Hue finally offers multi-bridge support - with a few limitations

At the beginning of 2024, Philips Hue announced that it would be implementing multi-bridge support in the Hue app before the end of the year. Hue has finally delivered: From version 5.31, it is possible to manage multiple bridges via one account.

What does multi-bridge mean?

Until now, you could only integrate one Hue Bridge into your account. With more than 50 Hue devices or, for example, a second home with Hue lighting, it was necessary to create multiple accounts. Switching between multiple accounts and managing the devices was therefore fiddly and frustrating.

Thanks to the update, you can now also create different "homes" in the app, for example for your main home and your second home. In the app, you create the different rooms in the Home and assign lamps to them. A Home can contain several Bridges, but conversely, a Bridge can only be assigned to one Home.

How to manage Bridges and Homes in the app

To manage additional Homes or Bridges with your account, you must have a Hue account and your Hue app must be updated to version 5.31. You should then see the "Use one account for all" banner under Settings. Tap it to start the initial setup. According to the Hue instructions, which are currently only available in English, you can merge separate accounts and combine your Bridges into one Home or distribute them to different Homes.

Bridges that are associated with a plan, such as for Hue security systems or Sync TV, cannot currently be moved. In this case, Hue recommends making the account on which the plan runs the main account and integrating other accounts there. According to Hue, if you have plans on multiple accounts, everything will remain the same "for the moment" because it is not possible to merge them.

After setting up, you will find the Home management under Settings, then "My homes". There you can switch between the Homes and add further Homes - such as the second home or the children's granny flat. Which rooms and lamps are displayed in the "Home" tab depends on the active Home. To manage bridges and members of a home, click on the i button. To add more bridges or members, tap on "Advanced settings".

What is not (yet) possible with Multi-Bridge

Even with Multi-Bridge, all your devices, automations and entertainment zones are linked to the bridge defined for them. Bridges can only control the devices that are assigned to it. Automations such as switching on multiple lights at a set time do not work across bridges. According to Hue, the app displays a bridge selection when you create new devices, automations or zones.

In other words, you need to think about which lights and rooms make up a meaningful unit so that you can control them efficiently. For example, you could divide your home by floor. In the transition areas, this could present you with administrative challenges, for example with motion sensors that control the light in the downstairs hallway, on the stairs and in the upstairs hallway.

The annoying thing is that it is not yet possible to simply move devices and their settings to another Bridge. This makes tidying up your Hue system unnecessarily time-consuming.

At the moment, only Apple Home supports Multi-Bridge among the voice assistants. Google and Alexa are paired with the first bridge that is connected to them. All devices that are assigned to other bridges cannot be controlled by voice.

Alternatively, you can have cross-bridge control handled by other smart home systems, such as the open source project "Home Assistant". Home Assistant doesn't care which bridge your devices are assigned to.