Changing Hue color/temperature with the light off.

[Chevelle]

I have a "Bedtime" program that sets several Hue lights to a dark blue.  After a set wait time, they are turned off.  When other programs are run, they reset the hue lights to the color/temperature that I want.  However, if I want to turn on any of those lights before a program is run, the color will still be that dark blue.

The obvious solution is to add lines that reset the color/temperature to the default value that I want.  The problem is that any time the color/temperature is changed, the lights turn on.  I don't what the lights that are in the bedroom that are already off, to flash white during the color change.

There was just one post on this subject back in 2020 with no response.  Doing a search came up with that it can be done if the HSV (HSB) values are changed.  This supposedly can be done without changing the state of the light.  Unfortunately, that did not work.

The best I could do was to change the brightness to 1 and then change the color.  Doable but in a dark room, still noticeable.

So the question is, how can the color/temperature of a Hue light be changed and have the light remain off?

[Geddy]

@Chevelle what if before your program turns the ligiht off you turn the color. Or are you going from this dark blue to a bright white and would still be noticeable before the light turns off?

I haven't tried this and not local to my system to test currently, but is it possible to change the color in the Hue app without the light coming on? If so then there "should" probably be a way to do that in the plugin. However, since the plugin doesn't appear to be actively managed (no recent updates) I'm not sure if it works exactly as the Hue app would and doubt there would be any chance of a change to make it work (in the near future). 

I think I had a program that would change the color of the light when something happened, but I put the color change line in before the on line and didn't percieve an issue, but it wasn't a light that I would observe in darkness (it was in the living room). It has been a while since I ran that program and don't think I have it still to review. 

Would you mind posting the text of your program and I would try to remember to test something similiar when time allows. Right click on the program and select "COPY to clipboard" then post the text in your reply. 

 

[Chevelle]

Below is the code.  As you can see, when it start, the light turn blue.  The ones in the living room are at full brightness.  The ones in the bedroom are at a brightess level of 2.  After 10 minutes, all the lights go to a brightness level of 1.  This the darkest they can be and still be on.  That is when the color is set back to 3000°.  It isn't noticeable in the living room because I'm not there  but it is noticeable in the bedroom.  It isn't a big deal but it is noticeable.  This is more of a situation of it not being exactly what I want, not being a real problem.

According to Hue, the color cannot be changed without the light being on.  However, ChatGBT say it can if HSB settings are changed and not color.  Unfortunately, that did not work.  I don't think ChatGBT is correct here.

 

DoBedtime - [ID 0005][Parent 0001]

If
   - No Conditions - (To add one, press 'Schedule' or 'Condition')
 
Then
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table1' Set Color Blue
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table1' Set Brightness 2
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table2' Set Color Blue
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table2' Set Brightness 2
        Set 'Bedroom / Bedroom Fan' 30%
        Set 'Dining Room / Dining Room Light' Off
        Set 'Kitchen / Kitchen Table Light' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Floor1' Set Color Blue
        Set 'Living Room / Floor2' Set Color Blue
        Set 'Living Room / Floor1' Set Brightness 254
        Set 'Living Room / Floor2' Set Brightness 254
        Set 'Living Room / Grandfather Clock' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Table Lamp' Off
        Wait  10 minutes 
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table1' Set Brightness 1
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table1'  Color Temperature 3000K Brightness 1 in 0 ms
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table1' Off
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table2' Set Brightness 1
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table2'  Color Temperature 3000K Brightness 1 in 0 ms
        Set 'Bedroom / End Table2' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Floor1' Set Brightness 1
        Set 'Living Room / Floor1'  Color Temperature 3000K Brightness 1 in 0 ms
        Set 'Living Room / Floor1' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Floor2' Set Brightness 1
        Set 'Living Room / Floor2'  Color Temperature 3000K Brightness 1 in 0 ms
        Set 'Living Room / Floor2' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Grandfather Clock' Off
        Set 'Living Room / Living Room Fan Light' Off
 
Else
   - No Actions - (To add one, press 'Action')
 

 

[lilyoyo1]

On 8/6/2025 at 8:22 AM, Chevelle said:

I have a "Bedtime" program that sets several Hue lights to a dark blue.  After a set wait time, they are turned off.  When other programs are run, they reset the hue lights to the color/temperature that I want.  However, if I want to turn on any of those lights before a program is run, the color will still be that dark blue.

The obvious solution is to add lines that reset the color/temperature to the default value that I want.  The problem is that any time the color/temperature is changed, the lights turn on.  I don't what the lights that are in the bedroom that are already off, to flash white during the color change.

There was just one post on this subject back in 2020 with no response.  Doing a search came up with that it can be done if the HSV (HSB) values are changed.  This supposedly can be done without changing the state of the light.  Unfortunately, that did not work.

The best I could do was to change the brightness to 1 and then change the color.  Doable but in a dark room, still noticeable.

So the question is, how can the color/temperature of a Hue light be changed and have the light remain off?

Since you're using programs for everything else, why cant you use a program for when you physically trigger the light switch to turn on? Then you can have it turn on to the color temp that you desire. 

[Geddy]

@Chevelle 

4 hours ago, Chevelle said:

According to Hue, the color cannot be changed without the light being on. 

Sadly this does seem to be the case. I just tried changing the color (RGB or White temp) in the Hue app and each change made the light come on. I also tried setting a color in UD Mobile and admin console and each color change made the light turn on. Remember in admin console if you're controlling from the device window you need to click the button to the left to actually set/write it to the bulb. Once I clicked that button the bulb came on (to the color I set). 

I think like @lilyoyo1 suggests just make it a program that when that bulb is turned on (physically?) that the color is changed and hope it's quick enough not to be noticed or shockingly observed. In my test it is daylight so I didn't notice the quick color/temp change, but also was looking at the app rather than the bulb. 

Also when turning on is probably a better time to change the color rather than just before it's turning off (since it's your "bedtime" routine). It might not be as noticeable in the room you're in at the time the color changes if done at "on" rather than before going off. 

It's also possible that through an official API (and if the plugin was updated to use it) that it might be possible in the IoX world, but the plugin was created before there was an official API and hasn't been updated to use such. 

[lilyoyo1]

Network resources can also be used if he goes the program route. Then the only color used would be what is chosen

[Chevelle]

I appreciate the replies.  Just a few things...

These bulbs are in end table lights.  They are not on any switches so they get controlled by one of two ways, either programmatically through IoX or through Alexa.  Under normal circumstances, I run the Bedtime program when I tell Alexa that "It's bedtime."  This is where I set the colors to blue, wait 10 minutes, and set them back to white.

30 minutes before sunset, the Sunset program runs.  Among other lights in the house that are turned on, the end table lights are set to white and turned on 50%.  This is the first place when they would be guaranteed to be set to white.  That  would makes the setting of them to white in the Bedtime program unnecessary.

Honestly, it hasn't yet come up but the reason that I want to set them back to white in the Bedtime routine is so that IF I ever tell Alexa to turn on those light before the Sunset program is run, they would come back up blue.

It is not the end of world.  It is just a tidying up thing.

[lilyoyo1]

I'm assuming that you're telling the lights to turn "on" in those situations. Why not make an "on" program and set that to the color temp you want?