Unable to Link Hue With Alexa [10 Quick Fixes]

For home automation, a smart home hub becomes an essential (a must have) device for automation communication with your smart home devices. You must have found it relaxing turning on and off your living room light with just a voice command to your smart hub.

Philips Hue is one of the most used smart bulbs out there, and works great with Amazon virtual assistant Alexa. Owning a pair of Philips Hue connected to Amazon Echo Alexa, establishing a secure connection for flawless controlling might be stretching sometimes as both devices may refuse to connect amicably.

With a lot of user reports across the net, are you also unable to link the Amazon Alexa with the Hue lights? Getting an error response “We were unable to link Hue at this time. Please try again later.” or “Unable to reach the Hue lights”. Lucky you, I have got a fix to that.

In this post, you’ll learn the quickest affixes for troubleshooting the connection issue of Philips Hue lights with your Alexa smart hub.

Initially, accessing the Hue lights with the Amazon virtual assistant Alexa shouldn’t be distressing, unless there’s an abrupt hitch in the connection. Are you wondering why you’re unable to link Hue with Alexa comfortably? Learn the reasons below.

Contents

Why Won't Philips Hue Connect to Alexa?
How to Troubleshoot Philips Hue Not Connecting With Alexa
Wrapping Up
Frequently Asked Questions;

Why Won’t Philips Hue Connect to Alexa?

Most times, you may be experiencing a connection issue, as your Alexa is unable to link with the Hue lights due to setbacks on either the smart hub or the Philips Hue lights. In most cases, the issue is largely caused by snag in the Amazon Alexa Skills, an automated program on Amazon virtual assistant that helps users in expanding and personalizing its experience.

The connection of both devices tends to disrupt if the link between the Alexa Skill and Hue has been interrupted, or once the Alexa Skill loses its connection to the Hue completely. In situations like this, you can easily get it fixed in no time if you disable the Alexa Skill, and re-enable after several minutes (detailed in the fix section).

However, the other predominant culprit that can make you unable to link Hue with Alexa is the Hue Bridge. The issue might either be with the Bridge itself i.e. the device processing system or the Hue Bridge software accessed on the Smart home platform.

The Hue Bridge serves as the control unit, which incites voice automation control for all connected Hue products, once the device is on the same network as your smartphone or computer.

To troubleshoot the Hue Bridge issue that makes you unable to link Hue with Alexa; you will need to unlink the Hue Bridge completely and reconnect after a while if the problem is with the Hue Bridge function. Concerning the stand alone device, restarting to refresh its processing system works great most times, more details later in the post.

After all, there are many other of reasons why you’re unable to link Hue with Alexa, such includes;

Wi-Fi Network Interference
Alexa Group Issues
Wi-Fi Frequency Band Type
Outdated Software or Firmware
Duplicate Devices from other Smart Hub

How to Troubleshoot Philips Hue Not Connecting With Alexa

Check Connected Wi-Fi Network

Inspecting your connected wireless network is the best measure to try out first when you’re unable to link Hue with Alexa. For creating an efficient and secure connection between a smart device and its core controller, it is necessary that both devices are on the same wireless network.

Having your Hue connected to a different network from that of your virtual assistant Alexa will probably prevent stable connection between the Hue Bridge and the smart home hub.

Seeing that connected wireless networks supplement the functionality of the Hue lights, in situations that you’re unable to determine whether both the Hue and Alexa are on the same network, it’s advisable to validate the connection before trying out other things.

You can actually do this by verifying the Hue Bridge ID or its IP Address on the device connected with Alexa.

Navigate to a web browser on a smartphone or computer you’re linking with Amazon virtual assistant Alexa, and visit discovery.meethue.com. It’ll display the Hue Bridge ID or its IP Address if it’s on the same network as your device. In case it’s the other way round as it displays “[]”, then you can try reconnecting both the Hue and Alexa to the same wireless network.

