Why Do My Hue Lights Flash? – How to Fix

As with all smart tech sometimes it jut doesn’t work or there can be some issues. With Philips Hue lights a common issue can be the bulbs flashing on and off, or flickering when in use. 

Hue bulb flashing rapidly? If your Hue Lights are flashing or flickering there are a number of reasons this may happen. The number one cause is that you are using your Hue bulbs with a mains wall dimmer switch. This is not recommended due to this reason and cues your bulbs to flicker when on.

How to Stop My Hue Lights Flickering

A common problem with Hue lights can be that the flash on and off, like a strobe light, flicker, or the the brightness keep changing on its own. There can be a number of common causes for this which we will take a look at here.

Quick Checks:

• Ensure the bulb is not loose
• Check your app to ensure no settings or scenes are active
• Check the bulb is not used with a dimmer switch
• Damaged Bulb

Loose bulb connection

The simplest of solutions could be that the bulb is just slightly loose and needs turning more to secure it into the fitting. So just double check the bulb, either take it out and resit it in the lamp holder and ensure it is secure and tighten. 

If the bulb is slightly loose it may effect the connection and therefore flash on and off.

Check the Hue App

This may sounds silly, but you may have installed a Hue app or set up a scene or setting that causes the light to flash. Load up the Philips Hue app and see if there are any active scenes, or wha the setting is for the bulb. 

This may not be likely but certainly does happen, even old settings that you have turned off or deleted are somehow still active and you may need to reset the bulb. 

Using a Dimmer switch? 

A common cause is that the Hue bulb is installed in a place that uses a mains dimmer switch. Even with the dimmer on and in the max/full brightness position the use of a dimmer can causes your hue light to flash and flicker. As well as this there may also be buzzing from the bulb and dimmer. 

Hue lights and bulbs are not recommend or advised to be used with a dimmer switch for this reason, while the lights may flash and flicker it can also damage their lifespan. 

If you are using a dimmer switch it would be advisable to hire a qualified electrician to change this dimmer switch to a standard on/off wall switch.

If you still wish to have a dimmer switch that you can use for your Hue lights, then you can buy the Hue dimmer switch that can control these bulbs, it is battery powered so no need to connect it to the mains, it can also be set to control up to 10 Hue bulbs.

Power Surges

Depending on where you life power surges may cause your lights to flash on and off, this would likely happen to all your lights within your home that are on and not just your Hue bulbs. If this is so, then the issue is not specific to your Hue lights only.

Over Heating

If you are using Hue spotlights or the BR30 lights, then if they are getting to warm it could cause funny things to happen just as the lights flickering. This is unlikely and may only happen depending on the bulb and location, however if it is a spotlight in a tight space it is a possibility and worth checking. 

Damaged Bulb

If you have check the other possible causes then it is possible the bulb is faulty or damaged, it may flicker or buzz and may need replacing. To check this try replacing your bulb with another LED bulb and see if there are any issues, does this bulb flicker, flash or buzz? You can also try the current bulb in a different socket and lamp and see if it still flashes and flickers there, if so then it is likely to be damaged.

If it does appear to be damaged or faulty then do contact the Philips Hue customer care team to see if this can be replaced under warranty. Philips Hue warrants that their LED light bulbs are free from defects, either in material or workmanship, and will operate for 3 years if used properly.

Resolving your flashing Lights

Flashing bulbs are not uncommon and unless they are damaged there is usually a simple explanation and fix to resolve this. Take these steps to rule out common causes, if the bulb is damaged or faulty then you can easily find this out by trying the bulb in question in a different lamp or light and seeing if this issue persists. 

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