How To Set Philips Hue To Turn On And Off At Sunrise And Sunset

The sunrise and sunset feature is a great way to use Hue to help you sleep and also wake in the morning.

This can all be set under automations on the Hue app, however if you wish to have your lights turn off automatically once the sun has come out and the sunrise automation has happened then you need to create a custom automation. 

Setting up the sunrise and sunset automations are quick and easy as well as turn the lights on and off for this too. 

How To Set Philips Hue To Turn On at Sunrise And off at Sunset

To set up and use the sunrise and sunset feature of Hue lights you must have the Hue app on your Android or iOS device, at least one Hue bulb and the Hue bridge set up.

These instructions have been updated for the latest Hue app updates and redesign. In older versions of the Hue app now called ‘Automations’ used to be called ‘routines’, so make sure your app is up to date.

In the latest app update the sunrise automation was given an update – “Wake up to the colors of the morning sun! You can now choose to set the Sunrise wake-up style in a Wake up automation. This setting was made specially for gradient products, but it works on all White ambiance or White and color ambiance lights.”

With your bridge and Bulb set up you can then follow these steps to create your sunrise and sunset routine. 

• Open the official Philips Hue app on your Android or iOS phone. 
• Click the Automations tab on the bottom navigation row. 
• On the automatons screen click the ‘Plus‘ in the top right corner
• Next, tap the ‘Wake up with light’ option from the list
• Next select the time you wish the lights to be on fully (They will begin coming on 30 minutes before) and which days for this to be active.
• On the next screen select the lights you wish to come on
• Finally set a name for this automation and save.

This same method is use for the sunset feature, on the automations tab select the go to sleep option and follow the steps to set this up.

How can I turn my lights off after sunrise routine?

if you have used the sunrise feature then your lights will brighten and be on when you wake at the set time, however you can also set them to turn off after a set time, once you are up, it is brighter outside so you don’t need your lights on anymore. To set your lights to turn off:

• Open the official Philips Hue app on your Android or iOS phone. 
• Click the Automations tab on the bottom navigation row. 
• On the automatons screen click the ‘Plus‘ in the top right corner
• Select custom from the list at the bottom
• For start time enter the time you wish the lights to turn off, leave end time blank.
• On the next screens select the lights you wish to turn off
• You then want to select your lights to turn off
• Finally give this automation and name and click done.

Does the sunrise and sunset feature work with Hue Bluetooth bulbs?

It does work with Bluetooth bulbs however you do need a bridge to use this feature as this is where the information is stored and set so the bulbs turn on and activate at the correct time and setting. 

Can I use the sunrise routine with Sleep Cycle app?

Sleep tracking apps such as Sleep Cycle are great for using with Hue lights, the sleep cycle app has its own sunrise settings so you don’t have to use the Hue app to set this up. The benefit to this is that Sleep cycle will optimise the time for your lights to come on based on when the optimal time to wake you is.

Can I set the lights to come on using Google Home? 

If you have a Google home connected to your hue lights then just say ‘Hey Google, please wake up my lights in the bedroom at 6AM’ your lights will then gradually brighten up for 6AM as requested. 

What else can I do with automations?

Other automations as well as sunrise and sunset options also include coming and leaving home where you can set your lights to turn on and off when you leave and come back. This is done busing geo-action so they come on when you are actually back and not based on a time.

There is also a timer option and custom automations where you can set lights to come on and off at set times, or change scenes too. 

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