Additionally, network range is also a significant factor, as smart home devices also need to be close enough to a hub before it functions correctly. Interferences from walls or other Wi-Fi enabled devices can also cause connectivity issues, as well as congested wireless networks. And also connecting to the right wireless frequency band type.

Ensure You’re on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Band

In order to avoid wireless network interference, you must ensure you’re connecting to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band. Apparently, the most common Wi-Fi bands out there are 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, though some devices support uncommon standards like 60 Ghz for specific applications.

Nonetheless, higher frequency bandwidth enables greater speeds but has reduced broadcast range, which gives room for interference. Using a modern wireless network source, your device must have a dual band system that switches automatically between the frequency channels and effectively divides the traffic.

Examine the router manual to learn how to switch between frequency bands, then ensure you’re connecting both devices to the right wireless frequency band type which is 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band type.

Power Cycle the Hue Bridge

Restarting the Hue Bridge works well for troubleshooting any sorts of glitch in the Hue Bridge function that may cause hindrance when connecting the device with Alexa. Turning it off and on after several minutes will definitely refresh its main brain and clear out previously saved session information.

Apparently, since the Hue Bridge acts as the control center for the Philips Hue lights, which also tells all the bulbs what to do and when according to voice command communicated with the connected virtual assistant.

The Hue may be unresponsive if the device is overworked and choked with cache data from past processes. This may require power cycling before it functions properly. To power cycle the Hue Bridge; follow the below outlined process.

Move closer to the Hue Bridge.
Remove the power cable from the device to turn it off.
Press the Reboot, Restart, or Sync button to power drain the device.
Wait for several seconds before proceeding.
Plug in the power cable to the Hue Bridge.
Hold for several seconds till it boots completely.
Try re-linking the Alexa after it’s connected to the same wireless network.

Unlink and Relink the Hue Bridge

In case the issue is with the Hue software accessed in the smart home platform, disconnecting and reconnecting tends to fasten the glitch most times, and works wonders for numbers of users out there. Unlinking the Hue Bridge from your Hue account isn’t a complex task, and can be done in a split seconds on the smart home device webpage.

You can do this on a smartphone or computer that shares the same wireless network as your Philip Hue Bridge to gain access to your Hue Account. To do this;

Open a web browser on your device.
Navigate and visit account.meethue.com.
In case you’re on mobile, you can switch to desktop mode for easy access.
Ensure you’re on your Hue Account page.
Then navigate to the “Bridge” tab of your account page.
Scroll way down to see the Red Unlink Hue Bridge button.
Click the button and wait for a couple of seconds to unlink successfully.
The Red Unlink button will then turn to the Green Link button.
Power down the Hue Bridge by removing the power cable.
Wait for several seconds before plugging back the power cable to put it on.
Return to account.meethue.com to relink the Hue Bridge.
Long press the center button on the Bridge to put the device in pairing mode.
Press the Green Link Hue Bridge button to relink the device.

You can also unlink the Hue Bridge on the Philips Hue application on your smartphone. To do this; Navigate to the Settings Tab far right of the App footer menu, then tap the Remove button right under the Hue details.

Disable and Re-Enable Hue Skill in Alexa

In another figure, turning on the Hue Skill function in your Alexa is liable to fix the connectivity issue between the Hue and the virtual assistant Alexa. In such cases that the skill function is already enabled, you can easily troubleshoot this as you disable and re-enable the Hue Skill in Alexa or Amazon’s website.

Sometimes, the issue might be with the Alexa App on your smartphone. To disable the Hue Skill, it’s best to do this at Amazon.com with your Amazon account signed in. This can be done on mobile web browsers or web browsers on your computer. In such instances, you can consider iPads and tablets or switch to desktop mode in case you’re on a smartphone.

Open Amazon.com on your web browser with your account signed in. Navigate to the search bar at the upper side of the screen to change the Department to “Alexa Skills.” Then use the search function to search Philips Hue, explore the result and click the Hue that supports English.

Click Disable and wait for several seconds before you Re-Enable the function.

