Philips’ Hue app now uses AR to preview how a smart lamp will light up a room

A recent update to the Philips Hue app has introduced several exciting new features, including an augmented reality (AR) and interactive 3D modeling tool that allows you to visualize how Hue products will look in your space. This update, highlighted by Hueblog, also includes a new “do not disturb” option for motion sensors.

Version 5.27 of the Hue app is available for iOS, iPadOS, and Android. However, the standout AR feature is limited to iPhone Pro and iPad Pro models equipped with a lidar sensor, which Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. Located in the app’s Explore tab, this feature lets you test 12 different Philips Hue products, such as the Hue Twilight sunrise lamp, the Hue Dymera wall light that shines both up and down, and the Hue Infuse ceiling light.

While the AR preview isn’t entirely polished and sometimes allows a lamp to float around the room, it offers more than just placing a 3D object on a background. The virtual Hue products can demonstrate how a room will look with various lighting scenes, effects, and colors. The app can even simulate how a lamp would appear in a darkened room at night compared to the middle of the day. Although it’s not a perfect simulation of how these lighting products might alter the appearance or mood of a room, it provides a good idea of how they will look in your home.

The new “do not disturb” option, which was an experimental feature in Hue Labs before it was shut down last June, is now a permanent feature in the Hue app across all platforms. This option sets Hue products’ motion and security sensors to only react to movement when all lights in a room or zone are turned off, and you can schedule it for specific times of the day.