Philips Hue lights are more than just bulbs that you can control from your smartphone. They can get so many features from third-party apps. One such feature is the ability to automatically turn on when you wake up (or turn off when you fall asleep.)
This feature only works halfway with the official Philips Hue app, as you can set a time for certain lights to turn on, off, or dim. But it works even better when paired with your alarm clock app or Fitbit so the lights turn on precisely when you wake up. They can even fade gradually if you wish.
If you use your iPhone or Android phone as an alarm clock in the morning, the Sleep Cycle app can be linked to your Philips Hue lights. As well as being a good all-round alarm clock that tracks your sleep patterns and wakes you up at an optimal time, a premium feature can automatically turn on your Philips Hue lights when you wake up. Even better, it can slowly turn them on to full brightness in the time before your alarm goes off.
Note: Since this is a premium feature, to enable Philips Hue integration you must have already paid for Sleep Cycle or subscribe to the Premium service in the app.
Tap Settings in the Sleep Cycle app and scroll to choose Philips Hue . Turn it on, then press the button on your Hue Bridge to connect to the app. Now that Sleep Cycle has access to your lights, you can see all of your options.
First, press Lights to choose which lights you want to turn on or off based on your sleep schedule. Next, adjust the brightness slider to your liking.
When you fall asleep, you can opt for the lights to turn off immediately or intelligently. If you choose Immediate , they will turn off as soon as you set your alarm. Choose Smart will close them while you fall asleep.
Then in the morning the lights can be turned on slowly before waking up as previously described or immediately upon waking.
Finally, the Energy saving setting will turn off the lights after waking up. You can either disable this option to keep the lights on, or choose 20 minutes, 60 minutes, or immediately after the alarm stops.
If you don't want to use the Sleep Cycle alarm app with your Philips Hue lights, you can always have IFTTT work around your sleep schedule instead. For example, if you have a Fitbit that tracks your sleep, you can enable a recipe to turn on your lights when you wake up.
Or if you have a very consistent schedule, you can simply set a time for your Hue lights to turn on each morning. Even flash them to remind you when you're going to be late for work. The possibilities are endless with IFTTT.
Browse existing recipes on IFTTT or create your own. Just be sure to connect to the necessary channels and, for the purposes of this article, connect to your Philips Hue lights.
