Philips Hue Smart lamps are now compatible with Siri shortcuts

Philips Hue bulbs and light strips are some of the most popular smart lighting options on the market. Their easy configuration and simple operation make them a logical entry point into the world of home automation technology. Philips Hue bulbs are compatible with Apple Homekit, Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

With iOS 12 and watchOS 5, Philips Hue lamps now work with Siri's new shortcut feature. If you are unfamiliar with this feature, it allows Siri to perform multistep routines with a single word or command phrase. Shortcuts replaces the Workflow app that Apple purchased last year and works as an integrated IFTTT (if any) for Apple.

Siri shortcuts no longer add functionality to your smart lights, but they make it easier to access the most commonly used tasks. The application also allows Siri to learn your habits over time. As you interact with Siri and give her various commands, she will begin to learn what time you want to change the light, the colors you prefer and other data about you.

If you often use certain settings, such as purple and blue lights for gaming sessions or the "Relax" lighting preset for yoga, you can set up custom phrases to activate them. When you create the shortcut, you record a voice phrase that Siri will answer. You can quickly access these settings from your lock screen, through a Siri search or from your watch face. If you sit on the couch to dive into the latest Call of Duty, you could say "Hey Siri, game mode," and the lights would change to your preset colors.

Shortcuts can also be used to connect your smart lights to music and other extended functions. Although these features can already be used, they require several steps to work. For example, to synchronize your lights with music, you must use Hue Sync on a laptop or a third-party application on a smartphone. The Shortcuts application allows you to link all these commands so that a single phrase can make your lights flash.

The Shortcuts app is always new, but there are already many user-generated shortcuts that you can save to your device directly from the app. Create your own or browse the gallery to find the shortcut that's right for you.