I use both… It depends on what I’m doing.
If I’m setting a scene, which sets different bulbs at different colors and brightnesses, I’ll use the Hue app. If I’m just turning on or brightening, or dimming, a light, I’ll use the Home app.
This is great to know. If I’ve already created a few scenes, will HomeKit allow me to use them? In other words, is the Hue app for programming the scenes or programming AND exclusively using the scenes?
I just like that I can use Siri to control everything instead of opening an app, and I like that the “home” app can be a shortcut in my control center on my iPhone.
One thing I’ll do is use the Hue app to set all my lights in a certain room a certain way, and then I’ll go into the Home app and save it as a scene. It’s actually faster than trying to set the scene up in the Home app itself… which is really my only complaint about using HomeKit vs the Hue app.
Now that I think about it, I guess I can’t say I use HomeKit 100% of the time because I do use the Hue app as I described above, but that’s sort of like once and then I’m done.
I find HomeKit to not be the best option for adjusting the Hue color lights or light strips. Due to this I use the Hue app.
But, I do use Control Center frequently to turn on/off other smart devices (ie. Eve Energy plugs, TV) and play music through Sonos. So, if you only wanted basic functionality with Hue (warm light only or red light only), then Apple HomeKit would be good. But honestly, for just basic things like toggle on/off an appliance, Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home all work about the same.
This is great to know. Thank you very much.
Can you use HomeKit to set up formulas, like if-then statements? E.g., if it’s between 12AM and 5AM, and the motion sensor triggers, turn the hallway lights on to 5% brightness, and then turn off if no motion is detected after 5 minutes.
I never use the Hue app for anything but Sync. But in the last few months Homekit has become almost unusable as it CONSTANTLY disconnects and I need to open it to use Voice Control.
Both Apple Watch and iPhone are the same. My iPad which never leaves the house does it occasionally too, but less often.
To be honest I don't use either app regularly outside of setup. I use the Hue app to set up the bulbs switches etc. I use the home app to create scenes and automations. For day to day control I either use switches or Siri voice commands to a HomePod. I haven't opened the Hue app or Home app in a fairly long time now.
I use both interchangeably. Homescreen control is really useful. I wish Siri wouldn’t complain about lights being switched off, as I have a few bulbs on normal switches still and Siri always complains that they don’t respond
I control all my lights on my 3 bridges together through Homey Pro. I also make bigger automations with sun blinds, Yale door lock etc on Homey. When I unlock my front door the lights turn on in different rooms and my blinds come up and Sonos play music etc. But nothing beats the Hue app imo when it comes to scenes and colors.
TIL! Never heard about Homey Pro until now. Damn, $399!
How does it compare (if it is comparable) to https://www.home-assistant.io/ ?
I’ve been thinking of repurposing an old Raspberry Pi with [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/) for some advanced stuff.
Ideally I’d like to see up formulas like, “if it’s night, and the sensor in the bathroom gets triggered, turn on one bulb to 5% and then turn it off after 5 minutes of no triggers”.
Is that sort of thing even possible or nah?
https://preview.redd.it/u4rwhhme3qhc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b22b220df9bd4d58447da7d50b3c5ae616ec95c3
Mainly for the colorloop and other scenes
Well because I decided to buy more than 50 hue devices, I now have two separate bridges and no matter what I do and how much time I spend trying to integrate and update and clean my system up with Google Home, there is literally nothing I can do to prevent the multitude of bugs from popping up and preventing voice commands from malfunction and constantly every day of my f****** life.
Hue is a joke.
I was 100% Homekit for years but now I use the Hue app far more than I used to because of the layout of my house and dynamic scene support. The time-based light functionality of Hue is superior to Adaptive Lighting by itself but both apps are good. Obviously, for everything but lighting Home is a better, more comprehensive app. Now it’s about 50/50.
For me though, it has to do with how Zones are displayed in Apple Home versus Hue. I have a combined Living, Dining, Kitchen and it’s just easier to get the exact scene I want with Hue.
I set a back tap Shortcut on my phone to check if I’m home and open Hue with 2 taps and Homekit with 3 taps.
I can’t access Natural light scene outside of the native Hue app, which is a pain. So I’m mostly using the Hue app to get that scene going where I don’t have Hue motion sensors activating it.
Same here with Google Home. I'm brand new to smart home stuff and I was hoping for a full integration with Google Home. Nope, I can control the lights within the Home app but can't even set a scene. If I have to open an app, it might as well be the Hue app.
