/r/lifx
A community space for discussion about all things LIFX.
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/r/lifx
I would like to use the LIFX strip in a situation where it isn’t as bright as I would like.
Anyone knowing the technology behind this, the four wires were presumably two of them data the other two power et cetera …
If I got my electrician to modify so that the controller went straight to 2 sets of LIFX strips (and obviously I would only be allowed to go to half the maximum length in terms of powering them from the one controller)…. Would they work then in parallel even if doing things like animation on the strips?
I think the fact that you see it chase a light to the end when it’s trying to calculate the number of strips tells me that it must be getting some feedback and this wouldn’t work .
I obviously don’t want to run the strip to the end and back as that would cause any lighting movement patterns just to seem doubly bizarre.
(And before LIFX reply: fully aware this would void any warranty, not be recommended and get me smackky bottoms)
The FX are some of the best parts of the products that support the blended light zones. I see some older posts on this subreddit that they were coming "soon". Any updates I missed?
Are there any plans in the works for a directional bulb? I have 9 of the Par38 bulbs that I’m using for holiday lighting. The colors are fantastic, but I need something that’s a bit more focused. Shadows are just as important as light, and there’s no shadows. (And I hate the spillover light on the grass)
I’m a long time LIFX user and have a bunch of switches installed throughout my home. I find the switches can be really useful for all sorts of automations and multi switching.
I really like how the switch buttons illuminate brighter when the relays are switched on for dumb lights, however I really wish it were possible to manually control the brightness/on/off state of the button lights themselves for LIFX lights or other automations to give an indication on the status of the lights and what lights they may be controlling.
In the photo attached, the first button controls some dumb lights that are on, and the second controls a set of LIFX lights that are… also on. It would be great to be able to show this through the switch.
First off, lemme say that it's a great idea. Having the ability to control 2-4 separate nodes remotely, even if they aren't smart-friendly, is great; but there's a huge problem that blocks this product from being customer-friendly: The 2-button switch sits in a 1-gang box, and the 4-button switch ALSO sits in a 1-gang box.
In the case of the two button, the issue isn't as glaring as the 4-button, but I would still consider the implementation to be incorrect. LIFX offers a switch-plate so that you can easily install this 2 button switch into a 1-gang box. A 1 gang box holds 1 switch, so it's pretty obvious what the first button is used for - but what about the second button? If I only own one smart light, and it's on this switch, then the second button is both misleading, and wasted.
The second, and more egregious issue is the hassle it is when you want to put this 2/4-button smart-switch into a 2/4-gang switchbox. I consider this to be a bigger issue because it's where a user is more likely going to think that their shiny new switch belongs. One button for the light, one button for the fan. Well, only after you build a custom switchplate, or open up your wall to rebuild the gangbox.. This issue is doubled for the 4 button switch: The use-case for this item is so small because there's just not room in a 1-gang box for 4 sets of wires, and the likelyhood of a person needing to control 4 nodes from a control panel built for 1 node is slim.
LIFX should absolutely offer a 4-to-1 and 2-to-1 converter switchplates to give this product more value.
Hello,
I purchased some LIFX downlights, one to replace a current fixture and one to be installed new in the ceiling.
However, our contractor discovered that there is no can in the existing one. It sounds like the Downlights require a can to retrofit to.
My question: is there a relatively reliable and/or cost-effective way to install these lights without a can and bulb fixture? Or are we out of luck for using them?
I’ve read some posts that imply additional firmware effects are coming to some products. Is it possible to get an idea of what is coming?
I’m specifically interested in what effects are coming to light strips as it seems like “move” is the only effect right now.
Ideally I want to be able to call more effects via scenes or API to add some variety.
Thanks!
Is there a way I can control my lights with my Mac laptop? I can't seem to find the official app and I am hesitant of purchasing one without making sure it works as advertised. Thanks!
