![Philips Hue app – new search functionality](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mm5oGo4a498WWQ8Efi3PU4-415-80.jpg)
Quick Summary
A new update to the Philips Hue app makes finding your zones, lighting and rooms easier.
You can now search for different elements in your Hue setup from the homepage.
Philips Hue is a great addition to any smart home, providing automated and remote controllable lighting that can change the look and feel of rooms at the tap of a button.
However, it is also addictive. Set up a couple of Hue bulbs and you'll soon want more – and as you add extra smart lighting and zones to your setup, you'll soon realise that the dedicated Philips Hue app becomes awash with tappable tiles.
It can leave you with the app equivalent of the game Guess Who as you scroll to find the one light you want to switch on or off.
You can, of course, just use your voice if you have a supported Alexa or Google Assistant device nearby, but even that can become a pain: "No Alexa, I said living room lights, not book two flights..."
Thankfully, a new free update to the app (v5.23) has arrived to make things much more simple. You can now search for zones, rooms, individual lights and even scenes from the home tab.
It's a tiny additional feature, but oh so useful.
In addition, the hueblog reports that you can now start and stop the "go to sleep" automation from Hue Dimmer Switches and Smart Buttons.
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Another small change is for those who own the new Hue Secure products, such as the Floodlight Camera. They can now quickly change the arming status directly from the Security Card or Security Center.
The app update is available now for both iOS and Android (and iPadOS). You might have already noticed the changes if you have updates set to automatically download and install. Otherwise, check your respective app store to see if the update needs to be approved.
Philips Hue also recently introduced another capability for its security products – they can now trigger an alarm automatically when they detect motion. Previously, users had to trigger the alarm sound themselves after receiving an alert.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
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