Control your Philips Hue lights from anywhere

Why remote access matters

Your Hue Bridge normally only answers devices on your home network. That's no help when you're at work and wonder if you left the lights on, or when you want the porch light on before you get home. With remote access (Pro), HueCommand (Command for Philips Hue on the App Store) can reach your Bridge from anywhere with an internet connection.

How it works

HueCommand connects through the official Philips Hue Remote API. You sign in on Philips Hue's own sign-in page using OAuth 2.0 with PKCE, a standard secure sign-in method. The app never sees your Hue password. It receives a token that lets it send commands through the Hue cloud to your Bridge, over encrypted HTTPS.

There is no HueCommand server in the middle. Commands go from your device to the Philips Hue cloud to your Bridge. No port forwarding, VPN or router settings are needed.

How to set up remote access

1. Open HueCommand and go to Settings, then Remote Access.
2. Tap Sign in to Account and sign in on the Philips Hue page.
3. Allow HueCommand to access your Hue account and Bridge.
4. For a Bridge you paired at home, press its link button, then tap Enable Remote Access under Remote Pairing.

Connection modes

Each Bridge has a connection mode. In Auto (the default) the app uses your local network when you're home and the Hue cloud when you're away. Force Local and Force Remote let you pin one route.

What you can do remotely

• Switch lights and whole rooms on and off, including All Off
• Adjust brightness, color and color temperature
• Activate scenes saved on your Bridge
• See which lights are on, so you know if something was left on

Siri Shortcuts also switch to the Hue cloud when your Bridge isn't reachable locally. Home Screen widgets and the Control Center control use your home network for a Bridge paired at home.

Some things stay local. Entertainment Streaming needs the same network as the Bridge. Live effects and Music Reactive are driven by your device while the app is open, so they are meant for when you're in the room.

Staying in control of access

The sign-in token is stored in your device's Keychain. You can stop remote access at any time with Sign Out under Settings, Remote Access. After that the app only reaches a locally paired Bridge on your home network.

Your lights, rooms and scenes stay on your Bridge whether remote access is on or off. Nothing is copied to a HueCommand server.

Devices and Pro

Remote access works in the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro apps. Apple TV is always on your home network, so it doesn't need it; set up remote access on iPhone or iPad instead. For lights that react when you arrive or leave, see geofencing.

Remote access requires Pro: $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year (US prices, which can vary by country), or a one-time Lifetime unlock. Local control of your lights is always free. See Free vs Pro.