Could we have an option to scrubbing (like navigating along a video timeline) along a routine to speed up its progress. There are routines like evening relaxation that I want to end sooner some nights.
Or this could be set time option that compacts the existing routine, to that new finish time?
Thanks!
I just bought a handful of 2 button switches to put around my house. I got them all instaled and set up pretty easily. The problem is, when I open the LIFX app to make changes, my switches don’t show up in my device list. I’ll restart the app, and see them all, but when I select one, make a change and back out to the main device view, they are all gone again. Sometimes I have to restart the app several times to make the switches show up but they always disappear after I make changes to one switch. Has anyone experienced this and know how to fix this issue?
I have added my lights (about 35) to HomeKit but a substantial amount of them show as disconnected in HomeKit at any one time. They pretty reliably appear in the LIFX app. So I use Alexa or the LIFX app.
Does HomeKit v2 solve this issue as it requires a hub like an Apple TV or HomePod mini? I’m wondering if a local hub always on the network means the hub maintains a more reliable local connection.
Just in case this helps anyone:
make sure you have any/all vpn tunnels off when trying to join lights. It took me a long time to figure out this was my issue. Tried 3 different access points and two phones. commonality between the phones was both had my work vpn tunnel active.
:/
I started connecting my lights with Home, since they seemed unable to connect with my Lifx app as before. They connected with HomeKit, and I added them in my app as usual, but after some time it just had the disconnected icon and I can't seem to connect to them with either the Lifx App or Home. Also tried the switching on-off three times that just doesn't work anymore.
The Lifx app just doesn't seem to be able to detect any lights, and Home doesn't either, but I try to connect it with HK code, but it just sits and spins "trying to find device".
Any advice what I could try?
I’ve got several B22, E27 and GU10 spotlights around the house. I’ve found the HomeKit integration buggy in the past (over a year ago) so I’ve just removed HomeKit completely and am turning the switches on and off using the app on my phone.
As I’ve started to get more start products I’m wondering how much better LIFX is nowadays with HomeKit, especially with their new architecture.
I’ve put off upgrading to it until now but can anyone comment on whether it’ll result in a better experience? Ideally I’d just like to say "hey siri turn on kitchen light" and the light will turn on (without having to wait 10 seconds, or indefinitely…)
I don’t have any of the LIFX switches.
Am running iOS 17 on my phone and don’t plan on updating to 18 anytime soon.
From my experience (four years having them now) I’ve found controlling the bulbs without the App to be the most responsive experience, but it’s annoying having to whip out my phone every time for this.
Hi Is anyone else experiencing this issue? There’s no way to control when the effects are running except through the app, every time I want an effect to run a light I have to trigger it through the app. where is the ability to schedule specific lights to run effects or cycle between different types. I haven’t found any management options in the app. Am I missing something? Please help.
I purchased the ceiling light (not fan, sorry) from HD last night and installed it, and do have to say, it is such a beautiful and surprisingly bright light. I really want to go out and grab a couple more. The color effects are absolutely amazing
The only issue is after I first added the device, it disappeared from the app home screen. I saw similar reports and reset the light, readded it, and it did show up on the second try. Today the light disappeared on its own, and when I re-add it, it's no longer on the home screen again! Am i looking in the wrong spot? I would assume it should be listed under here, as well as the group? I was able to add it to my favorites so it shows up under "favorites", but only because I favorited it. I'm worried if I remove the favorite it will disappear again and have to re-add.
edit: I meant the lifx ceiling light, NOT fan
Screenshot of home page of app
Am I doing something wrong?
Hey, is anyone recommending a ceiling fan with lifx bulbs. I'm finding plenty of tri coloured google compatible smart ceiling fans. Really want the colours/ themes / scenes with dimable options that come with lifx globes & the automation of google compatibility. Any suggestions recommendations greatly appreciated.
Just bought the light and got it installed and noticed a low buzzing sound thats annoying as hell. Is their a fix for this issue or do i just have a faulty light.
