Hue with Matter: Direct HomeKit integration possible, but not always easy
The popular smart lamps from Philips are known for requiring the Hue Bridge for HomeKit. However, this is no longer the case for newer models.
1600-lumen Hue lamp with HomeKit: Very bright, but not cheap.
(Image: Philips)
The well-known Hue lamps from Philips are available in numerous variants and sizes. What they have in common is that to integrate them into Apple's HomeKit system, you always need a bridge – costing between just under 45 and around 80 euros, depending on the variant (2.0 or Pro). This is because Philips uses the Zigbee protocol by default, which Apple's technology does not support and requires a bridge. Although Philips later also switched to Bluetooth (BLE), the lamps could only be controlled via the Hue app, but not via HomeKit if the bridge was missing. However, the first Hue bulbs are now also available with Matter: this allows direct integration into HomeKit for the first time without detours. As a test by the Mac & i editorial team showed, this is not always problem-free. Here's how to avoid pitfalls.
First step: Choose the correct light
To use Hue lamps with HomeKit without a bridge, you first need the correct model. These are recognizable by the fact that they are adorned with both the Matter logo and the HomeKit logo (“Works with Apple Home”). Unfortunately, this is not the full Hue range, but standard light bulbs with an E27 socket are available, for example – even with a very bright 1600 lumens, which are rarely found in "normal" HomeKit lamps. These models are available in warm white, cool white, or multicolor, but the prices are quite steep (see price comparison).
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The bulb is delivered in the packaging with a Matter code. Unfortunately, it is not on the bulb itself, but on a small piece of paper that you should definitely keep or photograph, as it is essential for setup. Actually, the code should be sufficient to integrate the light into HomeKit – as usual via the Home app and adding a new device. However, the process failed multiple times in our attempts.
Second step: Debugging
Only Apple and Philips know why this is the case – the iPhone used was correctly connected to the Wi-Fi network that the Home Hub (control center) also uses. Speaking of Home Hub: Since Matter uses Thread, you must have at least one Apple TV with Thread or a HomePod (2nd gen or mini) with Thread in your home.
Ultimately, it was helpful to first register the lamp in the Philips Hue app and then reset it via the device settings. The light connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth (BLE) during this process. After the reset, the lamp could finally be added to the Home app. The process not only completed up to the "Add to Home" step – as before – but also finished. After that, the Hue lamp with Matter feels just like any other HomeKit bulb: you can turn it on and off, set brightness and color tone, integrate it into scenes and automations, and more. However, what did not work with our test model was Apple's adaptive light, which adjusts the color temperature according to the time of day. A Nanoleaf Smart Bulb, on the other hand, could do this out of the box.
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