Hue Bridge 2.0 HomeKit Problem

Everyone, I got it to work but you need to carefully follow these directions. You will need to do some reconfiguring on some level.

1. Presuming your phone will be the main account for the HomeKit settings, start by resetting your HomeKit Configurations under Settings / Privacy / HomeKit

2. Using your phone, go to this link: http://www2.meethue.com/media/3173537/pressguidelines_homekitcompressed.pdf and follow the directions. You will need a third party app like Elgato Eve to set this up.

3. After you have successfully configured your lights, test to make sure all your Siri commands work (both rooms and scenes).

4. To share your HomeKit settings you will need to enter in your roommate or family member's icloud account. NOTE: I tried to add my girlfriend's account using her gmail account associated with her apple ID. That didn't work. I had to use her @icloud.com email.

5. Once you've added it, the other person's phone will say that they have been invited. They have to go to Settings / Homekit and accept the invitation.

6. It took me awhile to figure this out but this is important, your roommate/family member should download the Elgato Eve app and start it up. The settings should automatically have been added when it launches.

7. Your roommate / family member must go to Settings / Homekit. They will see that there is a local HOME account and also a shared HOME account. They must delete their local Home Account (not shared) so that only the shared one exists. Siri didn't respond to commands on the shared account until I did that.

Hope that helps. I can explain in more details if anyone has questions.

None of these "trouble shooting" helped me.

as soon as I sign back into my iCloud account on my iPhone, every thing goes back to exactly where I left. I wouldn't be able to edit my HomeKit settings due to 'iCloud/cloud sync is in progress' issue. It only works when I sign out my account from my phone but that doesn't make any point since iCloud is one of the Key feature and I cannot get rid of or even replace my almost 10+ years old account.

hopefully, apple soon to figure out this "Sync" issues in future iOS updates/fixes.
Anyone who has the same issue as mine, I don't think it happens because of the hue bridge. it is just due to apple iCloud service issue.

btw, I'm using Home app by Matthias Hochgatterer for homekit configurator.

First of all...WHY I HAVE TO TURN ON KEYCHAIN ON ICLOUD!!!!! WHYYYYYYY !!! APPLE YOU ARE CRAZY I DON'T WHANT IT!!!

A lot of problem with HomeKit and Hue 2, I don't know if it depends on language but for a little time, after the installation, Siri and voice commands for Hue works.

Works even if in Italy the commands are very little and with some problem, in some case you can't turn on a set if there are more than 1 light (restart the hub).

I can turn off ALL THE LIGHTS...no way to turn off only a room or a lamp (no way, thats the commands).

Philips says you can turn on a single light...no way, you can turn on a set not a light.

...

But...the real problem is that after a while all Siri commands became crazy, if I say

"Hey Siri, turn off all lights"....the result is "Turn off 2 2" (in italian is "Spegni tutte le luci" -> "Spegni le 2 2")

"Ehy Siri turn off home lights" --> "Turn of home home" ("spegni le lampade di casa" -> "Spegni le casa casa")

I don't know if the problems are from Apple or Philips but this is the worst system I ever seen!!

Could it somehow be related to using multiple devices? I set up my startersset with new bridge today. When only using my iPhone the Siri commands we're working. After I set up the app on my iPad I wasn't able to use the homekit functionality anymore, same errors as listed.

It is the problem of multiple devices. But you don't have to setup another apple device for you to have that error. If you have another apple device using the same apple ID, you will get the same erro even if you don't set it up. That is why I think it is not just Philips, but also apple that has some bugs in their homekit software

Is anyone working on this? I think Philips is waiting for Apple and Apple is waiting for Philips to fix it. It is very frustrating. I've just spent 200CAD to upgrade to something it does not work.

I have exactly the same issue as the other posters. As soon as i link the IPad to the ICloud account my Iphone is linked to, Siri would not take commands for Hue anymore. I have to keep my IPad not kinked to any ICloud account in order for Siri to work. This is a really crappy workaround.

I really hope somebody starts paying attention to this thread.

I've called Philips support that tell me about a problem with italian and french languages, and that they are working to make a better app...

better? I hope to see something that works because I've paid (and I've done it before the replacement offer...) for something that doesn't.

If nothing happen in a little time I think that all customers can make a class action.

Same issues here. Obviously Apple's QA has suffered tremendously over the last years. Apple does not take quality that serious anymore; it seems only quantity and sales numbers matter nowadays. Having said that here's some suggestions for Apple to avoid issues like this:

- The HomeKit needs to be delivered with a decent management too that allows users to pinpoint precisely what's going on (for instance show a list of users that have claimed specific devices for HomeKit usage). I appreciate that Apple tries to protect it's users from technical actions as much as possible, but this can only be done if the product is of high quality (which, as stated before, is not the case).

- Write and execute Test Plans that address the quality of a product rather than addressing feasibility of a product.

- Collaborate on the software with third parties (like Philips in this case) to eliminate or at least reduce risks and flaws in early phase of product development

- Last but most certainly not least, listen to the valuable feedback of customers on Apple forums

Hope to seeing this issues solved asap, because it really is a shame to have Siri functionality disabled for Hue because of a ghost user problem...

We don't actually know if this is an Apple or Philips issue, so it is perhaps best to wait and see who the fix comes from before pointing fingers at Apple.

I upgraded to the new Hub yesterday and whilst I managed to get the Siri function working on the iPhone couldn't do this on my iPad just came up with the message,"iCloud Data Sync in Progress". I later found out you cannot use the Siri function on more than one device . Around 1hour later Siri couldn't find the Hub even though I can still control the lights using the app. Looked into it further and there was an error message about no HomeKit hub found. Tried everything like everyone else inc signing out of my iCloud Account deleting the HomeKit profile etc but no joy and now just get the error message the Hub is paired with another user. Cant figure out if this is a Home Kit issue or the Phillips Hub implementation. Very poor indeed and seriously considering sending the hub back.

Hi F.gallinari,

I have the same problem with italian language...do u have any news?!

I have the same problem with Siri in italian: "Spegni le luci" ("Turn off the lights") is recognised as "Spegni le 2 Home" ("Turn off the 2 Home").

No problems with the english language Siri.

Spent another 40€ for a new bridge that doesn't work in my language. Frustrating to be a beta tester without having been told so.

We also need an app that can work with multiple bridges, how are we supposed to control both kits at home and at the office, for example?

HI! I'm using homekit with Siri in Italy just like you and I have your same exact problem. I can tell you it's not a problem with Philips: I've recently setup a Netatmo Thermostat to work with HomeKit and the weird behaviour with Siri was also present. It's surely a problem with Apple. I understand it's a new technology and it will need time to debug it, but as it is working right now they should have advised customers that it's a beta version. Too many issues! I can't even use Siri for anything right now, not even asking the weather works all the times. I really can say that Apple is not the same as a few years ago anymore. Vey disappointed!

To all,

I just called Hue again, as I was having trouble with scene lights not all coming on when they were supposed to. I thought it was another issue with the new bridge. The Hue rep told me they were not related and gave me guidance on fixing the scene issue. More important, he told me they just got a memo that the HomeKit issue was being addressed in an iOS/app update in December! Yikes, but hopefully at last! Guess all we can do now is hope for the beginning of December, but you know how that goes....