Philips Hue Smart Button – how to control multiple lights, with different options, fully customize what a button press does ( multiple things, multiple lights, multiple states, multiple rooms )

By CLN Posted on 28/03/202229/03/2022 Category :

When I initially received my hue smart button, I was disappointed that the default Philips hue app did not have any advanced options for the “smart” button.
The only things I could do with the default app was:

control a section of lights (all on or off)
control 1 room (not multiple rooms)
control 1 zone (groupings of lights)

Once you select a target you are stuck with 2 modes and a long press

Mode 1: time-based lights (so set a scene to the target, based on what time it is)
Mode 2: Scene cycle (cycle up to 5 scenes on the target)
Long press: press and hold to set a scene

Mix and match the lights / zones / rooms with “Hue Essentials”

I wanted more, I wanted light changes in multiple rooms, turn certain lights off, keep other lights on, across my home.

I want this button to be a “reading light” button, press it and it dims some lights, turns some lights off and turn on some cozy reading lights on our nightstand.

This is possible! just not with the default app, you will need an app called “Hue Essentials“

The app allows you to setup basically anything under 4 actions:

A button press
A button hold
Release (Press) [unsure what this is useful for]
Release (Hold) [unsure what this is useful for]

You can navigate to your Philips hue smart button by opening the app, setting up the initial setup (pressing the chonky button once).
Left down in the menu, select “Devices” and select your smart hue button

I have set up actions for a press and hold:

A press will turn off a group named “color lamp” [these contain hue light changeable bulbs]
A press will turn on our xmas lights (plugged into a Philips Hue Smart Plug)
A hold will turn off all lights (sleep time!)

You can go all out with conditions, day & night, time, group states, device states, but this does what I want it to do, a smart button that sets the lights to a bedtime reading mood.