Why does Philips Hue keep crashing on Pixel or in the Scene Gallery?
Recent reviews strongly support this concern. Reviewers describe crashes when opening or scrolling the Hue Scene Gallery, crashes on launch, and failures on Pixel phones and Android beta builds. One later review says the gallery crash was fixed in a new version, but still describes lag while scrolling, so the experience may depend on app version and device.
Crashing while scrolling scenes in my Pixel 11 Pro. Unusable
Now the app doesn't open at all on my pixel 10 pro... before it was only when I went to the scene gallery.
They fixed the crashing bug in gallery in the new version, so now I can finally adjust my light presets. It's still a bit laggy when scrolling but otherwise the app now functions for its purpose.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Philips Hue require a login to use lights?
Several reviewers object to account access becoming part of everyday light control. Complaints include forced logins, sign-in loops, password-reset emails not arriving, and being logged out while lights remain on. If you want local-style control without account friction, these reviews are a warning sign.
Philips hue is forcing logins to use the system, after over a decade of no logins. I'll throw away my $4k system if it is forced. completely unacceptable.
Not possible to login anymore. Keeps in a loop of loging in. As a result not able to use Hue products anymore. Delete app not helping.. Reset password not helping..
Always fun to have every light in your house on because you get logged out of the Hue app and can't sign in again. I love that we need to remember a password to have lights now. Idiocy.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Do I need a Hue Bridge for Philips Hue automations, Alexa, or other features?
The app listing itself says some features require a Philips Hue Bridge, and reviews show that this matters in practice. Reviewers without a bridge complain about Alexa, automation, setup, and feature access. If you plan to use more than basic light control, check whether your intended feature requires a bridge before buying hardware.
can't use Alexa without a hub
The lights work great but why do you need to buy a stupid $130 AUD "Hue Bridge" device just to bloody automate the lights turning on lol. I'm not wasting money like that so Everytime I have to turn on the lights I have to use the app.
it's basically a giant ad that lets you turn your lights on and off everything else requires a bridge... even cheap Amazon smart bulbs can at least be on a custom routine.. 20% of the app is for your lights 80% is for ads
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Is Philips Hue easy to set up and connect devices?
The reviews are mixed. Some users call setup straightforward, but many complaints focus on pairing and device connection: QR-code scanning, slow bulb connection, failed updates, serial-number entry, non-Hue Zigbee devices, and bridge migration. Setup may be smooth for standard Hue devices, but the review sample raises real concerns for troubleshooting, migrations, and non-standard setups.
No offense to the developers, but the app is terrible. The transition from just lights into a bridge was incredibly slow, not intuitive, the bulbs took super long in connecting, the updates take forever and they kept failing.
it is ridiculous. connecting non hue lamps needs seventeen clicks. connecting other non hue zigbee devices is impossible. why even use zigbee if you don't support it
The setup is straightforward, and the app features intuitive scene galleries, smooth dimming, and scheduling automations .
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Are Philips Hue automations flexible enough?
Reviewers who discuss automations often want more flexibility than the app gives them. Complaints include custom scenes not being available in automations, limited sunrise or sunset options, awkward workarounds for simple behavior, and an AI-created automation overwriting existing settings. There are also positive mentions of scheduling, but automation depth is a recurring frustration.
Automations cannot be set to custom scenes. For example, I have a room with 9 lights. At midnight I want one scene to come on. When I set up the automation I cannot access my custom scenes. Only the apps default. Making most custom automation worthless.
It works as a basic control app for our lighting, but there are some design decisions that just baffle me. For starters, the music sync option is limited to just Spotify. It would be nice if they took into consideration people using other popular apps like YouTube Music or Google. l also noticed only certain automations have the option to sync with sunrise or sunset. I just want a simple automation that lets me fade the lights after sunrise, but that's simply not an option.
It works, the lights keep going. But the automations and features that are offered are honestly pathetic. Changing simple parameters or making simple commands, when it's even possible, requires stupid workarounds. I've been fighting with this app for over 6 years and it hasn't gotten any better. I've had smart bulbs that cost $2.50 with automation capabilities far beyond what this app offers. We should get way more for what these lights cost.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Philips Hue show ads or push shopping and AI features?
Yes, some reviewers complain that the app includes unwanted promotional or non-core elements. The complaints mention pop-ups, a shopping cart on the light-control page, AI features, and a feeling that the app is more ad-heavy than a paid-hardware companion should be.
