How to Set Up and Use Your Philips Hue Outdoor Sensor

The Hue outdoor sensor is a great accessory to have and include in your set up, perfect to act as a deterrent by turning your lights on in the night if motion is detected, as well as being useful for when you arrive home in the evening so your lights come on to help you see.

In this guide we look at how to set up the motion sensor and how to use it.

What is the Philips Hue Outdoor Sensor?

The outdoor sensor is motion-activated and can be set to turn on your hue lights indoors and outdoors when activated. If motion is detected your outdoor lights can come on, or perhaps as a security feature in the night your outdoor lights can come on as well as an indoor light in the hallway to act as a deterrent. 

The sensor is quick and easy toast up and comes with 2xAA batteries pre-installed in the device, a wall mount, and a corner mount.

Designed for outdoor use with can withstand warm and cold climates and wind and rain. 

The motion sensor is a great add on for hue bulbs, and at the moment it is designed for indoor use only, that being said many people have used this outdoors without any issues, but Philips may just be planning one designed for specifically outdoor use.

The Hue PIR sensor has a built-in twilight sensor switches on the light only when it is dark outside. The motion sensor can be installed on a wall or mounted on a corner as shown in the image below.

Further technical information includes:

• Detection range: 12 meters
• Horizontal angle of view: 160 degrees
• Vertical viewing angle: 80 degrees
• Batteries: 2 x AA
• Battery life: 2 years
• Dimensions: 64 x 76 x 76 mm
• IP54 making it suitable for wet conditions

How do I set up the outdoor sensor?

Before installing your motion sensor to the wall and mounting it we suggest connecting and adding it to your Hue system first. 

1. Open the Hue app.
2. Go to the Settings tab and tap Accessories.
3. Tap Add accessory.
4. Tap Hue outdoor sensor
5. Remove the wall mount from the back of the outdoor sensor to reveal the set-up button.
6. Press and hold the set-up button until the outdoor sensor starts to blink.
7. Once the Hue app has found the motion sensor, follow the on-screen instructions. You will be able to select which Room or Zone the motion sensor controls, as well as what happens when they are triggered.

Once set up, you can mount the sensor to any location outside your home using the included mounts. Think about the best place for it and where you want it to be activated, ensure it is also within reach of your home wifi. 

There are 4 ways to install the sensor.

• Wall mount (using screws)
• Mount to an inside corner
• Mount to an outside corner
• Flexible mounting option (using a cable tie)

FAQ

Common questions to using and setting up the Hue outdoor motion sensor. 

When does the sensor turn off the lights after being triggered?

The outdoor sensor detects variations in infrared radiation in its environment. A person is warmer than their surroundings, which allows the sensor to recognize when nobody is within its range. The lights will automatically turn off when the sensor no longer detects motion.

How do I mount the sensor?

The sensor comes wit screws to allow for easy mounting, it can be installed on a flat wall or on a corner using the corner mount that comes included. 

Can pets and animals trigger the sensor?

Animals can trigger the sensors, however you can change the sensor’s sensitivity by navigating to Settings > Accessory setup > Sensor > Motion sensitivity in the Hue app.

Does the outdoor sensor work in the dark?

Yes it does, you can change when it becomes active depending on how dark it is in the settings, just go to Settings > Accessory setup > Sensor > Daylight sensitivity in the Hue app.

Can the outdoor motion sensor turn on my lights for the night when it gets dark?

You can schedule a Sunrise or Sunset routine to set your lights to come on based on the time of day. Navigate to Routines > Other routines > Create custom routine, then set the When? section to Sunrise or Sunset.

What’s included with the Sensor?

Within the kit, you should have 2xAA pre-installed AA batteries, a standard wall mount, a corner mount, and quick-start instructions.

Does the sensor use batteries?

Yes, it has 2xAA batteries pre-installed.

How to Change the Batteries in the Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor

The Hue outdoor motion sensor is powered by batteries which allows it to be placed anywhere. The sensor comes with 2 x AA batteries preinstalled, however, there may come a time where you need to change these.

Here are instructions to change the batteries:

1. Remove the sensor from the wall
2. Loosen the four screws on the rear of the device and the one on the bottom. You do not need to fully remove them.
3. Pull the back cover off.
4. Replace the old batteries with new 2 x AA batteries.
5. Replace the cover and tighten all five screws.
6. Fix back to the wall.

What does IP54 mean?

The IP-rating of a product indicates how water resistant it is. A rating of IP54 indicates that this product is suitable for out in the rain. 

Do I need a bridge to use this?

Yes the 2nd Get square bridge is required to use the outdoor motion sensor. 

Which lights can I use this sensor with?

You can use the hue sensor with all hue lights connected to your bridge, this will not work with third party lights that are not part of Hue. 

Where can i get the user manual and instructions?

Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor Manual – Download

With the release of a whole range of different Hue outdoor bulbs, lights and fittings it makes sense for an outdoor sensor to be released, how different it will be to the indoor one we don’t know, but by the looks of it, instead of redesigning and realising a new motion sensor that can be used indoors and outdoors, it is going to release one septically for outdoor use.

With outdoor use it could have a large detection range making it suitable for security which would be a good and useful feature.

Do you need and want one? Or do you use your indoor motion sensor outdoors already?

Mike Ford

Founder & Editor

Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY