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How to Control House Lights With Your iPhone

Siri can help you turn your lights on and off

By Thomas James Wilton Thomas James Wilton Writer Tom Wilton has been a freelance filmmaker and writer since 2012. His work has appeared in Video&Filmmaker, The Big Issue, and others. He's also been a consultant for CBS. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 28, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart Home Appliances & Lighting Your Best Year Ever: College Tech Tips Amazon Google

What to Know

In the Home app, select Add Accessory. Scan the HomeKit or QR code that came with your lights and follow the on-screen instructions.Make sure Siri is active on your iPhone, and use voice commands to control your lights. Say, "Hey Siri," and then "Turn on the lights."To activate smart light scenes (multiple lights): In the Home app tap Add Scene. Choose a scene or create a new one. This article explains how to control your smart light system with your iPhone and Siri, and Apple's HomeKit IoT platform

Control Your Lights With an iPhone and Siri

While smart light brands usually have their own iOS apps, using Siri's voice control functionality to control your lights is simple and convenient. Here's how to set it up.

Connect Your Lights to the Home App

The first step is to make sure your smart lights are connected to your Home app. Open the Home app. Go to the Home tab, if you don't start there. Tap the plus sign in the upper-right corner of the screen. Select Add Accessory. Use the camera on your iOS device to scan the eight-digit HomeKit code or QR code that came with your lights and follow the on-screen instructions to add it to your network. If you have an iPhone 7 or later and see a wireless icon on your accessory, hold your iPhone near the accessory to add it. Mark Mawson/Getty Images

Make Sure Siri Is Active

Next, make sure Siri is active on your iPhone. Open Settings on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Siri & Search. Make sure Listen for "Hey Siri" is toggled on so you can use your voice to control your lights. You may need to set up Hey Siri functionality by following the instructions on the screen.

Use Siri to Control Your Lights

Now that your lights are part of the Home app and Siri is activated, you can use voice commands to control your lights. For example, say, "Hey Siri," and then "Turn on the lights." If you have multiple smart lights or lights set up in different rooms, you can be more specific with your request. For example, say, "Turn on the living room lights," or "Turn off the bathroom light." If you have color smart lights, you can also ask Siri to set those lights to a specific hue. For example, you can say, "Turn the kitchen lights to green." To turn off the lights, simply activate Siri and say, "Turn off the lights."

Use Siri to Activate Smart Light Scenes

Using the Home app and Shortcuts, use Siri to turn on multiple lights without having to request them all individually. Here's how. Open the Home app and make sure you're on the Home tab. Tap the Plus (+) sign. Tap Add Scene. You now have the option to create a suggested Scene or a custom one. For this example, tap I'm Home. In some versions of iOS, this Scene may be called Arrive Home. The Scene will display all available accessories, including your smart lights. For this Scene, it recommends turning on all available lights at 70 percent brightness when you get home. Customize this array by disabling lights you don't want to activate. To do this, tap the lights you want the Scene to ignore, and they'll be greyed out. Next, adjust the brightness at which individual lights come on when the Scene is activated. On an iPhone with 3D Touch, press firmly until the brightness control appears. Slide up and down to adjust the brightness. On an iPhone without 3D Touch, press and hold until the brightness control appears. Slide up and down to adjust the brightness. Select a color for the lights by using one of the options below the slider. Tap a preset option twice to open the color customization screen. On the next screen, either tap the color wheel to choose a color or use the Temperature tab to choose a warm or cool shade of white. Select Done to save your selection. Once set, you'll see the lights that are set up and their predetermined brightness levels. Tap the switch by Include in Favorites to add it to the Home tab, and then tap Done to finalize your scene. On the main Home screen, you'll now see Arrive Home listed as a Favorite Scene. Tap it once to run it. Launch Siri and say, "Run I'm home." Siri will activate the scene, and you can enjoy your lighting. Many smart light bulb brands work with Apple's HomeKit software, including Philips Hue, LIFX, and more. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use Apple Watch With Siri How to Use AirPods and AirPods Pro How to Use Google Home With Your iPhone How to Use Siri on iPhone 12 How to Use Google Assistant on iPhone Apple Intercom: What It Is and How to Use It How to Use Voice Control on iPhone and iPod Touch How to Make Alexa the Center of Your Smart Home How to Set Alarm on Apple Watch How to Use Siri Shortcuts How to Show Battery Percentage on an iPhone XR How to Use the iPhone Calculator How to Control Lights With Alexa How to Turn Down the Volume on Apple TV How to Make Phone Calls With Your HomePod How to Turn Off Dark Mode on iPhone and iPad Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies