Home App Cap on Automations?

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Level 1

38 points

Home App Cap on Automations?

I’ve been successfully using the Apple Home app with an array of Philips HUE lights and sensors connected to the new HUE Bridge Pro. Upon updating to 26.2 (across several Apple TVs, an M4 iMac, iPhone 12, and M4 iPad) I have lost several of the bulbs and many of my automations as well.

I was resolved to having to re-create the animations and re-introduce the bulbs when I found that I was getting messages from the Apple home app telling me that it could not complete the operation. The specifically happened when I was trying to add automations.

But I did discover that if I deleted one automation I was able to add one back. It was as if the Apple home app had reached some sort of ceiling in the number of

Automations it could handle.

I’m running 67 bulbs and 19 sensors. I currently have a total of 21 automations. Before the upgrade to 26 two I had many more automations.

My situation has been upgraded to a senior advisor at Apple but as of yet, there has been no resolution.

Have you encountered this situation yourself? And if so, can you recommend any solutions.

I will add that I only recently discovered that the new HUE Bridge Pro operates only via Matter and not HomeKit native.

Posted on Dec 18, 2025 7:19 AM

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Answer 1

Vancouver22

Level 8

37,622 points

Dec 19, 2025 1:52 PM in response to Innov8-1

I don’t have that many automations. You would be better off using the Hue App to set Automations. It’s far more reliable with more advanced settings to use. I don’t use the Home App for this. It will all replicate to the Home App though, should I want to but I just don’t. Also depending on the Hue Bridge type there is a cap on how many bulbs can be assigned to one bridge which might be 50. You’ll have to research what the limit is for yours. If you already have the Hue App, please update it. If new install then it will require you to connect to the bridge to use

Or you might be better off grouping lights to do one automation per group

I can only find the support documentation for a Mac Group rooms into a zone in Home on Mac - Apple Support but I would be similar on another Apple device.

Another option might be to use Shortcuts

Aside from all this. I have had my music automations not work following a software update. Depending on what you’re using for a Hub (Apple TV or HomePod) this may require a wifi reboot or restart of device to get it back to how it was . In any case all Apple devices should be updated to get it all in sync.

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