Reviews of Hue Essentials

By: Thomas Vos App

List of user reviews and ratings for Hue Essentials

Total ratings

4.20 (Rating count: 122)

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Review summary

Hue Essentials offers deep customization and automation for Hue lighting, including dimmer switch control, Touchlink, and the ability to repurpose older hardware. Many users praise its breadth of features and its ability to work when the official Hue app falls short. However, reviewers repeatedly report stability and connectivity problems with bridges and hubs, plus bugs that crash the app or prevent saving automations. Monetization concerns, such as paid features and cross-device licensing, along with mandatory cloud updates, also surface. Overall, strong potential for power users marred by reliability and pricing frustrations.

Pros

Extensive customization and automation options, including advanced button actions for Hue dimmer switches and Touchlink support.
Broad device/bridge compatibility, including support for older Hue bridges (v1), legacy bulbs, and the ability to link to the new Hue Hub.
Reliable performance in scenarios where the official Hue app struggles, with easier device discovery and bridging.
Precise color control and scene tuning, including Kelvin/temperature adjustments.
Strong support for Hue dimmer switches, expanding their functionality beyond the official app.

Cons

Frequent connectivity issues with bridges/hubs, sometimes presenting as 'no internet connection' or unknown parameters on new hardware.
Pricing frustrations: microtransactions and premium features gated behind purchases, plus cross-device sign-in limitations.
Bugs and instability: crashes, UI glitches, watch app problems, and automations failing to save.
Mandatory cloud accounts and firmware updates to manage local devices, raising privacy and offline-use concerns.
Installation and discovery friction: onboarding screens and features (like effects) that are hard to find or understand.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 3.00

