A firmware update is behind recent reports that some Hue Bridge Pro smart hubs are 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.
Regarding the number of devices affected, Signify’s representative said, “Our data shows fewer than 100 Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices have been impacted.”
When asked about the update’s purpose, the spokesperson noted that Signify “regularly provides software updates that deliver improvements, security updates, and bug fixes,” without providing further detail.
“We have identified the root cause and are implementing a fix to prevent additional users from being affected. As this relates to a specific technical implementation, we won’t go into further engineering detail,” Signify’s representative said.
Philips has started rolling out an update to prevent additional devices from being bricked. Customers whose devices are already broken should contact the Philips Hue support team, the company rep said. They added:
We will replace affected Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices free of charge, regardless of warranty status.
It’s encouraging to see a company taking responsibility for broken products and trying to compensate customers. However, affected customers must still spend time connecting their devices and inputting their settings into a new Hue Bridge Pro. This will be especially tedious for people with dozens of lights and accessories, as well as many customized scenes and automations.
The firmware problem highlights the Hue Bridge ecosystem’s lack of backup features, as some affected parties have noted. While Hue users can migrate all their connected devices from a standard Hue Bridge to a Hue Bridge Pro, there’s no way to migrate devices from a Hue Bridge Pro to a Hue Bridge, or from a Hue Bridge to another Hue Bridge.
“Kept resetting it without any luck,” Reddit user Muted-Improvement-76 said. “Went out and bought another regular bridge and had to painstakingly add all the lights again. It was a nightmare!”