Ads are out order. Look Philips, we pay you a considerable amount of money for your hardware, and it's generally worth it for the quality and the simplicity of control provided by your app. But you've started putting pop-ups over the top when I open the app. Not only is it annoying, but it is offensive to someone who bought the hardware. Please stop doing it.
bug reports: crashes when browsing scene gallery on pixel 11 pro. cleared cache/storage and signed in again - still reproduces. creating a scene, then removing a light from a scene - removed light often blinks on when selecting the scene. feedback: enshittification adding non core product functionality to the light control page is tacky design - shopping cart should not be on the page used to control my home lights. ai warning don't need or want AI on my light switch app.
it's basically a giant ad that lets you turn your lights on and off everything else requires a bridge... even cheap Amazon smart bulbs can at least be on a custom routine.. 20% of the app is for your lights 80% is for ads
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
How good are Philips Hue widgets on Android?
Android widget feedback is negative in the reviews that mention it. One reviewer says Android has cluttered single-scene widgets instead of more consolidated controls, and another says widgets stopped working after an update. The Play Store description says widgets exist, but recent reviewer feedback suggests Android users may find them limited or unreliable.
Android widgets need serious improvement. Separate widgets for every scene cause clutter and tedious setup. Unlike iOS with multiple widget sizes and consolidated controls, Android only has single-scene widgets. Request: multiple configurations, consolidated multi-scene widget, direct brightness/temperature controls from widget, and room-based grouping. Please fix: the main gap between Android and iOS Hue.
widgets stoped working after update
reviewer mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Philips Hue sync with TVs, music, and games reliably?
The app description says Hue can sync lights with a screen or sound through products and apps such as Hue Play HDMI sync box, Hue Sync, and Spotify. Reviews raise limitations and reliability complaints: music sync being limited to Spotify, trouble with Samsung TV, Pixel setup problems with a sync box, and requests for broader TV-brand support.
It works as a basic control app for our lighting, but there are some design decisions that just baffle me. For starters, the music sync option is limited to just Spotify. It would be nice if they took into consideration people using other popular apps like YouTube Music or Google. l also noticed only certain automations have the option to sync with sunrise or sunset. I just want a simple automation that lets me fade the lights after sunrise, but that's simply not an option.
Yet again it isn't working with Samsung TV.
allow any tv brand to use your app to sync screens to lights. ridiculous that you created this artificial barrier to appease some corporate overlords and screw over your customers.
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does Philips Hue work well for basic light control?
Some reviewers say Philips Hue works well for basic light control and is easy to use. Others report the opposite: connection spinners, rooms or lights not loading, loading screens, and the app becoming unusable after updates. The safest reading is that basic control can be good when the app is working, but reliability problems are prominent in recent reviews.
Great app for controlling and managing smart lights. Easy to use, reliable, and offers plenty of useful features. Smooth experience overall!
update: 6 months later and "connecting" is still spinning. orig: for months now, the constantly "connecting" is a constant issue. one that needs fixed, like NOW
app dosen't even try to connect now it just shows a loading screen when I open it up
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Can Philips Hue lose or reset switches, rooms, scenes, or bridge settings?
A few reviews describe configuration problems after updates or migrations. Complaints include switches being reset or forgotten, bridge migration failing, AI erasing configured automation settings, and rooms or devices not syncing from Google Home. If you have a complex Hue setup, these reviews suggest backing up expectations and being cautious around updates or bridge changes.
last update resetted all switches!! Dumb, dumber, phillips.
Why do you need to forget my switches? I love the products but why no option to remember configs and reload? Your app forgets my switches every couple of months...spending 30 mins of my life resetting a hue dial is not my idea of a good night. I upgrade to the new hub thinking all would be resolved... nope. Sort out your app.
Total garbage Bought a bridge Pro to replace my old V2 bridge. Migration from old to new bridge does not work because the app says the firmware is not up-to-date. Eventhough in another spot in the app is confirmed it is. Now I am stuck in a loop. The only option appears to be to migrate everything manually. All light, sensors, scenes, automations... Do you think I am crazy to do so? I'll probably return the bridge and move to Ikea stuff. Total waste of time and money
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Answers above are generated from real Google Play reviews of Philips Hue, not editorial opinion — read the full report for the complete teardown.