I have the black trim btw
Seems like this buzzing is an issue on a couple of their products. Might have to go another brand was planning on getting their bulbs next.
what is the recommended python package to control lights via Python? Tried lifxlan but I get a bitarray error. Tried photon, but I don't 'get it', yet. What's the best one?
*Issue resolved*
They apparently weren't in the real factory reset mode but I couldn't tell because it always cycled on red start. The real factory reset allowed them to sync
Just bought 3 a19 color bulbs and only one connected really easy and was up and running in like 3 minutes.
The other two tell me they connect in the app, they are connected to the cloud, and seem like in the app it is working but once completed, the app says the bulb is off while it's still some white/blue'ish/purple color.
When I try to manipulate the bulb within the app, it just keeps reverting to saying the bulb is off but says it is still paired and connected to the cloud.
Another weird thing is that if I turn the light switch off and back on, it color cycles the bulb from what I read in the instructions sounds like it would do on a "factory reset" by switching it off and on 5x.
Even if I just turn the bulb off for one second and then back on... boom, red, green, whatever color cycle to end on that white/blue'ish/purple color.
I have tried unpairing them, removing them from the cloud, "forgetting" them from within my wireless router, and then letting them sit out on the table allllll night so that the lease on the router for that IP is gone.
Go to put them in the next day, and same thing, color cycles, the app still remembers the name I gave it, but says they are off.
I have tried them in 3 different sockets, a lamp, an indoor chandelier, and an outdoor light post. None of these have dimmer switches either.
I have also tried to "manually" set them up via the Home app in iOS and it does the exact same thing. Recognizes the bulbs, says they are paired, then says they are turned off but still connected. Any adjustments I try to make in the app, and boom the app just reverts it back to the "off" position.
WiFi connection is also only on 2.4ghz and has a very strong connection as I use the Ubiquiti access points.
Not sure if there's been any news of this, but is there any word on whether or not Lifx's Clean and Nightvision lineup are gonna get the Matter and Supercolor treatment? I've been slowly upgrading a lot of my older Lifx products and while I could do without the budget friendly minis, the Clean and Night are huge for our bedrooms and rooms with Nightvision cameras.
I bought three LIFX Outdoor Neon Flex for my deck and now want to buy more for my landscaping around the house. They are gorgeous with beautiful light and bright as hell. Great for security as well I have an automation that turns them on at night if motion is detected. Anyway I can’t seem to find them at any Home Depot which has exclusive rights to sell them. The West Springfield, MA HD states on the website that they have 11 in stock but when I purchase them online they never ship out and I have to cancel the order. Seems ridiculous it’s so hard to buy this product. Any idea when the Home Depot exclusivity runs out or where I can purchase them?
I added a lifx 2 button smart switch to my home that controls 6 lights in the kitchen ceiling. I added 2 lifx bulbs in there however I’m running into an issue of when the wired terminal for the 6 lights are shut off using the lifx button the entire circuit loses power including the lifx bulbs. Any ideas on what’s going on here?
Had a new issue with the 5-6” down lights I have. One of the lights color palettes is completely different than the rest. All lights on firmware 3.9. Any ideas ? Happened overnight randomly
Hi, can't find any lifx 1600 or 1200 lumen rgb bulbs anywhere. Couple dodgy places has em, amazon has a few white ones but that's it, know where I can find em ? Am switching from philips hue
In future updates can you add the ability to combine selected zones into one so that they act as one zone?
Use case: for the candle/tube I want to use the move FX to make a ring of light go up/down the product. At the moment it is not possible because the way move FX works is that it targets each zone so it ends up looking like a spiral. But if I could merge zones in the candle so that the bottom row is one zone and then the next row is another zone so on and so forth I would be able to achieve that effect.
This could also work for the ceiling light to display concentric circles going in/out from the centre.
This is just one use case. I am sure this will open a whole heap of possible effects.