Because they are capable of far more than just turning on and off, smart bulbs are intelligent. You can create schedules to deter would-be burglars while you’re on vacation, dim them with the press of a button on an app, or change their colors with a simple voice command (or just reduce your carbon footprint). Many third-party apps can allow you execute some cool tricks that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do with the official mobile app. Certain smart bulbs can even be designed to function with third-party apps.
The greatest smart lighting solution we’ve ever evaluated is the Philips Hue lighting system, which is a very adaptable smart lighting platform.
There are many apps available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store that can let you quickly access some of these “unlockable” tactics. Some of these apps even integrate with other smart bulb systems, making it possible to manage many smart bulb brands from a single platform.
To set these things up yourself, you also don’t need to be a top-notch programmer. With just one of the mobile apps from our list and a little perseverance, you can combine a few instructions to control your smart lights even more.
HueDisco is a lot of fun. Anytime they want, everyone can turn their home into a dance party because it is accessible to both Android and iOS users. The app connects your lights and music, causing the lights to change color in time with the music.
The microphone sensitivity and color range control settings allow you to fine-tune how accurately the bulbs pick up the sound recorded by your phone’s microphone and prevent your lights from bouncing from one end of the spectrum to the other. Even without playing loud music, you can establish the mood for the Hue lamps with a range of strobe patterns and arrays.
Get HueDisco for Android ($3.99) Get HueDisco for iOS ($3.99)
The Hue Basics app is a respectable substitute for the Hue app by default for Android users. It has a beautiful layout with an easy slider control for each bulb and a shelf that contains quick links to other connected lights and their respective groups. Moreover, Hue Essentials provides rapid settings tiles, which are useful if you like to set the mood for group activities. Additionally, you can activate the Quick Settings toggle to enable push-button access from within the Android notification shade.
This software also includes a useful feature that synchronizes your Hue lights with the music, similar to Hue Disco. The Hue Essentials app also provides control for many bridges at once for individuals who enjoy fiddling with settings.
Get the Hue Essentials App for Android (Free)
The iConnectHue for Philips Hue app is a comparable substitute for iPhone customers looking for Hue Essentials. The Philips Hue light system now has automation, customization of individual and group lights, support for multiple bridges, and even Apple Watch capabilities thanks to this app. Even if you’ve connected your Hue lights to other smart bulbs or bec led, such as Cree, Osram, or GE Link, this app may be the best way to control them all from one location since it supports several lesser-known lighting manufacturers as well.
Get iConnectHue for Philips Hue for iOS ($4.99)
IFTTT, which stands for “If This Then That,” is a perfectly good substitute for the complexity of Stringify and Yonomi if you don’t want to spend the time learning about home automation in-depth. It works with most of the well-liked smart lighting platforms now available, including Philips Hue, LIFX, TP-Link, Sengled, and others. Additionally, it integrates with a wide range of other services, including social networking accounts like Twitter and Facebook as well as cloud accounts like Dropbox. If you haven’t got the chance to plunge into automation yet, IFTTT is the ideal approach to whet your taste for it.
Google Pixel Watch 5 (45mm)
Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
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