Homekit only changes light colors on second try

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Level 1

9 points

Homekit only changes light colors on second try

For lighting automation, I use HomeKit on iOS 14 and the Lifx 4.4.2 app and find that the Lifx app works great, but HomeKit cannot change the color of two of my home's Lifx A19 bulbs on the first attempt. HomeKit will change the on/off state and brightness on the first attempt with these bulbs, but not the color. In order to change the color to the new scene, I have to invoke the scene a second time.

Both bulbs are running firmware v3.60. What's interesting is that the Lifx app doesn't have this problem, only HomeKit. I'd switch to the Lifx solution entirely, of course, but I love the geofencing support that only comes with HomeKit.

Anyone experience this or have solutions?

Posted on Sep 23, 2020 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

sterling r

Community Specialist

Sep 29, 2020 5:10 PM in response to Bombaxii

Hey there Bombaxii,

Thanks for reaching out. We love working with the different devices that can connect to HomeKit, so we can understand your frustration.

We'd like to learn more about the troubleshooting steps completed. Have you had the chance remove these accessories from your HomeKit set up and re-add them? Do any other accessories exhibit this behavior also?

Keep us posted on your results or steps you've tried.

Cheers!

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Answer 2

Bombaxii Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 29, 2020 9:35 PM in response to sterling r

Hi! Thanks for inquiring.

Yes, I've removed and re-paired the two bulbs in question once or twice, removing them from both Homekit and the Lifx cloud, and the problem always persists. In fact, I've had other Lifx bulbs that I've replaced also exhibit this same behavior.

Since my original post, I've built a couple of personal automations via Shortcuts that approximate some of the geofencing using Location in combination with the Lifx app, and the results are good. The Lifx native support for time-based changes is a nice plus, but the missing 'only when I arrive,' 'only if no one is home,' etc support is still sadly missed.

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Answer 3

MoonJ.

Community Specialist

Sep 30, 2020 10:22 AM in response to Bombaxii

Hey there Bombaxii,

Thanks for following up with us!

If you've already removed the devices from your HomeKit setup, and you notice that other smart bulbs from the same manufacturer exhibit the same behavior, our next best step would be to reach out to the manufacturer of those specific bulbs.

We hope this helps get your issue resolved.

Cheers

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Homekit only changes light colors on second try

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