To try this out in your Alexa App; Navigate to the last tab far right of the App footer menu which reads More, scroll to locate and click Skills & Games then use the search bar to search Hue Skill to access the Philips Hue Skill page on the Alexa App.

Am sure it’s already enabled, click Disable Skill and confirm when prompted to turn off the function, then wait for a couple of seconds before pressing the Enable button to re-activate the Hue Skill functions then follow the setup instructions prompted on your screen to re-setup the Hue Skill.

Fix Grouping Issue in Alexa

Sometimes, grouping can be the reason why some sets of Hue lights aren’t responding when signaling commands via Alexa. This may likely occur if Alexa doesn’t view your Hue Bridge network as a single network of lightbulbs but recognize each bulb separately.

Before every bulb lights up, you need to say a command individually since the Hue Bridge isn’t recognized as a single network of lightbulbs. Controlling a group of Hue lights may seem demanding and makes you assume the Philips Hue isn’t linked with Alexa completely.

For fixing the issue; Navigate to the Group setting of the Alexa App, create the room name or choose from a populated list of common room names you can use. Add the appropriate device to its respective group, then tap the “save” button to save the changes. Multiple Hue lightbulbs can now be controlled with voice command via Amazon virtual assistant Alexa.

Delete Duplicate Lights Added to the Group

With a list of same (Duplicate) lights added to the group multiple times, Alexa can fail to recognize the particular Hue lightbulbs you’re trying to turn on and gives an error response “Unable to reach the Hue Lights”.

Such situations can be caused by other smart home devices and hubs you’re using in your home. Every smart home device is programmed to create their versions of connection for transmitting and receiving commands simultaneously.

For instance, having the Samsung SmartThings software on the same network as your Alexa and the Hue Bridge, this can project a duplicate Hue lights version to Alexa and make it have multiple instances of your lights in its grouping, since the device will probably create its own version of your Hue bulbs.

Access the lights area on your Alexa App to tidy up the section manually, since there’s no automatic workaround. Open Alexa application software on your smartphone, navigate to Devices, then Lights. Scroll to look for any duplicate Hue and tap delete in case you come across multiple lights.

Check for App Update

Occasionally, outdated application software may hinder the connectivity of the Hue with Alexa, as a result of bugs or sudden glitch in the program which timely updates are released to fix. Every standard application now tends to receive updates every now and then, either software or firmware.

Unknowingly, you might have missed out the recent update due to one reason or the other. If your device App update isn’t set to automatically, you will need to check and update the App manually. Firstly you will have to check the Alexa App current version by navigating to Settings >> About >> then scroll up to see the App current version.

In case you’re running an outdated version, you’ll be provided with an update button to download and install the latest version automatically. Contrarily, you can visit your device App Store; Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS, then search the specific App you’re upgrading, Alexa or Philips Hue, you’ll see an update button if any is available for your device.

Restore the Hue Bridge to Default Settings

Coming to the last resort, after trying a series of methods for troubleshooting the linking issue between the Philips Hue and Amazon virtual assistant Alexa, you might want to utilize the last method which involves restoring the Hue Bridge to default settings.

Oftentimes, the inability to link Hue with Alexa is a result of some personalization made to the device long ago, unlinking or restarting the Hue Bridge as well as disabling the Hue Skill may not do the justice of fixing the issue. If nothing else works for you, you can consider performing a hard reset on the Hue Bridge to see how things work.

Be aware that restarting the Hue Bridge will leave the device as a brand new, which will require first setup from scratch before you can utilize the Hue light bulbs, since the previous settings will be wiped out during the process. To reset your Hue Bridge;

Leave the power cable connected to the device.
Ensure the Hue is powered on.
Disconnect every wireless network or Ethernet cable in case you’re using a wired network.
Flip the device over and locate the small pin-hole beneath the Hue Bridge that reads “restore factory settings”.
Grab a pin and insert into the small hole holding it for up-to 5 seconds.
Release when the Bridge indicator turns solid blue, then place back the Hue Bridge.
Reconnect the wireless network source and start the setup.

