Unable To Connect To Philips Hue Remotely? 7 Instant Fixes

Philips Hue was the first line of color-changing bulbs able to be controlled wirelessly.

It can, however, be frustrating when you’re unable to connect wirelessly or remotely.

To fix this issue, you need to determine first what your exact problem is.

If you’re unable to connect to Philips Hue remotely, you may get a message that there are no bridges on the network, your bridge can’t connect to the Network, or that your bridge is already paired. Most problems can be solved by resetting your devices or logging out and back into WiFi.

In this article, I’ll go over some of the possible reasons you can’t connect to your Philips Hue.

I’ll also detail how to fix them with easy-to-follow steps.

Fixes for Philips Hue Not Connecting Remotely

Every problem Philips Hue can have requires a separate solution. For example, a fix for one problem won’t necessarily fix a different problem.

You have to look at the problem and tailor your solution, as there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Let’s go over some of the most common connection problems that you can have with this home lighting system and how to fix them.

1. Solve No Bridges on Network Error

A common error is the Philips Hue app claiming there are no bridges on your network. This is usually easy to fix.

Confirm that your Hue bridge is fully connected to your router and that all the lights on it are solid blue.

Blinking lights means a failure of some kind, commonly a connection error.

Make sure your phone is connected to the same network as the Hue bridge. If it is but is still not working, do the following steps:

Go to your phone’s WiFi settings and select ‘Forget This Network’ on your home network.
Log back into the network with your password.
Completely close the Hue app and reopen it to see if this fixes the issue.

You might also want to check out: 13 Steps To Connect Philips Hue to Google Home (No Bridge)

2. Fix Hue Bridge That’s Not Working Remotely

Home & Away is a feature that lets Hue turn your lights on when you get home and turn them off when you leave.

However, it only works when the ‘Out of Home Control’ option is enabled.

If you can’t enable this option on your app, the solution is likely simple.

Go to your phone’s settings and see if location services are enabled. ‘Out of Home Control’ isn’t available unless this setting is enabled on your device.

However, it still won’t do much good unless the Hue app is given permission to access your location.

To do this, you’ll need to go to the app settings on your device. This varies whether you’re on Android or iPhone.

Either way, find the Hue app and go into its permission settings.

Give the Hue app permission to access your location. After this, you should be able to enable ‘Out of Home Control’ on your Hue app.

3. Make Hue Work When Not on Home Network

This issue happens when you want to control your Hue lights when away from home.

To fix this, you first need to enable ‘Out of Home Control.’ If this is enabled but you’re still getting this error, it’s something else.

One culprit is that you got logged out for some reason. This can happen when you migrate bridges and forget to log back in.

It can also happen when the app data gets cleared.

You should check to see if you’re still logged into your account on the Hue app. If you’re not, you won’t be able to control your lights.

Log back in and check to see if you can control your lights again.

4. Reset HomeKit Configuration if ‘Bridge Is Already Paired’

This is an issue user run into with their iPhones. When trying to pair Siri’s HomeKit, it might say it’s already paired, which is annoying.

This error is pretty simple to fix and doesn’t have many steps.

Go to your iPhone’s privacy settings.
Select the HomeKit option and click ‘Reset HomeKit Configuration.’
Confirm when the popup asks you to do so.
Check to make sure the problem is fixed.

5. Unplug Everything if Hue Isn’t Working After a Power Outage

Unplug Everything If Hue Isn't Working After Power Outage

Power outages have a frustrating habit of messing up smart devices.

A brief power outage may not significantly affect how your Hue lights work, but a longer outage may wreak havoc.

Follow these steps:

Unplug everything, which includes your modem, router, Hue bridge, and Hue light bulbs.
Leave everything unplugged for about 5 minutes.
Plug everything in (in this order): modem, router, Hue bridge, and the light bulbs last.

Ensure you have a stable internet connection by trying to connect a different smart device to your home network.

After that, try to use your Hue bridge via the Hue app.

If that didn’t fix the problem, try resetting the Hue bridge. You can do this by pressing the small reset button on the back for 5 seconds.

A complete reset at this point should fix your issue.

If none of these steps work, you may have a damaged device in need of replacing.

Learn more: Do Philips Hue bulbs get hot?

6. Factory Reset the Hue Bridge When It Stops Working

The Hue Bridge can occasionally stop working for no reason.

Various things can cause this, like a disruption in communication between lights or network disruptions.

A factory reset should do the trick to fix the issue.

Here’s how to factory reset the Hue Bridge:

Disconnect the Hue Bridge.
Locate the ‘reset’ button in a small gap on the back of the bridge.
Use a pin or needle to press the recessed button for 5 seconds.
Reconnect the Hue Bridge and check to ensure it got reset and is now working.
Manually reconnect your bridge to your network and lights.

7. Resolve Hue Bridge Not Connecting To Bridge Error

When you can’t connect to your Hue Bridge, it may say it’s because the bridge can’t connect to the network.

When this happens, you need to check your internet first.

Poor internet speeds can make Hue give this error message. Hue Bridges with a blinking light may not have an internet connection.

If other devices can connect to the internet, check the physical connection between the Hue Bridge and the router. Ensure it’s securely connected.

If it still won’t connect, test the ethernet cable on another device. Bad cables should be immediately replaced.

If the ethernet cable works for other devices, restart the Hue bridge. To do this, turn it off and wait. After 30 seconds, turn it back on.

Restarting this way clears the saved network info from before. You can also factory reset via the reset button.

It’s worth noting that Philips Hue doesn’t require the internet to work. It does require a router connection, though.

Hue has to connect to a router, but that router doesn’t necessarily have to have internet.

BONUS: Check App Settings if Lights Are Unreachable

Sometimes, your Hue lights can’t be turned on or off without the Hue app.

This means there’s a problem and the lights are ‘unreachable.’ This problem is usually because of a settings issue.

Try to turn all of your lights off at the same time via the Hue app. Wait 10 seconds, then try to turn them all off.

This can help reconnect ‘lost’ Hue bulbs.

A different solution may be found in the Hue app. Go to the lightbulb setup option in your app settings, and click ‘info.’

Remove the malfunctioning bulb(s) and try reconnecting them. It’s much like connecting a bulb for the first time.

Final Thoughts

Philips Hue is a wonderful way to change your home’s mood whether at home or away.

However, it has problems, which are easily fixable with some simple steps mentioned in this article.