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Philips Hue's smart lights will work with Siri Shortcuts this fall

You'll soon be able to add Hue lighting changes in with your customizable Siri Shortcut commands that trigger multiple things at once.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology and wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
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Ry Crist
2 min read
Philips

Guess Hue's adding support for Siri Shortcuts this fall?

In case the terrible pun (and, y'know, the headline) didn't give it away, the answer is Philips Hue. The most popular, high-profile smart lights in today's connected home, Hue's lights have long been quick to partner with Apple whenever possible. It was one of the first products to sync with Apple HomeKit, the tech titan's iOS-based smart home platform.

That HomeKit compatibility already lets you control your Hue lights in Apple's Home app, or by using Siri voice controls, but Siri Shortcuts take things one or two steps further. For starters, Siri Shortcuts let you customize those voice commands to your liking, and you can also program them to trigger multiple things at once.

For instance, saying, "Hey Siri, wake me up" after your alarm goes off in the morning could trigger your Hue lights to fade on while also triggering some music to play through your phone or through an AirPlay-compatible speaker like the Apple HomePod. Saying "Hey Siri, I'm home" as you get back from work in the evening could turn your lights on and send your spouse a text letting them know you're back.

All of that will represent a step forward from the current HomeKit integration with Siri Shortcuts, still in beta. I reached out to Apple asking for an update on whether or not we can expect to see similar, device-specific Siri Shortcuts for HomeKit gadgets across the board, and I'll update this space when I hear back.

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Philips made the announcement at its IFA 2018 presser in Berlin this week, slipping it while re-capping the numerous new Hue lights that debuted this summer. Those include the Hue Adore bathroom mirror, the Hue Outdoor Lightstrip and the Hue Play and Signe accent lights designed to work well with the new Hue Entertainment TV sync feature.

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