# Hue Essentials — For Philips Hue，deCONZ，diyHue

> Smart lighting control for Philips Hue, deCONZ, and diyHue systems. (iPhone/iPad app by Thomas Vos.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920)
- Category: Lifestyle, Entertainment
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.10/5 from 130 App Store ratings · 238 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 269 MB
- Languages: Korean, Greek, Dutch, Danish, German (Germany), Russian, Romanian, Marathi, Malayalam, Vietnamese and 32 more
- Released: 2020-01-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews.md

## What is Hue Essentials?

Imagine unlimited possibilities in your smart home. Set scenes and fast effects to your mood.

Experience Dance Sensation in your entertainment area with Philips Hue Entertainment.

Feel more in control with schedules and automation from sunrise to sunset.

Control multiple bridges simultaneously without switching between them.

Supported devices
• Philips Hue bridge
• Philips Hue Bluetooth lights
• deCONZ (ConBee)
• diyHue
• LIFX

Scenes & effects
Create the perfect ambiance from your photos or the included photo library. Experience special animations like lava, fireplace, fireworks, or lightning.

Wake up at sunrise and go to sleep at sunset with fading lights.

Get into the party on the beats of your music. Sync your lights for a night of disco with strobe effects (updates 25 times/sec).

Quick access
Create rooms and groups to organize your lights. You can even put a light in several groups.

Smart lights & controls
The unique ‘Touchlink’ search allows you to find new (3rd party, Zigbee) lights. Use included wizards for easy setup of your devices.

You can set scenes, actions, or even multiple scenes on a button to make your switch a real investment. Experience the right ambiance during different times of your day with your motion sensor. All of your creations are stored on the bridge. Easy for you and your family.

Advanced
Automation allows you to have greater control of your smart home. Turn on your lights when the door opens. Adjust your ventilation when the humidity gets too high. Open or close blinds and curtains based on temperature or sunshine.

Make it look like you are at home using 'Away from Home' (out of home control).

Communicate directly with your Hue bridge using the API debugger. View technical details of your Hue bridge and update its resources like lights and sensors.

You want it all?
Fast performance with ad-free experience. Purchase the premium version to unlock full content.

## Key features

- Custom scenes and effects
- Music and entertainment sync
- Sunrise/sunset automation
- Multi-bridge control
- Device discovery and setup
- Button and sensor automation
- Away from home control

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Multiple bridges | $4.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Christmas | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Universe | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Wonders of nature | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Romantic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Floral fantasy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Spooky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $7.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Hue Essentials?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🚀 Excellent Hue lighting control
- 👍 Works well with multiple bridges
- 💡 Customizable remote controls
- 🚀 Faster than official Hue app

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔒 In-app purchases required for key features
- 👎 Poor execution and user experience
- 🔋 Widgets and Apple Watch app not working

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Fade feature not working
- Saving automations not working
- Crashes when checking 'About' section
- Widgets and Apple Watch app issues

**Most requested features**

- Repeat/loop function for automations
- Strobing/flashing effects
- Dark mode
- Alexa integration

## Recent user reviews (10 of 238)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Premium

*2026-08-22, version 4.7.9*

Ho acquistato la versione premium ma non rileva gli oggetti (interruttori, pulsanti) di terze parti, nemmeno con touch link.

### 1/5 — Findet Bridge nicht

*2026-08-22, version 4.7.9*

Findet die Bridge nicht, damit unbrauchbar.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2026-08-15, version 4.7.3*

This app works perfectly. I wanted to add a new light to my bridge, but I didn’t want to install the new app with all their stupid accounts, etc. This one did the job. The official hue app should be like this.

### 4/5 — What’s with the widgets..?

*2026-08-07, version 4.7.3*

Good app overall, but I can’t get a widget for my lights. It only seems to have one for “temperature sensors”. Why??

### 5/5 — HUE

*2026-07-26, version 4.6.9*

Bardzo dobra aplikacja.

