is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News.
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Philips Hue has announced that its smart light bulbs — both new and existing models — are being upgraded to feature built-in motion sensing. The new feature, called Hue MotionAware, uses radio-frequency (RF) sensing to detect changes in the Zigbee signal between bulbs, allowing them to respond to movement without the need for separate motion sensors.
It’s a major upgrade for Hue users, introducing a powerful new capability to existing hardware at no extra cost — though to activate the feature, you will need Hue’s new Bridge Pro ($90), which also launched this week at the IFA 2025 tech show. According to Signify, Hue’s parent company, MotionAware will work with all its mains-powered bulbs and fixtures manufactured after 2014, covering 95 percent of its install base.
How Hue MotionAware works
To create a MotionAware motion-sensing zone, you need Hue’s new Bridge Pro and at least three Hue devices in a room. It works with all new and most existing mains-powered Hue products via a firmware update. That includes smart bulbs, light strips, and fixtures. Portable devices, such as the Hue Go or Table Lamp, and battery-powered accessories, such as Hue switches, aren’t compatible. Neither is Hue’s current smart plug.
A room with at least three mains-powered lights, like this bedroom, can create a MotionAware sensing zone. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
To set it up, select a room in the Hue app, choose the participating lights, and then motion can be detected in and around the area between those lights. The lights should ideally form a large zone, so three track lights in a row wouldn’t be optimal. You can only set up four MotionAware zones per bridge. These zones then become motion sensors in the app — and can trigger automations for any Hue lights or accessories (not just those in the Zone).
“All of the functionality you get with our physical motion sensors — including turning on when motion is detected or off when there’s been no movement for a certain amount of time — can be configured on motion-aware motion events,” says George Yianni, Hue CTO and founder, in an interview with The Verge.
“We’ve done something that’s quite a lot better than what else is out there.”
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