Philips Hue Motion Sensor Not Triggering Lights or Automations

Easy 10-20 minutes

If your Philips Hue motion sensor isn't triggering your lights, automations aren't working, or the sensor seems to ignore motion, this guide covers the most common causes and fixes from the community.

Check Basic Sensor Status

First verify the sensor is working and connected:

  1. Open the Hue app
  2. Go to Settings → Accessory Setup
  3. Find your motion sensor in the list
  4. Check that it shows as connected (not "Unreachable")
  5. Walk in front of the sensor—you should see the motion indicator update in the app

Reconfigure Your Automation

If you've added new lights to a room, they won't automatically be included in existing motion sensor automations.

One solution from the community: "For new lamps not reacting to motion sensors, configure the desired scenes with the new lamps in the room and save them, then open the motion detector settings, select the scenes again, and save them."

Steps to fix:

  1. Open the Hue app
  2. Go to your motion sensor settings
  3. Re-select the scene or lights you want to trigger
  4. Save the automation again

Check Daylight Sensitivity

Hue motion sensors have a daylight sensor that can prevent automations from triggering when there's enough ambient light:

  1. In the Hue app, go to your motion sensor settings
  2. Find the daylight sensitivity setting
  3. Try adjusting it to be less sensitive (allow triggering in more light)
  4. Or disable daylight sensitivity entirely to test if that's the issue

Some users have reported issues after Hue app updates: "After it became required to sign in with a Hue account in the Hue app, motion sensors started triggering lights even when daylight sensitivity conditions weren't met."

Time-Based Conditions

Check if your automation has time restrictions:

  • Motion sensor automations can be set to only work during certain hours
  • Verify the "when" settings in your automation
  • Make sure the time range covers when you expect it to work

Sensor Placement

Poor placement can cause detection issues:

  • Range: Hue motion sensors detect motion up to about 16 feet (5 meters)
  • Angle: The sensor has a 100° field of view—make sure you're walking across its view, not directly toward it
  • Height: Mount at about 7 feet (2 meters) high, angled slightly downward
  • Obstructions: Don't place behind glass or in corners where view is blocked

Battery Level

Low batteries can cause erratic behavior:

  1. In the Hue app, go to Settings → Accessory Setup
  2. Select your motion sensor
  3. Check the battery level
  4. Replace if below 20%

Cooldown Period

After detecting motion, the sensor has a configurable cooldown period before it will trigger again:

  • Default is typically 3 minutes
  • During cooldown, new motion won't trigger additional events
  • This is normal behavior, not a malfunction

Third-Party Integration Issues

If using the sensor with Home Assistant, SmartThings, or other platforms:

Home Assistant:

Users have reported: "The Philips Hue motion sensor doesn't work directly after the bulb controlled by the motion sensor is turned on/off via Home Assistant."

  • This can happen due to state synchronization delays
  • Try using the simple "Motion-activated Light" automation template instead of complex blueprints

SmartThings:

Users have reported sensors suddenly stopping: "Hue motion sensors suddenly stopping to work with SmartThings, even when notifications for motion triggers had been set up and were working previously."

  • Try removing and re-adding the Hue integration in SmartThings
  • Check that the Hue Bridge is properly connected

Reset the Motion Sensor

If nothing else works, try resetting the sensor:

  1. Remove the sensor from the Hue app
  2. On the back of the sensor, find the reset button (small hole)
  3. Use a paperclip to press and hold for about 5 seconds
  4. The LED should blink
  5. Add the sensor back to the Hue app
  6. Reconfigure your automations

Community Discussions