Homekit Won’t Connect To Hue Bridge? – Learn How to Fix

Wondering why Homekit won’t connect to Hue Bridge? Keep reading!

Nowadays, everyone chooses the Apple Homekit because it makes it simple to control your home accessories by simply connecting the devices.

However, connectivity problems are also rather common, so if you are experiencing the same issues, keep reading!

The Apple Homekit won’t connect to the Hue bridge device because of poor network connectivity or different WiFi frequency on both devices. Other factors involved are the software firmware, network availability, app version, VPN, and much more!

Therefore, we should first go over the causes in detail before discussing potential fixes!

Why Hue Bridge Won’t Connect To Homekit?

If your Homekit device is not connecting to the Hue bridge, we can understand the traumatic situation which you are going through.

However many factors might lead to this connectivity problem, which is luckily simple to resolve, so let’s first learn more about the causes!

The following are the common causes of connection issues between Hue bridge and Homekit:

• Weak or No Network Availability
• Different Network Connections on Devices
• Outdated Philips App Version
• Connectivity Interference such as VPN
• Outdated Firmware of Hue Bridge or Homekit
• Device System (OS) Bugs & Glitches
• Any Defective Device or HW Component

All the above causes are usually common but of course, there may be another issue with your device that we will identify while troubleshooting. Let’s go!

How To Fix When Homekit Won’t Connect To Hue Bridge?

We are now moving further in the guide to discuss the effective ways to fix your device’s connectivity issue.

However, keep in mind that all the following methods are troubleshooting workarounds, proven to help so make sure not to skip anything!

Important: Before troubleshooting, first, be sure that all your devices are logged in to the same Apple account (iCould).

Solution #1 Check Network Connectivity!

The very first thing that you will need to check is the network connection on both devices! 

A stable and the same frequency WiFi network is mandatory for both devices to make proper communication between them.

There is a possibility that your network is not available or has weak strength or maybe both devices are connected to different WiFi, let’s find out…

• All you need to do is connect both devices to the same WiFi

Simply check the Homekit and Hue bridge connections to the same WiFi network, as well as the connections of the mobile device on which you use the apps.

Restart your Homekit, Hue Bridge, and router devices to refresh the signal and test the connection!

Tip: We strongly recommend using the 2.4 GHz WiFi broadband of your router!

Solution #2 Check For VPN Connectivity

The Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an IP-altering software that can impact your network connectivity, especially if the user is not aware of how to use the tool.

Therefore, the VPN on your mobile, computer or any other smart device has to be disabled to relieve the network! 

Note: The VPN can be a mobile app, computer software, or a browser extension!

Since the device’s apps are on our mobile, let’s disable any VPN there!

1. Open Settings on your mobile.
2. Look for Network and Internet Advanced and tap on them.
3. Then look for a VPN device and check if it is turned on.
4. If the VPN is turned on, then simply click on VPN settings.
5. Then Turn OFF the VPN or tap on forget.
6. Also, delete any VPN application if you have any installed.

Once you turn off the VPN from your device, then restart your mobile, and then try to connect Homekit and Hue Bridge devices.

If they still can’t connect, then move on to the next solution!

Solution #3 Refresh The Philips Hue App

Sometimes there is nothing wrong with the network or even with the devices, but the main communication mode, such as the mobile apps, is the culprit.

It is obvious that bugs frequently appear in the software, especially when they are not updated so perhaps that is the reason why you can’t add Hue Bridge to Homekit.

Solution: Simply update the app by going to the Play Store or App Store!

Here is how to refresh the Philips Hue app:

1. Open the app and go to Settings.
2. Then, look for the Privacy tab and tap on the Homekit.
3. Tap on the toggle to disable the app.
4. Next, restart your mobile device.
5. Then, again open the app and tap on the toggle to enable the app.

Proceed with the next solution if that was not enough to solve the issue!

Solution #4 Update Systems Firmware

Outdated firmware of any device system is nowadays one of the most frequent causes of many issues.

The users will mostly forget to update the system firmware as well as the mobile app version which leads them to face such connectivity issues.

If you haven’t updated the firmware of either the Hue Bridge or Homekit or both, then this is the time to update their firmware.

By doing this, not just the connectivity issue will be fixed but also you can prevent many other issues as well.

Note: Make sure the app you are using is updated and both devices are connected to the same WiFi network!

Update Hue Bridge Firmware

1. Open the Philips Hue mobile app.
2. Navigate to the app Settings.
3. Look for the Software Update.
4. Tap on the Update and wait until the update becomes available.
5. Then update the app.

Update Apple Homekit Firmware

1. Open the Home mobile app.
2. Look for three dots for More options.
3. Then tap on Home Settings.
4. Click on the Software Update.
5. Look for updates and then tap on Learn More.
6. Follow the instructions to update the firmware.

Tip: Manually check for updates once every month to always stay up to date!

Solution #5 Reset The Apple Homekit

After trying all the above workarounds if you still can’t add Hue Bridge to Homekit, then resetting the devices will possibly fix the issue easily.

But before you go to reset, first you need to check whether the Homekit needs a reset or not.

To test the Homekit, simply try to control other accessories via a Homekit such as Apple TV, etc.

If the accessory device will work by controlling from  Homekit, then simply move on to the next method, otherwise, reset the Homekit device. 

Here is how to reset the Apple Homekit:

1. Open the updated Home app on your iPhone. 
2. Then tap on the Home icon from the top left corner. 
3. Look for Remove Home and tap on it to confirm the reset. 
4. Wait until the reset process is complete. 
5. As the reset completes, add any accessory device! 
6. Then try to reconnect Homekit with Hue Bridge. 

In case resetting the Homekit will not fix the issue, then reset the Hue Bridge! 

Solution #6 Reset The Hue Bridge

If you’ve previously tried other solutions and the connection is still not established, it’s possible that the Hue Bridge has a fault.

That may be easily resolved by performing a Factory Reset, but keep in mind that any settings and configurations will be permanently deleted.

If you’re confident that you want to reset the Hue Bridge, follow the steps below:

1. Disconnect the Hue Bridge from the Power Outlet. 
2. Then turn it upside down and look for a Reset button. 
3. Then use any paper clip or pin and press the Reset button. 
4. Keep pressing the reset button until all lights of the Hue Bridge are turned off. 
5. Then, reconnect all the lights with Bridge!
6. Finally, try to connect the Hue Bridge with Homekit. 

If you have followed all of the above troubleshooting steps but the Homekit and Hue Bridge still won’t connect, contact the Homekit and Hue Bridge support for additional assistance!

Quick Recap:

Whenever your Homekit won’t connect to Hue Bridge, first connect both devices to the same WiFi and make sure to update their firmware versions.

Moreover, turn off any VPN on your network, refresh the Philips Hue app, and reset the Homekit or Hue Bridge. 

Make sure to check out our blog to get more troubleshooting guides on different products!