Firmware update bricks Hue Bridge Pro devices; Philips gives free replacements

Regarding the number of devices affected, Signify’s representative said, “Our data shows fewer than 100 Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices have been impacted.”

When asked about the update’s purpose, the spokesperson noted that Signify “regularly provides software updates that deliver improvements, security updates, and bug fixes,” without providing further detail.

“We have identified the root cause and are implementing a fix to prevent additional users from being affected. As this relates to a specific technical implementation, we won’t go into further engineering detail,” Signify’s representative said.

Philips has started rolling out an update to prevent additional devices from being bricked. Customers whose devices are already broken should contact the Philips Hue support team, the company rep said. They added:

We will replace affected Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices free of charge, regardless of warranty status.

It’s encouraging to see a company taking responsibility for broken products and trying to compensate customers. However, affected customers must still spend time connecting their devices and inputting their settings into a new Hue Bridge Pro. This will be especially tedious for people with dozens of lights and accessories, as well as many customized scenes and automations.

The firmware problem highlights the Hue Bridge ecosystem’s lack of backup features, as some affected parties have noted. While Hue users can migrate all their connected devices from a standard Hue Bridge to a Hue Bridge Pro, there’s no way to migrate devices from a Hue Bridge Pro to a Hue Bridge, or from a Hue Bridge to another Hue Bridge.

“Kept resetting it without any luck,” Reddit user Muted-Improvement-76 said. “Went out and bought another regular bridge and had to painstakingly add all the lights again. It was a nightmare!”