![]() If you want to add a new bulb without a Hue Bridge, install the bulb and switch it on, then bring the Dimmer Switch close to it and press and hold the On button. Philips Hue bulbs work with a regular light switch, too, of course - even if you don't buy the Dimmer Switch or the Hue Bridge or any other accessory, you can turn the bulb on and off using the standard light switch on the wall.Įach Hue Dimmer Switch can support up to 10 bulbs. You can't control the color at all (one of the reasons you might consider buying a Hue Bridge), but it does give you some functionality. Straight away, you'll be able to use the Dimmer Switch to control the Hue bulb: turning it on and off, and adjusting the brightness. All you need to do is screw the bulb into a vacant socket, turn the light switch on, and then put the battery in the Dimmer Switch. If you buy a Hue Dimmer Switch bundled with a Hue bulb, they're already linked when you get them out of the box. Still, Alexa and Google Assistant play nice here, and you can also use Google's Seamless Setup feature to add Hue Bluetooth bulbs to a Google Assistant smart home without using a Hue Bridge. ![]() Creating an upstairs group might be a stretch, however, considering you need to be in Bluetooth range (hence the rooms limitation). You also can't group Bluetooth Hue bulbs into different rooms, although you can technically create groups in rooms, so you could do a "bathroom" and a "kitchen". This does come with limitations, though: you can only connect up to 10 bulbs, there's no remote control once you leave the house and third-party app integrations aren't supported. The added versatility may make Hue more appealing to anyone not ready to go "all in" by bringing the entry price down. In the past, that meant using a standalone Hue BT app, but it's all now been rolled into the same Hue app, for ease. Instead, you can simply screw the bulb in and connect it directly to your phone. Thanks to Bluetooth, one of those options is to not use a hub at all. In 2019, Signify discovered this miraculous standard called Bluetooth, and, since then, all Hue bulbs have offered both support alongside Zigbee, giving you options when it comes to setup. If you want to do it differently, however, read on for all the different ways you can avoid the Hue Bridge. It's worth pointing out that installing the Hue Bridge is the best way to go, as it gives you the best, most reliable control over your Hue smart lights, and access to all the functionality of the Hue apps. Philips Hue also has Bluetooth bulbs, giving you another way around the hub. Thanks to the Hue bulbs' compatibility with the Zigbee standard, there are other ways to get access to your Hue bulbs without all the official gear. What if you don't want the Hue Bridge, though? Well, the good news is that you haven't hit a dead end. Philips Hue offers one of the most comprehensive and versatile smart lighting ranges out there, and, typically, you're required to have the Philips Hue Bridge plugged into your router in order to control installed bulbs.
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