Turn your Lights into Motion Sensors with Philips Hue MotionAware

Hi, it’s Jacob here, and in this short video I’m going to show you how the new Hue Motion Aware feature works — turning your existing Hue lights into motion sensors so they automatically turn on when you walk into a room.

In my last video, I updated my original Hue Bridge to the Hue Bridge Pro. You’ll need the Pro model in order to use Motion Aware, so if you haven’t done that yet, check out the video linked above and then come back here.

Inside the Hue app, tap Settings at the bottom, then Devices, and you’ll now see a new option for Motion Areas. Hue recommends having at least three bulbs per room, ideally spread across different parts of the space — for example, a lamp, a table light, and a ceiling light.

When you create an area, the app explains how it works: the Hue Bridge Pro analyses Zigbee signal strength between the lights. When movement interrupts those signals, the system can detect it. It sounds like sci-fi, but it really does work.

For this demo, I’ve set up my lounge with three lights. Hue asks me to leave the area (and even remove pets), so I’ve carried Pudding into the kitchen while it analyses the baseline. After 20 seconds, it asks what should happen when motion is detected — for example, turn on lights, send an alert, or both with a Pro subscription. I’ve chosen to switch on just one lamp.

Now that it’s set up, the Motion section of the Hue app shows when activity is detected. Time to test it! I’ve turned off the lounge lights, walked back in, and instantly the lamp switches on. It’s working brilliantly.

At the moment, you can set up to three Motion Aware zones on a Hue Bridge Pro. It’s an impressive feature, and far more reliable than I expected. I’ll be walking in and out of my lounge for the next 20 minutes just for fun, but I hope you’ll use the time to check out my channel for more smart home and iPhone QuickTips. See you next time.