Does Philips Hue work offline with Home Assistant?

Yes! Once set up via the Hue Bridge, Philips Hue lights work completely offline with Home Assistant. No internet connection is required for local control. However, initial setup and firmware updates require internet access.

Do I need a Hue Bridge for Home Assistant?

While recommended, it's not required. You can connect Hue bulbs directly to a Zigbee coordinator (ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT), but you'll lose access to the Hue app, Entertainment features, and Hue scenes. The bridge provides the best experience.

What happens if Philips discontinues the Hue Bridge?

Your lights will continue to work with Home Assistant via local control. You could also migrate bulbs to a Zigbee coordinator like ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. The Zigbee protocol is open, so your bulbs aren't locked to Philips.

Is Philips Hue worth it for Home Assistant?

Yes, Philips Hue is one of the best-supported smart lighting brands for Home Assistant. It offers excellent reliability, full local control, a wide product range, and seamless integration. The higher price is justified by the quality and support.

Can I use Hue with both the Hue app and Home Assistant?

Yes! Unlike some integrations, Philips Hue works simultaneously with the official Hue app and Home Assistant. Changes made in either place sync automatically. This is one of the advantages of using the Hue Bridge.

Philips Hue + Home Assistant Setup Guide

1. Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Home Assistant installed and running (version 0.60 or later; current version 2026.1 recommended)
Philips Hue Bridge (v2 square shape recommended; v1 round shape has limitations)
Hue lights already set up and working in the official Philips Hue app
Same network: Home Assistant and Hue Bridge must be on the same local network subnet

Network tip: The Hue Bridge requires a wired Ethernet connection to your router. A solid white light on the bridge indicates successful network connection.

2. Method A: Via Hue Bridge (Recommended)

This is the recommended method. It provides the best reliability, supports all Hue features, and allows you to keep using the Hue app alongside Home Assistant.

Step 1: Verify Hue Bridge Connection

Ensure your Hue Bridge is:

Connected to your router via Ethernet cable
Showing a solid white light (not blinking)
On the same network subnet as Home Assistant (e.g., both on 192.168.1.x)

Step 2: Add the Integration

Home Assistant can auto-discover Hue Bridges on your network. Check if yours appears under Settings → Devices & Services in the "Discovered" section.

If not auto-discovered:

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Click + Add Integration
Search for and select Philips Hue
Follow the on-screen prompts

Step 3: Press the Bridge Button

When prompted by Home Assistant, press the large round button on top of your Hue Bridge. This authorizes Home Assistant to connect.

Important: If your Hue Bridge's IP address changes, you'll need to re-authorize. Consider setting a static IP or DHCP reservation for your bridge.

Step 4: Configure Devices

After authorization, Home Assistant will automatically discover:

All individual lights
Motion sensors (including temperature and light level)
Dimmer switches and remotes (as automation triggers)
Scenes created in the Hue app

Room/zone grouped lights are available but disabled by default. Enable them in Settings → Integrations → Hue → Entities.

3. Method B: Direct Zigbee (No Bridge)

Philips Hue bulbs use the Zigbee protocol. You can bypass the Hue Bridge entirely and connect bulbs directly to a Zigbee coordinator in Home Assistant.

Requirements

A Zigbee USB coordinator (e.g., SONOFF Zigbee 3.0, Conbee II) or built-in radio (Home Assistant Yellow/Green)
ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) or Zigbee2MQTT integration configured

Trade-offs

Aspect	Via Hue Bridge	Direct Zigbee
Hue app compatibility	Yes	No
Hue scenes/effects	Full support	Limited
Entertainment/Sync	Yes	No
Additional hardware	Hue Bridge (~$60)	Zigbee coordinator (~$30)
Unified Zigbee network	Separate	Yes

Pairing Steps (ZHA)

Factory reset the Hue bulb (turn on/off 5 times rapidly, or use Hue app "Search for serial number" feature)
In Home Assistant, go to Settings → Devices & Services → ZHA
Click Add Device
The bulb should appear within 60 seconds

For detailed Zigbee migration instructions, see the Home Assistant Community guide.

4. Method C: Bluetooth (Limited)

As of Home Assistant 2025.12, there's a new Philips Hue BLE integration for Bluetooth-enabled Hue bulbs. This is useful if you don't have a Hue Bridge.

Limitations

Requires Bluetooth adapter on your Home Assistant device
Limited range (Bluetooth vs. Zigbee mesh)
Factory-reset lights get new Bluetooth addresses and appear as new devices
Only one Bluetooth adapter can control each light
Extended disconnections require integration restart to reconnect

When to Use Bluetooth

Only recommended if you have a single Hue bulb and no plans to expand, or for testing before committing to a bridge.

See the official Hue BLE documentation for setup steps.

5. Available Features

Once integrated via the Hue Bridge, you get:

Light Control

On/off, brightness, color temperature
RGB color (for color-capable bulbs)
Transition effects (fade between states)

Scenes

Hue scenes created in the official app are automatically imported. Activate them via the hue.activate_scene action with options for:

transition: Duration in seconds
dynamic: Enable/disable dynamic color cycling
brightness: Override scene brightness

Sensors

Motion detection
Ambient light level
Temperature (from motion sensors)

Switches & Remotes

Hue dimmer switches, tap switches, and other remotes appear as devices. Use their button events to trigger automations.

V1 Bridge Limitations

If you have the older round Hue Bridge (v1), be aware of these limitations:

Scene entities are not automatically created (activate by name instead)
State updates are polled, not pushed in real-time
Room light entities not automatically created
Button events rate-limited to 1 per second

The v1 bridge is end-of-life but Home Assistant continues to support it.

6. Troubleshooting

Bridge Not Found

Verify bridge has solid white light (network connected)
Check both devices are on the same network subnet
Ensure UDP ports 80 and 443 aren't blocked by your firewall
Try manually entering the bridge IP address

Lights Not Responding

Verify lights work in the official Hue app first
Check if the bridge IP address changed (re-authorize if so)
Restart the Hue integration in Home Assistant

Scenes Missing

V1 bridges don't auto-create scene entities
Ensure scenes were created in the Hue app (Home Assistant imports, doesn't create)
Check Settings → Integrations → Hue → Entities for disabled scenes

7. Frequently Asked Questions

8. Sources

This guide was compiled from official documentation:

Home Assistant Philips Hue Integration (official docs)
Home Assistant Philips Hue BLE Integration (official docs)
Migrating from Hue Bridge to ZHA (community guide)

Last verified: 2026-01-31 against Home Assistant 2026.1. If you find outdated information, let us know.

Philips Hue + Home Assistant

Quick Summary