Reconnect Hue With Alexa

After restoring your Hue Bridge to factory settings, I am sure you’ll need a full guide on how to set up the Philips Hue with Amazon virtual assistant Alexa successfully.

We’ve provided a detailed guide on how to integrate your Philips Hue with Amazon Alexa, for controlling your lights with voice command and creating custom automations with all the smart devices in your home. Things you’ll need in the process include Philips Hue lights, Alexa compatible device, Alexa App, and the Hue Bridge.

Connecting the Philips Hue Bridge with Alexa. You can get this done in two different ways, either you connect both devices using the Hue Bridge network or Bluetooth. Both ways are straightforward processes and require little to no effort when setting it up. In case you’re using the Hue Bridge network;

Launch the Alexa App on your device.
Navigate to the More tab far right in the App footer menu.
Click Skills & Games from the list.
Then use the search icon and input “Philips Hue”.
Click the Hue Skill and Enable the function.

You will then be directed to Philips Hue account page, where you’ll be required to sign in your Account and select the Hue Bridge you’re linking with Alexa, as well as accepting the Terms and Conditions to use both devices. Using the Bluetooth method;

Ensure your device Bluetooth is turned on.
Put on the Philips Hue lightbulbs.
Your Alexa App will detect nearby smart lights and prompt a notification “New Light Found.”
Then your device is ready to use.
In case the smart lights can not be found automatically, you can call out Alexa to discover nearby devices.
You can say “Alexa, discover devices.”
After it discovers the lights successfully, you can then proceed with other Alexa commands for Philips Hue.

Wrapping Up

I hope you found this post helpful. According to lots of reports on the internet, the issue while connecting Hue with Alexa is most times caused by malfunction in the Hue Skill or Hue Bridge software accessed on the smart home platform. Am sure you must have got the issue fixed by trying out the first five affixes.

In a simple word, the linking problem can be considered as a trivial issue that just requires some of your attention. In case the issue persists in spite of trying every step mentioned above, you can take some minutes to read over whether you’ve missed out any of the process. If every step has been taken accordingly, you can contact both device customer service for support on the linking issue.

Frequently Asked Questions;

How do I fix unresponsive Hue lights?

In case you have some sets of lights that are unresponsive when others are turned on, you can firstly check their connectivity in the Philips Hue application, if those lights are still reachable. On finding out the light bulbs are unreachable, you can then examine the bulbs switch if it’s effective, check your wireless network source for interference, and inspect the grouping function in your smart home hub application.

How do I put my Philips Hue in pairing mode?

Philips Hue Bridge is in pairing mode automatically once it’s powered on with the power cable. You can pair the Hue Bridge with the Hue App on your smartphone by installing the App from your device App store, then;

Launch the Philips Hue App on your device.
Ensure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Hue Bridge.
The App will scan for nearby Hue Bridge on your Wi-Fi network automatically.
Once it found the Hue Bridge successfully, tap the Setup button on your device screen.
Then press the big round button on the Hue Bridge.
You are now in pairing mode, and the Bridge should connect to your App in a split second.

How do I reset my Philips Hue bulb with Alexa or Philips Hue App?

Assuming you want to reset your Philips Hue bulbs to default settings for one reason or the other, you can easily do this on Alexa App or the Philips Hue application. To reset your Philips Hue light bulbs on Philips Hue App;

Launch the Philips Hue App on your device.
Tap on Settings from the App footer menu.
Click Lights from the settings options.
You will see a list of available Lights linked to your Hue Bridge.
Tap the one you wish to delete.
Then locate the Red Delete button and tap.
Confirm your choice by re-tapping Delete from the popped up card.

How do I get Alexa to recognize my smart bulb?

If your Amazon virtual assistant Alexa didn’t discover nearby smart bulbs automatically, you can easily command her to search and discover nearby smart bulbs by saying “Alexa, discover devices.” while it will scan and add any available smart devices on the same network.