Philips is introducing four new lighting effects via its Hue app, including an underwater option that simulates the shimmer of light beneath the waves. The added effects are part of a new app update discovered by Hueblog, which also adds the ability to customize the lighting effects already available through the app, as well as any new effects that Philips introduces in the future.
Existing lighting effects include options that allow Hue lamps and bulbs to simulate the look of a candle with a gently flickering yellow glow or a fireplace with more intense red and orange flashes. Version 5.28 of the Hue app – now available for iOS, iPadOS and Android – adds cosmic, underwater, enchantment and sunray effects, bringing the total to 10. The effects aren't available for every Hue product, but Philips has shared a detailed list of exactly which lights support this feature.
Although the effects are designed with specific colors and animations to simulate specific lighting experiences, the latest update to the Hue app now lets you change the base color of the effects – so you can enjoy the glow of a pink candle, for example – and customize the effects. Intensity by changing the brightness and speed of flickering or color transitions.
The Hue app has long been a sophisticated and streamlined way to control Philips' smart lighting products, but in recent years the app's customizability options have lagged behind those of competitors like Govee and Nanoleaf. The ability to edit effects in the Hue app is a welcome upgrade and another reminder of how competition can benefit consumers.
Other improvements in the latest version of the Philips Hue app include a lighting style called “Scattered,” originally introduced on the Philips Hue Festavia string lights, and now available on all gradient lights in the Hue range. The app's icon and widgets now offer both dark and tinted styles if you've updated to iOS 18 or iPadOS18.
With spooky season already in full swing, Philips has also reintroduced Halloween Scenes to the Hue app, which takes control of all the lights in a room with different colors and transitions to change the mood. Although two new Halloween scenes were introduced last year, the same eight are available again this year, including Enchanted, Glowing Grin, and Witching Hour.