As creepy as this sounds, it\u2019s a pretty nifty way for the smart lights to turn on and off according to your GPS location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suppose you leave your house in a rush, no worries. The lights will turn off by themselves. Then, once you come back, the house’s lights will turn back on again<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This feature not only enables your lights to turn and off automatically, but it also allows you to set particular light presets for when you come back home, depending on the time of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, as exciting as this feature promises to be, it doesn\u2019t always work correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, you\u2019ll leave your house, and the lights won\u2019t turn on by themselves. Other times, some lights will turn off while others will stay on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, some users report arriving at their house to find themselves entirely in the dark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While these problems are annoying, there\u2019s usually a quick fix to make everything go back to working smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several reasons why Hue\u2019s feature could be acting out that way, and it may take some dabbling to figure out what the issue is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, the \u201cHome and Away\u201d feature may not work correctly if any of the following fixes aren\u2019t applied. Therefore, I recommend you go through each fix and make sure everything is set up the way it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if the problem appears fixed, I still highly encourage you to go through the rest of the fixes to ensure the feature works consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the equivalent of \u201chave you tried turning it off and on again?\u201d fix. For the \u201cHome and Away\u201d feature to work properly, \u201cOut of Home Control\u201d must be turned on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the setting is turned off, you\u2019ll be notified through the app when navigating in the \u201cHome and Away\u201d menu (which is under “Automations”<\/a> and might be called “Leaving and Coming Home” instead of “Home & Away”, depending on the app you have installed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fix this, click on enable and double-check the settings to ensure it\u2019s turned on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If that didn\u2019t fix it, don\u2019t fret. The next one ought to do the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if your GPS is working and broadcasting your location, the Hue app\u2019s permissions may prevent it from knowing where you are<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fix this on Android, go to \u201cSettings,\u201d \u201cApps,\u201d \u201cManage Apps,\u201d \u201cHue App,\u201d then \u201cApp Permissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check the location tab and make sure it\u2019s set to \u201cAllow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fix this on iOS, go to \u201cSettings\u201d and scroll down to find the Hue App. Inside, you\u2019ll find the location tab under \u201cAllow Chrome To Access\u201d. Set it to \u201cAllow While Using the App.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buggy software updates don\u2019t happen often, but when they do, they can cause your smart lights not to work properly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You shouldn\u2019t just update your app\u2019s software but also your lights<\/a> and all other equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Updating the app itself is relatively easy. First, go to the app store and search for the Hue app<\/a>. Once you\u2019re there, you\u2019ll find a button to \u201cOpen\u201d or to \u201cUpdate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it says \u201cOpen,\u201d your app is running on the latest version and doesn\u2019t need any updates. To update your lights, open the Hue app and navigate to the \u201cSoftware Update\u201d tab under \u201cSettings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find a list of your light bulbs<\/a> and other devices. In addition, there\u2019ll be an option to update any lights or accessories that have pending updates, and the up-to-date lights will have a green checkmark next to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While you\u2019re at it, it\u2019s best to keep \u201cAutomatic Update\u201d on to make sure you\u2019re not missing out on any major bug fixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find this tab on the same page. If it\u2019s disabled, enable it and make sure everything is now up-to-date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve covered how your app permissions may prevent the<\/a> Hue app from knowing your location, but are you sure you have location services enabled in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Android, pull down the quick settings menu and press the location services icon. It should light up to indicate that it\u2019s now turned on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you long-press the location services icon, you\u2019ll be directed to the location services settings page. From there, make sure your location services are set to the highest accuracy setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On iOS, you\u2019ll find this setting under \u201cPrivacy\u201d in the settings. Next, ensure your location services are turned on and see if that fixes the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s another feature on iOS devices called \u201cSignificant Locations<\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s only available on iOS and not on Android<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this feature is turned off, your location may not be broadcasted correctly. You can fix this with a little bit of digging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All you have to do is go to \u201cSettings,\u201d scroll down to \u201cPrivacy,\u201d and choose \u201cLocation Services.\u201d There, you\u2019ll find \u201cSignificant Locations.\u201d Turn it on, and you should be good to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The battery saver feature is an effective way to preserve your phone\u2019s battery life. However, did you know that it can interfere with how your app works?<\/p>\n\n\n\n From restricting location services to how the app refreshes in the background, the battery saver feature should be turned off for best results<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To do so on iOS, simply go to the control center and press the battery icon. This will turn off the battery saver feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Android, pull down the quick settings menu and press the battery icon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if your app is updated to the latest version, it could be a software issue that prevents the lights from turning on and off automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One user reported that switching from iOS to Android fixed the issue. This could be due to two things. First, the software itself may be bugged on one OS and working fine on the other. Second, there could be a hidden setting that\u2019s interfering with how the app should work on the iOS device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, deleting the Hue app and installing it on a new device may actually do the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you should hopefully be able to use the “Coming home” and “Leaving home” features without issue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some unorthodox methods that have largely worked for most users with the same issue<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smart locks<\/a> are another creative way you can trigger the lights to turn on and off by themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have one set up, it can detect when you leave and return to your home and subsequently trigger the lights to turn on and off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still can\u2019t get it to work correctly? How about you make your own \u201cHome and Away\u201d feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To do so, you\u2019ll have to invest in a motion sensor<\/a>. Motion sensors detect your presence and immediately turn on the lights when you\u2019re entering the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, the motion sensor won\u2019t be able to trigger the smart lights to turn off when you leave the house. Hopefully, by this point, you\u2019ve already had your problem fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so you\u2019ve tried everything, and it still doesn\u2019t work correctly. Now what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I have good news for you. Many users have reported that the problem with the Hue feature not working was the Hue app itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s a bug in the app itself or something else, but it seems that users were able to fix this issue by ditching the Hue app altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Hue app, turn off the \u201cHome and Away\u201d feature and use a third-party app to mimic the same functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Fix Hue\u2019s \u201cHome and Away\u201d Feature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make Sure \u201cOut of Home\u201d Is Enabled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/The-enable-out-of-home-control-section-of-the-Hue-app-461x1024.jpg\")
Check App Permissions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Update Firmware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Enable Location Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Turning](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Turning-on-GPS-location-under-the-Android-settings-menu-461x1024.jpg\")
Turn Off Battery Saver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Switch Devices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/The-coming-home-and-leaving-home-sections-under-the-Hue-app-461x1024.png\")
Still Doesn\u2019t Work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Install A Smart Lock <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consider Investing in a Motion Sensor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/A-Philips-Hue-motion-sensor-1024x768.jpg\")
Ditch the Hue App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n