### 5/5 — Brilliant app!

*2026-07-22, version 4.6.9*

Works great with my Hue bulb! 💡

### 1/5 — Scammed

*2026-05-27, version 4.6.0*

My reason for getting this app was because my Hue Play bar lights, which were paired with my previous bridge, wouldn’t pair to my new bridge. I had read online that the Touchlink functionality of this app could solve my problem. Touchlink being a paywalled feature and figuring it would solve my issue, I paid only to find that it didn’t work. I followed the guidance provided by the creators along with performing my own troubleshooting with no success. These developers also appear to not allow refunds. Waste of money, garbage app is garage, stay away. If anyone has similar issue the aforementioned lights can be disassembled with relative ease, and a QR code is located inside the device which worked for pairing through the official Hue app.

### 1/5 — Touchlink does not work after paying

*2026-05-17, version 4.6.0*

You have to pay to use touchlink where it was free previously and after I paid $8, it didn’t work and now I’m stuck with this useless app. I only paid and would have happily paid if touchlink worked but it didn’t. $8 wasted. Do not buy.

### 5/5 — Perfect

*2026-04-24, version 4.5.1*

Perfect

### 5/5 — Lebensretter beim einbinden neuer Lampen

*2026-04-24, version 4.5.1*

Ich habe 2 neue Lampen, welche sich nicht über die Hue App einbinden ließen. Über Hue Essentials ging es dann reibungslos. Besten Dank für diese App.

## Frequently asked questions about Hue Essentials

### What does Hue Essentials do?

Hue Essentials is a smart lighting control app that allows you to create custom scenes and effects, automate your lights with schedules, and sync them with music or entertainment. It supports Philips Hue, deCONZ, and diyHue systems, offering advanced control and customization for your smart home lighting.

### What are the key features of Hue Essentials?

Key features include creating personalized scenes and dynamic effects like lava or fireworks, syncing lights to music for party modes, automating lights with sunrise/sunset schedules, and controlling multiple bridges simultaneously. It also offers device discovery, button and sensor automation, and remote access.

### How much does Hue Essentials cost?

The app offers a free version with core functionalities and an ad-free experience. To unlock the full content and all features, a premium version is available for purchase. This freemium model allows users to try the app before committing to a purchase.

### What devices are compatible with Hue Essentials?

Hue Essentials is compatible with Philips Hue bridges, Philips Hue Bluetooth lights, deCONZ (ConBee) systems, diyHue, and LIFX smart lights. This broad compatibility ensures a wide range of smart lighting setups can be controlled through the app.

### What are common use cases for Hue Essentials?

Common use cases include setting the perfect ambiance for any mood with custom scenes, creating dynamic lighting for parties or movie nights, automating wake-up and sleep routines with fading lights, and using motion sensors to trigger specific lighting actions. It also enables 'Away from Home' control to simulate occupancy.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.7.10 — 2026-08-23

• Fixes for Away from Home connection
• Fixed crash on opening of entertainment program
• Bug fixes

### 4.7.9 — 2026-08-19

• Fix for Hue wall switch module configuration not detected correctly
• Fixes for Away from Home connection
• Fixed crash on migration to Hue Bridge Pro
• Fixed some crashes on screen rotation change
• Bug fixes

### 4.7.4 — 2026-08-16

• Fixed back navigation animation glitch
• Fixed the effect editor where a colour could not be added
• Bug fixes

### 4.7.3 — 2026-08-03

• Fixes for LIFX connection
• Added support for more LIFX lights
• Minor UI changes
• Bug fixes

### 4.6.9 — 2026-07-15

• Bug fixes

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## More apps by Thomas Vos

- [Remote Gamepad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-gamepad/id6448859108)
- [HeadTrack](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headtrack/id6755665009)

All apps by Thomas Vos: https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920

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[hue essentials](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hue-essentials) · [philips hue bluetooth](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/philips-hue-bluetooth) · [iconnecthue](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/iconnecthue) · [hue phillips](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hue-phillips) · [philips hue](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/philips-hue) · [phillips hue app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/phillips-hue-app) · [hue](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hue) · [hue lights](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hue-lights) · [philips smart led](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/philips-smart-led) · [philips hue app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/philips-hue-app) · [i love you hue](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/i-love-you-hue)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*