How to Connect Philips Hue Bulbs to Amazon Alexa
Philips Hue is one of the most popular smart lighting systems on the market, and it works with all the major voice assistants, including Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, and Amazon Alexa. Hue bulbs come in three varieties: basic white, white-ambiance (adjustable color temperature), and multi-colored.
The latest generation of Philips Hue smart lights makes connecting to Alexa easier than ever. And since Hue bulbs fit into your existing lighting fixtures (ceiling lights, floor lamps, table lamps), you don’t need to replace any hardware to get started.
You can pair Philips Hue bulbs with Alexa through Bluetooth, a Hue Bridge hub, or an Alexa-enabled speaker like the Echo Dot. Once connected, voice commands are the big perk. Just say, “Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights,” and the Hue bulbs in your kitchen will light up. Here’s the full step-by-step process for getting everything set up.
For Google Home picks, see our best smart bulbs for Google Home.
For more on this, take a look at our how to connect philips hue to Google Home guide.
Step-by-Step: Pairing Philips Hue Bulbs with Alexa
- Install your Philips Hue bulbs in the desired locations and turn them on.
- Open the Alexa App on your smartphone. If you don’t already have it, download it from the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android).
- On the Alexa App home screen, tap “More.”
- Tap “Add a Device” at the top of the screen.
- Select the “Light” option.
- Choose “Philips Hue” from the list.
- When asked if your bulbs are Bluetooth enabled, tap “Yes.” If you tap “No,” the Alexa App will attempt to connect through a Hue Bridge instead.
- Tap “Discover Devices.” Alexa will start scanning for nearby bulbs. Hold your smartphone close to the bulbs you’re setting up. Keep it nearby until the bulb flashes once to confirm detection.
- Give the Alexa app a moment to establish a connection with your Hue bulbs.
- Tap “Set Up Device.” If the app was unable to connect to some of your bulbs, you can tap “Add Another” to try again.
- Tap “Choose Group.” If you’ve added several bulbs, you may need to tap “Choose Device” to configure them one at a time. You can skip the grouping step and start using your Hue bulbs right away, but keep in mind that without a group, you’ll only be able to control the bulbs individually through voice commands.
- Select the room where the bulb is located. If you don’t see the right room listed, tap “Skip.” You can always assign bulbs to rooms later.
- Tap “Continue” on the following screens to complete the setup process.
Tip: If your Philips Hue bulbs aren’t connecting to Alexa, repeat the first 10 steps listed above. Then, instead of tapping “Discover Devices,” try tapping “Tap Here” instead.
How to Change the Color of Your Philips Hue Bulbs Using Alexa
If you have multi-colored Philips Hue bulbs, you can control their color through the Alexa app or with voice commands.
- In the “Devices” menu, select the bulb you want to change. From this screen, you can also turn the bulb on or off and adjust the brightness level.
- Tap “Set Color” at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose the color you want. The app offers 16 preset color options. If you want access to more colors, you can use the Philips Hue App, or simply tell Alexa a specific color by name. Alexa supports hundreds of color options through voice commands.
Voice Commands You Can Use with Your Hue Bulbs
Once your Philips Hue bulbs are paired with Alexa, voice commands become the easiest way to control them. Here are some examples:
On a similar note, our Alexa skills article has more practical tips.
- “Alexa, turn off the lights in the living room.”
- “Alexa, dim the bedroom lights to 25%.”
- “Alexa, turn living room lights to blue.” (for multi-colored bulbs)
- “Alexa, set the kitchen lights to warm white.”
If you want to make changes to your groups or add new bulbs, open the Alexa app and tap “Devices” at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down to find the group you’d like to modify. You can also tap the plus (+) icon in the top-right corner to create a new group at any time.
Tip: Once your Philips Hue bulbs are connected to Alexa, you can use the Alexa app to create lighting scenes for specific rooms. Available scene options include Aurora, Concentrate, Dimmed, and more.
Wrapping Up
Want dimming options? Check our best dimmable smart bulbs roundup.
Choosing between smart home ecosystems? Our Google Home vs Alexa comparison breaks down features, device support, and pricing.
Pairing Philips Hue smart bulbs with Alexa-enabled devices is a straightforward process if you follow the steps outlined above. Once everything is set up, you can use voice commands through your Amazon smart speaker to turn lights on and off, adjust brightness, change colors, and activate scenes. It’s one of the simplest smart home upgrades you can make, and the convenience of voice-controlled lighting is hard to give up once you’ve tried it.