GoKawiilA firmware update is behind recent reports of some Hue Bridge Pro smart hubs no longer working, Ars Technica has confirmed.
In late June, there were reports of some Hue Bridge Pro devices not working properly after installing a firmware update. Philips released firmware version 2071353020 in early June, saying that it included “several small changes” to make Hue Bridge Pros work “better.” But some customers had a different experience: Their devices stopped responding and displayed a red LED.
A Reddit user going by the name statelymachine is one of the people online who reported that the update “bricked” their device.
“My Hue Bridge Pro updated a few days ago, and I immediately got the solid red light. I ordered a replacement because I didn’t feel like dealing with a support agent, but now I see what a pain it’s going to be to reset my 50+ lights to attach them to the new bridge. … I’m pissed,” they wrote.
A Signify Philips Hue spokesperson confirmed to Ars that firmware 2071353020 caused the devices to break:
We have identified a firmware issue affecting a limited number of Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices under a very specific software update scenario. The issue affects users who disabled automatic software updates, remained on an older software version for an extended period, and then manually installed a firmware update after the update package had been stored on the Bridge for more than 10 days.
The spokesperson said that Signify didn’t have any more information about why the problem occurred.