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Philips Hue bulbs randomly switching to 100% brightness [U: Not Matter’s fault]

A number of people have reported their Philips Hue bulbs suddenly switching to 100% brightness, seemingly randomly.

Update: While the problem was reported to relate to Matter compatibility, it’s now been confirmed that the issue is with Hue code – see statement at the end …

Hue bulbs can be controlled in a number of different ways, depending on the models you own. The most sophisticated can be set to any one of millions of different colors, while others allow you to change the color temperature to select a warmer or cooler feel.

The one thing all Hue bulbs offer is brightness control, allowing them to be as bright or as dim as you like. Brightness can be controlled using physical Hue switches, in the Hue app, in Apple’s Home app, or using Siri.

But some owners say that Hue bulbs are randomly jumping to 100% brightness without any user input.

Parent company Signify has acknowledged the issue in a statement to The Verge, and said that a fix is on the way.

After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability issue with the Matter smarthome standard, in which random temporary radio traffic disruptions are incorrectly recognized as legacy switch power toggles, turning low brightness lights to full brightness,” Signify third-party spokesperson Kate Helander tells The Verge […]

“A permanent fix for the issue is in progress and will be rolled out within the next week,” Signify tells us.

If you’re being driven crazy by the bug and don’t want to wait for a mix, you can use any Matter controller app you are using to disconnect Hue Bridge from the list of devices.

Update: The Connectivity Standards Alliance, the group behind Matter, says that both it and Signify have found that this is not a problem with Matter itself, rather Signify’s implementation of the standard. This means that only Hue bulbs are affected, and Signify expects to issue an over-the-air fix within a week.

Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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