How to Run Philips Hue Lights From Your Mac

 Do you have Hue lights set up at your place? Well, there are multiple ways to control your smart appliances, including the use of Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri. However, if you choose not to speak and give commands to these devices, you have the remote right in your hands.

There are easy ways to control the Hue lights mechanism with the help of your Mac. It has in-built smart features that don’t make controlling these smart appliances a tough job. You may also use third-party applications for the same.

Want to know more about different methods to run Hue lights at your home? Below is a guide on multiple options for controlling the Hue lights using Mac.

Using the Home App

Your Mac holds a similar version to the ‘Home’ app present on your iPhone and iPad, that can run all your smart appliances. Therefore, the steps to open the same and control the Philips Hue lights on your Mac are:

• Press the ‘Command + Space’ keys to bring up the Spotlight Search on your Mac.
• Search for the keyword ‘Home’ and open the application.
• The Hue Lights option will appear in the app if you’ve already set it up with Siri on your iPhone or iPad.
• Click on the titles to switch the Hue lights on and off.
• To view more options, right-click on any of the titles and select the ‘Show Controls’ option from the menu.

You can easily turn on and off your Hue Lights in the next window. Not only this, but you can also set its brightness and change the color.

Note: If you haven’t set the Hue lights on your iPhone and iPad, launch the Hue app and go to the Settings section. Next, make changes under the HomeKit and Siri tab.

Give Commands to Siri

If you’ve set up the Hue lights mechanism with Siri on your iPhone or iPad, you don’t have to launch the Home app on your Mac. Instead, you can directly give commands to Siri. Follow the steps mentioned below to do the same:

• Tap on the Siri icon on the top of the screen to bring up Siri. Else, you can press and hold the ‘Command + Space’ keys on your keyboard.
• Give a command to Siri. For instance, “Turn off the lights.”
• You can also type the commands in Siri.

Install Colors for Hue

Wouldn’t it be easy to control the Hue lights using Mac’s menu bar and obtain all the color options it has to offer? Well, yes, you’re right if you think that you can access and change the color of the Hue lights.

Mac’s App Store offers a free application named ‘Colors for Hue’ that gives you multiple features. The steps to use the ‘Colors for Hue’ app on your Mac are:

• Launch the ‘Colors for Hue’ app.
• Connect the app to the Hue Bridge if you’re using it for the first time. Click on the ‘Connect’ tab at the top of the screen to search for the Hue Bridge available on your network.
• You can enter the IP address of a Hue Bridge manually.

Note: Find the IP address within the Hue app under the Hue Bridges section.

• If you do not see the ‘Scan by IP’ box, click on the ‘Support Us’ option at the top of the window and select the ‘Connect’ icon again.
• Click on the Hue Bridge button to finish the process.
• A light bulb icon will appear on the menu bar of your Mac. Tap on the same and you can access the settings to change the color, brightness, etc.

You can also use the ‘Preferences’ option in the menu to change the list of lights and form groups. To find these options in the Preferences tab, click on the ‘Lights’ option. That’s all you need to do! Using the Colors for Hue app gives quick access to various controls. However, there are a lot of features that you can access only within the Hue app, like setting routines, adding lights, etc.

Hey there, I’m Oliviya . I write blog posts, I’m a web developer living in USA. I am a fan of photography, technology, and design. I’m also interested in arts and Graphic Design. Also Read my Blog, themantar.com

Source: How to Run Philips Hue Lights From Your Mac