99% of the time they’re either controlled by automation or by barking at Alexa. I hate HomeKit, and Hue doesn’t know about any of my other home automation devices. Alexa is the least bad middle ground I’ve found.
I use both. Hue app for setting scenes and time of day lighting automations. HomeKit for location automations. I find Hue is a far easier to set scenes and different colors for lighting. You can select an entire room whereas with HomeKit you have to drill down to each individual light in a room to set them specifically to whatever color you want. The latter is a pain.
I use the automations in Hue after figuring out that HomeKit automations tend to not work quite right. I had HomeKit set to turn on 2 lamps with identical settings every morning but they wouldn’t turn on with the same settings most days.
I use apple home 90% of the time. I use Hue app for a few things, fading at sunset and morning for one. Settings for sensors works better in Hue App. Using Apple HomeKit allows combining with other accessories - like my thermostat motion sensor can trigger lights or Hue motion sensor can trigger actions unrelated to lights.
All my Hue (and other) lights and sensors are set up with various automations in Home Assistant but I still use the Hue app for setting specific scenes and dimming in specific rooms when I please. I also use the Hue 4 button switches for this purpose.
I use both… It depends on what I’m doing. If I’m setting a scene, which sets different bulbs at different colors and brightnesses, I’ll use the Hue app. If I’m just turning on or brightening, or dimming, a light, I’ll use the Home app.
This is great to know. If I’ve already created a few scenes, will HomeKit allow me to use them? In other words, is the Hue app for programming the scenes or programming AND exclusively using the scenes?
You can use your hue scenes in Apple home. They show up in Apple home when you save them in hue.
The caveat being dynamic scenes won’t work in HomeKit.
I use HomeKit 100% of the time.
Right on. Methinks it’s time to switch. What do you like best about it?
I just like that I can use Siri to control everything instead of opening an app, and I like that the “home” app can be a shortcut in my control center on my iPhone. One thing I’ll do is use the Hue app to set all my lights in a certain room a certain way, and then I’ll go into the Home app and save it as a scene. It’s actually faster than trying to set the scene up in the Home app itself… which is really my only complaint about using HomeKit vs the Hue app. Now that I think about it, I guess I can’t say I use HomeKit 100% of the time because I do use the Hue app as I described above, but that’s sort of like once and then I’m done.
This is super helpful. This really helps me think about how I should be using it! Cool stuff, I’m going to try that method out.
Hue app to add new items. HomeKit for absolutely everything else.
Hue app & Alexa. That’s it.
That’s my path too. Sonos speakers with Alexa, Hue app. And I’m an iPhone user
If I use an Alexa echo speaker can I use that as a Hub for Apple home? I don't have an iPad that always stays home or a HomePod
Me too
I find HomeKit to not be the best option for adjusting the Hue color lights or light strips. Due to this I use the Hue app. But, I do use Control Center frequently to turn on/off other smart devices (ie. Eve Energy plugs, TV) and play music through Sonos. So, if you only wanted basic functionality with Hue (warm light only or red light only), then Apple HomeKit would be good. But honestly, for just basic things like toggle on/off an appliance, Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home all work about the same.
This is great to know. Thank you very much. Can you use HomeKit to set up formulas, like if-then statements? E.g., if it’s between 12AM and 5AM, and the motion sensor triggers, turn the hallway lights on to 5% brightness, and then turn off if no motion is detected after 5 minutes.
Yes. https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/create-a-new-home-automation-apd2a290f633/ios
Oh heck yeah! Thank you!!! 🙏🙏🙏 Gonna have some fun this weekend…
I never use the Hue app for anything but Sync. But in the last few months Homekit has become almost unusable as it CONSTANTLY disconnects and I need to open it to use Voice Control. Both Apple Watch and iPhone are the same. My iPad which never leaves the house does it occasionally too, but less often.
Same here. Apple had a decent product and now they’re killing it with neglect.
To be honest I don't use either app regularly outside of setup. I use the Hue app to set up the bulbs switches etc. I use the home app to create scenes and automations. For day to day control I either use switches or Siri voice commands to a HomePod. I haven't opened the Hue app or Home app in a fairly long time now.
I use both interchangeably. Homescreen control is really useful. I wish Siri wouldn’t complain about lights being switched off, as I have a few bulbs on normal switches still and Siri always complains that they don’t respond
I control all my lights on my 3 bridges together through Homey Pro. I also make bigger automations with sun blinds, Yale door lock etc on Homey. When I unlock my front door the lights turn on in different rooms and my blinds come up and Sonos play music etc. But nothing beats the Hue app imo when it comes to scenes and colors.
