The Hue Sync system from Philips is designed to take your home lighting control to another level. The smart system with lights is designed to provide an immersive home lighting ambiance that makes every movie night more enjoyable than it could be without it.
However, while they might seem pretty solid, you might run into connection issues while using the system. In this guide, we have explained the fixes for connection issues on the Hue Sync Box as well as the Hue App.
Hue Sync App Not Connecting: Likely Issues and Fixes
Problem 1: Trouble With Updates
This was pretty common with some users. At the time, users reported that whenever Philips releases new updates for either the Hue Bridge or the Hue Sync app, the app will start disconnecting randomly from the bridge. If you notice that your app is losing connectivity, you might want to check if there is a new update. If so then you can use this fix.
Solution: Rollback Your Version
To solve this problem, all you need to do is roll back the version of the Hue Sync app you’re using. This means you should uninstall the new update that’s crashing your app and reinstall the previous version.
However, if you’ve lost the old installer files and you can’t reinstall the previous version, then you might have to contact Philips. You can also wait till Philips releases a new version that fixes the bugs and solves your connectivity problem.
This fix will work if you’re sure that your connectivity problems started right after installing the new update.
Problem 2: Old Versions Won’t Work Anymore
This might put you in a tight spot if you downgraded to an older version that worked seamlessly, but it doesn’t seem to work anymore, the problem could be due to a corrupted cache. These temporary files associated with your device could impair the Hue Sync connection which prevents the lights from functioning properly or even working at all.
Solution: Delete the “Cache” Stored on the App
Since the cache is the center of the problem, removing it from the app on your computer on your phone will solve the problem. Before you do this, re-update your app to restore the previous version since it wasn’t the problem with the connection. To do this, follow the steps below.
On PC
- Tap on the search icon on your taskbar and search for “%appdata%”. This will display a wide range of software and apps installed on your devices.
- Search and double-click the “HueSync” folder. This will open it and you can then delete all the content inside the folder. Remember to leave the original folder. Rather you would have to delete only the contents within the folder.
On Mac
- Open the ‘New finder window” then click “Go”
- Hold the “option” key to show the “Library” folder. The folders for apps installed on your computer will be displayed.
- Search and open the “Hue Sync” folder and open the “Cache” folder inside it. Delete all the contents inside it but do not delete the main folder inside it.
- Go to Library>Application>Support and search for “com.lighting.huesync”, then delete that folder as well.
On Smartphone
- Find the Hue Sync app on your smartphone
- Press and hold the icon of the app, then click “app info”. If you can’t find app info on your device, click any equivalent settings that will grant you access to the app’s data and cache.
- Scroll to the bottom and search for the “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data”, then press and confirm.
Problem 3: Hue Bridge Won’t Respond
To speak to your Hue Bridge, your PC or Mac-based Hue Sync app will have to use your home’s internet network, which can be through Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable. This means you won’t need ZigBee as required by other Philips devices. However, this means you have to ensure that the Wi-Fi network reaching the system is strong. With slow or weak Wi-Fi, the system might fail to respond
Solution: Check Your Wi-Fi Signal
Since the reason for a non-responsive Hue Bridge would be due to slow internet speed or weak Wi-Fi connection, you should first check and confirm that both the hub and the app are getting proper internet speed. Check if the Wi-Fi signal has a “Good” or “Excellent” reading to avoid connection problems.
To establish a better connection, place the Wi-Fi router closer to the system. Ensure there are no obstacles between the system and the Wi-Fi router. If none of these improve the connection, then switch to an ethernet cable. Wired connections tend to have better latency than wireless connections.
Hue Sync Box Common Connection Issues
The Hue Sync Box is not prone to problems like the Hue Sync App. This also means that Hue Sync Box problems will be much easier to fix. However, that’s only if you’re able to correctly diagnose the problem. Technical problems would require a professional to look at it, luckily, connection issues are usually caused by a poor means of connection rather than a technical problem.
Problem 4: Hue Sync Box is Unstable on Wi-Fi
If you notice that your Hue Sync Box is unstable on Wi-Fi or on a particular access point, there are just a few reasons for that and an easy fix. The reason could be that the box is too far from the Wi-Fi router or the access point.
Solution: Check the Wi-Fi Router Connection
If you’re connecting your Hue Sync Box through an access point, then you might want to connect it directly to your Wi-Fi router. Leave the access point for lower-priority devices or devices that won’t require a highly stable connection.
Keep in mind that the Hue Sync Box doesn’t support the less-congested 5 GHz Wi-Fi band. If connecting directly to the router doesn’t help, then you might want to change the Wi-Fi channel.
Wrapping Up
These are the most common Hue Sync connection issues and the right fixes to apply. If you experience other problems or these fixes didn’t work as well as you hoped, you can contact Philips support and you will get the help you need.
