on the dimmer switch switches a lamp on and then switches it off again after a set timer time?
In September 2022, Philips Hue presented the Lightguide series. Three stylish E27 glass light bulbs with an internal light tube were to be launched on the market at the time. However, sales were stopped a short time later and the Ellipse model was only launched a few months later. The Lightguide Globe and Triangular versions were postponed indefinitely.
While you previously had to take a diversion via the Siri shortcuts and had to make noticeable compromises in terms of design, native widgets have finally been available in the Philips Hue app since the update to version 5.14. This allows you to activate scenes from the home screen or lock screen and switch entire rooms or zones on and off.
The Philips Hue app has received another update and this is particularly interesting for users of an iPhone or iPad. After a long, long time, there are finally widgets for Philips Hue again. I'll explain exactly what you can expect in this article. Several years ago, the widgets in iOS could still be found in the Today view, and Philips Hue widgets were already available back then.
In January 2023, Philips Hue launched a surprising cooperation with Samsung in the TV environment: the Hue Sync TV app was born. It can be used to synchronise lights to match the screen, regardless of where the picture content comes from. It is supported. The app is available on all 2022 devices from the Q60 model upwards and can be easily installed via the App Store, albeit for a hefty 129.99 euros.
Today I would like to deal with a question that has certainly been dealt with somewhere and somehow here on the blog. However, Hueblog reader Dennis has contacted our community with a question and is once again looking for an answer. I would of course like to provide him with an answer, but first of all here is his (summarised) question.
Over the past seven years, Philips Hue has repeatedly tried out small and useful new functions and made them available in Hue Labs. Some of the features made available there for testing even made it into the Hue app. But that's all over now: As Philips Hue has announced in a support document, Hue Labs will be discontinued in June 2024.
This afternoon, Philips Hue released another update in the App Store: version 5.13.0 of the official app is now available for download. And once again, a lot has changed – even more than can be read in the update description in the App Store. For example, the latest version of the app makes it much easier to edit and then save an existing scene.
In March 2024, Ikea launched a new smart socket on the market. It's called Ikea Tretakt and costs just €7.99. The plug is currently sold out in the online shop, but is in stock in many furniture stores. And for just 2 euros more, you can also get Tretakt in a bundle with Rodret, a wireless remote control.
When I took a look at the Hue app on the overcast days, something struck me as odd. The start page with the overview of the rooms seemed so empty. However, I didn't immediately realise what exactly was missing. It was only a comment from a reader that put me on the right track.
Fabian