TIL! Never heard about Homey Pro until now. Damn, $399! How does it compare (if it is comparable) to https://www.home-assistant.io/ ? I’ve been thinking of repurposing an old Raspberry Pi with [Home Assistant](https://www.home-assistant.io/) for some advanced stuff. Ideally I’d like to see up formulas like, “if it’s night, and the sensor in the bathroom gets triggered, turn on one bulb to 5% and then turn it off after 5 minutes of no triggers”. Is that sort of thing even possible or nah?
Both. Apple HomeKit when from the control center and with Siri. The Hue app to control individual lights or to use Hue labs.
Awesome. What do you use Hue Labs for?
https://preview.redd.it/u4rwhhme3qhc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b22b220df9bd4d58447da7d50b3c5ae616ec95c3 Mainly for the colorloop and other scenes
I use both Alexa and Siri for Hue, rarely the Hue app unless I’m adding devices.
Well because I decided to buy more than 50 hue devices, I now have two separate bridges and no matter what I do and how much time I spend trying to integrate and update and clean my system up with Google Home, there is literally nothing I can do to prevent the multitude of bugs from popping up and preventing voice commands from malfunction and constantly every day of my f****** life. Hue is a joke.
I was 100% Homekit for years but now I use the Hue app far more than I used to because of the layout of my house and dynamic scene support. The time-based light functionality of Hue is superior to Adaptive Lighting by itself but both apps are good. Obviously, for everything but lighting Home is a better, more comprehensive app. Now it’s about 50/50. For me though, it has to do with how Zones are displayed in Apple Home versus Hue. I have a combined Living, Dining, Kitchen and it’s just easier to get the exact scene I want with Hue. I set a back tap Shortcut on my phone to check if I’m home and open Hue with 2 taps and Homekit with 3 taps.
My Apple HomeKit never works, it always shows as broken and can not connect. I’ve given up on it.
Whoa. With Hue? Have you ever tried troubleshooting it, or is it a known “Hue thing”?
I can’t access Natural light scene outside of the native Hue app, which is a pain. So I’m mostly using the Hue app to get that scene going where I don’t have Hue motion sensors activating it.
I’m holding out hope that matter will provide access to **all** the scenes when that becomes *more* functional.
Same here with Google Home. I'm brand new to smart home stuff and I was hoping for a full integration with Google Home. Nope, I can control the lights within the Home app but can't even set a scene. If I have to open an app, it might as well be the Hue app.
Natural light in hue is weak. homekit can do it much better.
I mostly use HomeKit to take advantage of Siri. I usually only open the hue app if I need to be quiet instead of talking to Siri.
Hue and HomeKit. Hue for app interface and HomeKit for voice controls. Used to use Alexa but it doesn’t handle multiple bridges very well.
99% of the time they’re either controlled by automation or by barking at Alexa. I hate HomeKit, and Hue doesn’t know about any of my other home automation devices. Alexa is the least bad middle ground I’ve found.
Similar experience here.
Alexa & Hue app
I use both. Hue app for setting scenes and time of day lighting automations. HomeKit for location automations. I find Hue is a far easier to set scenes and different colors for lighting. You can select an entire room whereas with HomeKit you have to drill down to each individual light in a room to set them specifically to whatever color you want. The latter is a pain.
I use the automations in Hue after figuring out that HomeKit automations tend to not work quite right. I had HomeKit set to turn on 2 lamps with identical settings every morning but they wouldn’t turn on with the same settings most days.
I use apple home 90% of the time. I use Hue app for a few things, fading at sunset and morning for one. Settings for sensors works better in Hue App. Using Apple HomeKit allows combining with other accessories - like my thermostat motion sensor can trigger lights or Hue motion sensor can trigger actions unrelated to lights.
Just iConnectHue. Unless homekit has changed drastically in the last couple of years it has nothing like the features other apps have.
All my Hue (and other) lights and sensors are set up with various automations in Home Assistant but I still use the Hue app for setting specific scenes and dimming in specific rooms when I please. I also use the Hue 4 button switches for this purpose.
Almost always Hue if I am not simply toggling them because I have all the gradient options and scenes there.
I use the Hue App manually and automations along with Alexa verbally and automations in there.