Can Philips Hue Change Colors Automatically?

There are many things that Philips Hue can do, from syncing your lights to movies, responding to thunderstorms, to using the lights to scare burglars. We are all aware of Philips Hue’s basic features, but have you ever wondered what other features it offers? At some stage, you must have wondered whether Philips Hue can change colors automatically.

Yes, Philips Hue can change colors automatically through some third-party apps and formulas like Living Scenes, OnSwitch, Thorlight, etc.

This article will go through the various ways through which you can make your Philips Hue change colors automatically.

Philips Hue RGB color lights

Philips Hue lights are a worthy investment if you want to create a unique home atmosphere and want to control your lights through your phone from anywhere around the world. The Philips Hue lights offer 16 million colors and shades of white light.

You can get the white bulbs and dim them, or buy the full RGB color bulb. If you want to change the light colors automatically, then you need to buy the full RGB color bulb because if you only have “White” or “White Ambiance,” then you cannot use them to change the colors automatically.

Also read: Why does Philips Hue bulb flash?

Hue bulbs diodes

Hue bulbs and light strips have the following diodes;

• Red diode
• Green diode
• Blue diode
• Cool white diode
• Warm white diode

You cannot appreciate these primary (red, blue, green) diodes separately. Therefore, you need a single diode, an RGB diode, which allows the three primary diodes (that control the color change) to operate as a single entity.

That being said, you will need a white diode and an RGB diode (some white diodes have cool and warm white diodes) to produce specific colors (white in particular). With the RGB and white diode, the Philips Hue can change color and give you natural white color.

Learn more about diodes and colors here!

10 ways to get your Philips Hue lights to change color automatically

1. Color Loop lab formula

You can enable the Color Loop lab formula by following the given steps below;

1. Open the Philips Hue app.
2. Go to the Explore section and tap on the Hue labs.
3. In the Formula section, search Color Loop.
4. Tap Try it.
5. Tap on Hue Lab Controls.
6. Toggle to activate the formula.

2. Living Scenes lab formula

You can access the Living Scenes lab formula through the same route you enabled the Color Loop formula. This formula differs from the Color Loop formula as it offers you a specific color pallet rather than giving you a wide range of colors to choose from, like the Color Loop formula.

What I mean is that you can choose between “evening sunset” colors or a “dinner party” vibe, and the formula will switch the two colors with an interval of fifteen seconds to two hours.

3. Match sunset and sunrise

The Philips Hue labs’ “Sunset to sunrise” lab formula sets your alarm according to your body’s circadian rhythm. The feature starts your day with a dim light which then gradually brightens to match your circadian rhythm. Hence you do not have to always wake up to the sounds of blaring alarms.

You can also opt for the dynamic wake-up alarm called the “Perfect Sunset” from the Hue app and choose the color that closely mimics the natural sunrise. You can cycle through various shades of orange to soft white.

4. Battle of light and dark formula (lightsabers)

The Battle of light and dark formula from the Hue lab seems like a great fit for star war fans. You can use red and blue lights to mimic the Lightsabers.

5. The OnSwitch app

The OnSwitch app is a third-party app that is compatible with LIFX and Hue smart bulbs. OnSwitch is available on both Play Store and App Store for you to download.

The OnSwitch app can stimulate fireworks lighting, disco lighting, candlelight lighting, and much more.

6. HueDynamics app

HueDynamics is a highly versatile app. It has great sounds and color effects, and the “ambiance” is great as well. Some features of this app are;

• Advanced Hue Disco and Party Mode
• Custom Photo Ambiances
• Dynamic lighting experience
• Advanced Hue Dimmer and Tap Programming
• Online Searchable Scene Gallery

7. Thorlight app

Thorlight is yet another great app that can control your Philips Hue lights. It includes fantastic features, including the ability to play over 50 painstakingly created animations, which can coordinate your Hue lights for powerful effects and know where your smart lights are located in an environment.

Your smart lighting system is made even more spectacular by the fact that you can play music while synchronizing your Hue bulbs through this app.

8. iLightShow app

If you want the Philips Hue light bulbs to change colors and flash lights automatically with the music you are playing, you will need the free iLightShow app. This app connects to Spotify and Apple Music, and syncs with Philips Hue bulbs.

9. Hue Disco app

The Hue Disco app was created especially for Philips Hue lights, creating mood lighting in your home. It can recognize music and other sounds in the area and automatically alter the lighting in your space.

10. Sync the lights to TV/movies

If you are looking for a theatrical experience in the comfort of your own home, then it is a great option to sync your Philips Hue lights with TV shows and movies you are watching.

You can easily integrate your TV, movie, or gaming session with your Hue lights using the Philips Hue HDMI Sync box, Hue Gradient light strips, and Hue Play Bars for an unrivaled immersive real-world experience.

Since these are costly choices, you can have a similar experience through the following third-party apps;

1. Hue Matcher: Aim the tablet’s camera at the TV to start syncing your movies and video games to Hue lights. Four lights can be positioned, one in each room corner. TV-centric Automatic color changes happen very quickly, and they only cost $1.
2. ScreenBloom: it is a MAC/PC app. You can use this if you do not want to use smartphones. You can use it to automatically change the color of your Philips Hue lighting by taking the average color of your screen and sending its value to those lights. Note that this app is only suitable for computer-based TV media.
3. Hue TV: works similar to Hue matcher. You can conveniently sync the lights to your smartphone.

Sync your lights to the weather outside

You can sync the Philips Hue lights to the weather outside. This is achievable through a variety of IFTTT applets, which let you do everything from turning your lights purple when it rains to making them blink as a kind of future weather alert when it snows!

Also read: Are Philips Hue lights waterproof?

Final thoughts on changing the colors of Philips Hue lights automatically

You can change the color of Philips Hue lights automatically through third-party apps or Hue lab formulas. Before you go on to avail this feature of the Philips Hue lights, you need to ensure that you have bought the RGB diode and the white diode because you need these diodes for the colors to change on their own.