Philips Hue Bridge Pro firmware fault leads to free replacements
Signify says fewer than 100 Hue Bridge Pro hubs were affected by a firmware problem tied to a specific manual update scenario.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
A Philips Hue Bridge Pro firmware update has left a small number of smart home hubs unusable, and owner Signify says it will replace affected units at no cost. The failure matters because a dead Hue Bridge can take connected lights and automations offline, leaving some users to rebuild large smart lighting setups by hand.
Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, told Ars Technica that firmware version 2071353020 caused the problem under a narrow set of conditions. Philips released that firmware in early June and described it as containing several minor changes intended to improve Hue Bridge Pro performance, according to Ars Technica.
Reports began appearing in late June from users who said their Hue Bridge Pro hubs stopped responding after the update, Ars Technica reported. Some devices showed a red LED, according to those reports.
Signify told Ars Technica the issue affected users who had turned off automatic software updates, stayed on an older software version for an extended period and then manually installed an update package that had remained stored on the Bridge for more than 10 days. The company said it had identified the root cause and was adding a fix to stop more devices from being affected, while declining to provide further engineering details.
The company said fewer than 100 Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices were affected, according to Ars Technica. Signify also said it had no additional explanation for why the fault occurred beyond the firmware issue it identified.
Replacement offer
Philips has begun rolling out an update meant to prevent more Hue Bridge Pro hubs from being bricked, Signify told Ars Technica. Customers whose hubs have already failed should contact Philips Hue support, the company said.
Signify told Ars Technica that affected Hue Bridge Pro devices will be replaced free of charge regardless of warranty status. The company said its software updates regularly include improvements, security updates and bug fixes, but did not give more detail about the purpose of firmware 2071353020.
The replacement may not fully solve the burden for users with complex Hue systems. Ars Technica reported that affected customers may still need to reconnect devices and restore settings on a new Hue Bridge Pro, a process that can take time for homes with many lights, accessories, scenes and automations.
Backup limits add to user frustration
The firmware failure has drawn attention to limits in Hue Bridge migration and backup options, according to Ars Technica and Hue Blog. Hue users can move connected devices from a standard Hue Bridge to a Hue Bridge Pro, but Ars Technica reported there is no way to migrate devices from a Hue Bridge Pro to a Hue Bridge or from one Hue Bridge to another Hue Bridge.
On Reddit, one user posting as statelymachine said their Hue Bridge Pro showed a solid red light after updating and that replacing the hub would require resetting more than 50 lights. Another Reddit user, Muted-Improvement-76, said they bought a regular bridge after resets failed and had to add their lights again.
The affected product is the Hue Bridge Pro, Philips Hue’s smart home hub for controlling Hue lighting systems. Signify has not said when all preventive fixes will reach users, according to Ars Technica.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.