All time rating average: 4.20

Upgrade to see all 52 reviews

42% (22)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-05-27	De*****	My reason for getting this app was because my Hue Play bar lights, which were paired with my previous bridge, wouldn’t pair to my new bridge. I had read online that the Touchlink functionality of this app could solve my problem. Touchlink being a paywalled feature and figuring it would solve my issue, I paid only to find that it didn’t work. I followed the guidance provided by the creators along with performing my own troubleshooting with no success. These developers also appear to not allow refunds. Waste of money, garbage app is garage, stay away. If anyone has similar issue the aforementioned lights can be disassembled with relative ease, and a QR code is located inside the device which worked for pairing through the official Hue app.
My reason for getting this app was because my Hue Play bar lights, which were paired with my previous bridge, wouldn’t pair to my new bridge. I had read online that the Touchlink functionality of this app could solve my problem. Touchlink being a paywalled feature and figuring it would solve my issue, I paid only to find that it didn’t work. I followed the guidance provided by the creators along with performing my own troubleshooting with no success. These developers also appear to not allow refunds. Waste of money, garbage app is garage, stay away. If anyone has similar issue the aforementioned lights can be disassembled with relative ease, and a QR code is located inside the device which worked for pairing through the official Hue app.
2026-05-17	Sp*****	You have to pay to use touchlink where it was free previously and after I paid $8, it didn’t work and now I’m stuck with this useless app. I only paid and would have happily paid if touchlink worked but it didn’t. $8 wasted. Do not buy.
You have to pay to use touchlink where it was free previously and after I paid $8, it didn’t work and now I’m stuck with this useless app. I only paid and would have happily paid if touchlink worked but it didn’t. $8 wasted. Do not buy.
2026-03-14	zw*****	Fade does not work. If you set up an action with a button an set a fade time, it happens immediately. There is not fade. Not sure how the author thinks that’s ok. Found an issue that is four years old of people complaining about it. Please fix!!!
Fade does not work. If you set up an action with a button an set a fade time, it happens immediately. There is not fade. Not sure how the author thinks that’s ok. Found an issue that is four years old of people complaining about it. Please fix!!!
2025-12-31	rs*****	From my desktop computer. No need to reach out for my phone or tablet anymore while I am on the computer.
From my desktop computer. No need to reach out for my phone or tablet anymore while I am on the computer.
2025-11-30	Di*****	Errors out whenever trying to start an effect on the new Hue Pro hub. Nothing but unknown parameters. I hope it is fixed soon.
Errors out whenever trying to start an effect on the new Hue Pro hub. Nothing but unknown parameters. I hope it is fixed soon.
2025-10-07	An*****	I used to use this app and loved it but now it can’t connect to the bridge and there’s no way to troubleshoot
I used to use this app and loved it but now it can’t connect to the bridge and there’s no way to troubleshoot
2025-09-25	rq*****	Mandatory “flip through these pages to see what this app has to offer” screens on installation are bad.
Mandatory “flip through these pages to see what this app has to offer” screens on installation are bad.
2025-09-22	Th*****	I have had Hue lights since they were first available. The variety of settings, and the Hue Essentials communication with actual Hue App on my phone, is key. I have had several Apps that have worked with my devices, and this app combines all of them, into one app. Easily the best Hue app available
I have had Hue lights since they were first available. The variety of settings, and the Hue Essentials communication with actual Hue App on my phone, is key. I have had several Apps that have worked with my devices, and this app combines all of them, into one app. Easily the best Hue app available
2025-09-22	Mp*****	This app is great but I would rather pay for a fully featured pro version than for micro-transactions for each feature, that being said they do work as promised. I needed this app because my original hue system was in a box for 7 years and I had no way to connect my v 1.0!bridge to the current app it so I could transfer my setup to their new hub. Phillips stopped supporting hue bridge 1.0 a few years ago in the official app. This app allowed me to connect my old bulbs, strips, remote and bridge to my new hue hub v 2 bridge and transfer them over. If you don’t feel like getting the new hub then this can mostly replace the official hue app. Most importantly for old hue bulb users it also has the Touchlink feature that is key to getting the original bulbs to work with the new hub 2. I wish hue still kept this feature in ther current app but hey don’t. These two apps are linked so once I got everything transferred the hue app works great alongside this one and I have full animated effects thanks to the new hub 2.
This app is great but I would rather pay for a fully featured pro version than for micro-transactions for each feature, that being said they do work as promised. I needed this app because my original hue system was in a box for 7 years and I had no way to connect my v 1.0!bridge to the current app it so I could transfer my setup to their new hub. Phillips stopped supporting hue bridge 1.0 a few years ago in the official app. This app allowed me to connect my old bulbs, strips, remote and bridge to my new hue hub v 2 bridge and transfer them over. If you don’t feel like getting the new hub then this can mostly replace the official hue app. Most importantly for old hue bulb users it also has the Touchlink feature that is key to getting the original bulbs to work with the new hub 2. I wish hue still kept this feature in ther current app but hey don’t. These two apps are linked so once I got everything transferred the hue app works great alongside this one and I have full animated effects thanks to the new hub 2.
2025-07-19	Ge*****	Wow. I discovered today when I needed to change which lights my switches controlled that the official Philips Hue Bridge v1 app (which I still have on my phone for compatibility with my circular v1 bridge) could no longer configure the accessories (it would freeze then crash when trying to select them in settings). Since that app is no longer supported, and my switches would not control the right lights without me being able to configure them… I was just about resigned to having to buy a new v2 bridge. Besides the cost and waste of plastic, this felt sad because I don’t need the newer bridge’s features and all my Hue hardware including the v1 bridge is working just fine! The only issue is that the software used to change their settings broke—had I not needed to add a few new bulbs and configure the switches to control them, I could’ve kept using the same setup for a long time! I was about to give up and buy a new bridge for $60 when I came across this app, tried it out, and… wow. No issues pairing with my v1 bridge, and could easily make the changes I needed to make to my switches. (In fact it offers customizations that the official Hue app never did for these switches, like setting up to 10 different things a single button can do when pressed repeatedly.) Leaps and bounds better than official Hue apps ever have been. Thanks so much for building this. 🙏
Wow. I discovered today when I needed to change which lights my switches controlled that the official Philips Hue Bridge v1 app (which I still have on my phone for compatibility with my circular v1 bridge) could no longer configure the accessories (it would freeze then crash when trying to select them in settings). Since that app is no longer supported, and my switches would not control the right lights without me being able to configure them… I was just about resigned to having to buy a new v2 bridge. Besides the cost and waste of plastic, this felt sad because I don’t need the newer bridge’s features and all my Hue hardware including the v1 bridge is working just fine! The only issue is that the software used to change their settings broke—had I not needed to add a few new bulbs and configure the switches to control them, I could’ve kept using the same setup for a long time! I was about to give up and buy a new bridge for $60 when I came across this app, tried it out, and… wow. No issues pairing with my v1 bridge, and could easily make the changes I needed to make to my switches. (In fact it offers customizations that the official Hue app never did for these switches, like setting up to 10 different things a single button can do when pressed repeatedly.) Leaps and bounds better than official Hue apps ever have been. Thanks so much for building this. 🙏