Cannot add LIFX bulb to wifi network using LIFX iOS app. Why?

💬 Lounge
1

I just received my first LIFX bulb and I’m trying to use the LIFX iOS app to add it to my WiFI network so I can use it with Hubitat. Every time I start the process to add the bulb using the LIFX app, the app says I have to wait 15 minutes for HomeKit pairing to time out before I can try to add the bulb using “LIFX setup.” The fact they don't give you the option to skip HomeKit setup and make you wait for the app to timeout is insanity, but okay. If I wait the 15 minutes and try to use the LIFX setup option, I get a message that setup failed and I’m told to try again. Which starts the whole “wait 15 minutes and then watch the LIFX setup process fail” again.

Has anyone successfully used the iOS LIFX app to add a bulb to their network? I’d like to use LIFX bulbs with Hubitat but it’s my understanding they have to be added to my WiFi network using the LIFX app before I can use them with Hubitat. Am I missing something here? Is LIFX just incredibly flaky or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for any suggestions.

2

I’m pretty sure I did, as I have no Android devices.

I also know that I added some of my newer LIFX bulbs directly using the Apple Home app.

3

Looking at Amazon, I ordered the Lifx bulbs I use back at the end of 2021, so more than a year ago. I have the Lifx app on our phones, and I did get them initialized onto our WiFi network that way. But, as I said, it's more than a year ago... maybe things changed with the app? I'm currently on v4.17.0 of the Lifx app.

4

I had exactly the issue trying to add a new LIFX Clean bulb this last weekend.

While I could select the LIFX lamp network, the App never seemed to progress beyond the point of waiting for the connection.

I discovered that disabling the cellular network on my iPhone whilst doing the add resolved the issue and I was able to add the lamp.

1 Like
5

Turn off the cell portion of your phone. It's an issue with mixed SSID's and for whatever weird reason this solves it even though the cell doesn't have anything to do with wifi.. (Obviously turn it back on when done). I guess it has to do with the network order the app looks for the bulb

2 Likes
6

Thanks, guys. Turning off cellular data helped get the bulb installed. It never showed up in the app and I got an error message but I did see the IP address on my network and was able to use LIFX Integration to add the bulb to Hubitat.

I have to say that as a former developer and user experience test manager, the entire LIFX process was unnecessarily painful. "Wait 15 minutes and then you can proceed" doesn't exactly reek of best practices from software development or end user experience. Anyway, it's working and I don't have to drive across town to drop it off to be returned. Thanks for your help.

1 Like
7

This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.