Time trigger now needs my location. Why?

Automation
1

Hello,

I noticed that on a recent update, setting an Automation with a time-based trigger now requires to know my location.

If I want a sunrise/set trigger, I totally understand why it needs my location.

However, there is no reason why a time-based automation should need my location. Regardless of where i am, the bridge has the current time and only needs to trigger based on the bridge’s on board time.

This has always worked perfectly fine before. And in fact, the existing time-based automations that already exist still continue to work fine now. It’s just that i cant edit or make new ones now.

So I’m wondering is this a change made on Philips’ end or a requirement that Hue Essentials added?

If it’s Hue Essentials only then the change should be reverted so that time-based automation should not ask for my location.

Reproduce:

  • go to Automation tab
  • create a new one or edit existing one
  • “When this happens” > “+ Add event”
  • set it to “Time” and pick a time
  • go back to the last page to give your automation a name and set some arbitrary action
  • press “Save” on the top right

Expected behaviour:

  • should just work

Actual behaviour:

  • popup that says “this feature requires the location of the bridge”

Screenshots:
Create/edit automation screen

Screenshot_1
Screenshot_1864×1500 62.5 KB

Try to save time-based automation

Screenshot_2
Screenshot_2864×1500 52.9 KB

2

Thanks for letting me know. Hue Essentials asks for location because it is needed for sunrise/sunset automations, but this is not the case here. This is a bug, it should only ask when needed. Apologies for the inconvenience. Will fix in the next update which I expect to be available somewhere next week.

Workaround for now is to just set a location, then it will no longer ask for it. You do not have to select your exact home location if you prefer, somewhere in the neighbourhood is fine for sunrise automations.

1 Like
3

oh, thanks for explaining! ill wait for the update.

just out of curiosity, when HueEssentials asks for the location for the sun rise/set scheduling, is that saved in the app or bridge?

4

Hue Essentials reads the location of your phone and then you can use it for your bridge. It is saved on the hue bridge only. Other apps cannot read the location of the bridge.

1 Like