Heeding feedback and suggestions from users of its smart home lighting system, Philips Hue has brightened up its companion app for iOS and Android with an improved interface and design and new features. The next-generation app is officially called Philips Hue Gen 2 and is available for both iOS (you can find it in the app store by searching the full name) and Android devices.
The new Rooms feature lets you group all lights in a room or area, allowing you to control them together through the app with just a single command. You no longer need to set each light fixture individually to brighten, dim, or turn on or off. The new feature even accepts voice commands. Simply say something like “Set relax in the living room” or “Set the living room to 10 percent.”
With the Routines feature, automating the lighting around your home can match your daily activities. Set up the app to control your lights according to your preferred schedule. For instance, schedule the lights to switch off at your usual bedtime or switch on at sunset. You can also use Routine’s white light recipes to automatically adjust the light settings to suitable levels when and where you work, study, relax or exercise.
Lighting can help set the mood in an area, and Philip Hue’s updated app can help you do that through the Scenes feature. Pick a color set from any photo and choose your five favorite colors to create an uplifting, vibrant mood. To help you get started, you can select preset scenes such as spring blossom, savanna sunset, arctic aurora and tropical twilight, or choose from more than 16 million colors and shades of white light to create your own unique scenes.
Keep up to 10 widgets on your home screen to let you easily activate your favorite light settings. Widgets can combine scenes and rooms in a single widget, a real convenience.
The Home & Away feature lets you control your home lights even if you’re not at home — a handy feature that adds to your peace of mind. Location settings can automatically control your lights according to where you are. Set them to light up as you arrive home or switch off when you leave.
To learn more about Philips’ lighting solutions, see our review of the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Kit.
[Image credit: Philips Hue]
