Hue accessories themselves do not send phone notifications, but a motion sensor can trigger alerts through the platforms you connect. In Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa, a motion sensor can appear as a sensor that triggers automations and notifications from those apps. In the Hue app, motion events control lights; alerts come from the connected platform. Check the sensor is online and its batteries are fresh, the Bridge is online and the platform has the sensor.
The checks in more detail
Allow notifications for that platform's app, turn off Do Not Disturb and remove battery restrictions. If alerts arrive late, the phone's power saving or the platform's own delay is the cause. If a dimmer switch button should trigger an alert, that also comes through the platform's automation. If you get too many alerts, adjust the sensor's sensitivity, add a time window in the platform automation or reduce the sensor's field.
If you get none, test the sensor by walking across its field and watching whether the lights respond first; if lights respond but the alert does not, the platform is the problem. Keep apps and the Bridge software current. Test the alert with the phone unlocked and then locked. If one phone gets alerts and another does not, the fault is that phone. Add a second person to alerts.
If a platform's alert does not match what the lights did, use the lights as the test, since they respond first and tell you whether the sensor works. Decide first what you want to be told, such as movement in a hallway at night, and configure one alert for that in the platform, since a vague goal of getting notifications produces a flood you soon ignore. A motion sensor in a room you rarely use can send fewer events than you expect, so do not judge alerts from a single quiet day.
Differential
Likely causes of “Hue accessories notifications are late, missing or excessive”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A platform not linked
What separates it No alerts arrive because the sensor has not been linked into Apple Home, Google Home or Alexa
How to confirm Link the sensor in the platform so that it can send alerts through that platform's app
- 2
Notifications blocked
What separates it Alerts arrive silently or not at all because notifications are blocked for the platform's app
How to confirm Allow notifications for the platform's app in the phone's settings, and check Do Not Disturb is off
- 3
A weak battery
What separates it The sensor stops reporting because its battery is weak, so no event reaches the platform
How to confirm Replace the battery in the sensor and check that it reports movement again
- 4
An offline Bridge
What separates it No events arrive because the Bridge is offline and cannot pass the sensor's events on
How to confirm Fix the Bridge's connection so that its lights show it is online and the events are passed on
- 5
Too-high sensitivity
What separates it Far too many alerts arrive because the sensor's sensitivity is set too high for the room
How to confirm Lower the sensitivity in the Hue app so that the sensor ignores small movements
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which alert is missing and what should have caused it
- The platform that you use for alerts
- The state of the sensor, whether online and with a good battery
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the sensor works
ReversibleCheck the sensor works by walking in front of it and seeing that the lights respond, before you look at alerts.
Check the platform link
ReversibleCheck the platform link and make sure the sensor is listed in Apple Home, Google Home or Alexa.
Allow notifications
ReversibleAllow notifications for the platform app on the phone, and check no focus mode is hiding them.
Check batteries
ReversibleCheck the batteries and the Bridge, since a weak battery or an offline Bridge stops the events from arriving.
Adjust sensitivity
ReversibleAdjust the sensitivity in the Hue app to reduce extras if you get more alerts than you need.
Add a time window
ReversibleAdd a time window in the platform so that alerts only arrive at the times that matter to you.
Contact the platform
ReversibleContact the platform's support if alerts still fail, since the alerts are sent by that platform and not by Hue.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Alerts
- Come from Apple Home, Google or Alexa, not Hue.
- Lights
- Hue app controls lights, not alerts.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Hue dimmer switch v2.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If lights respond but alerts never arrive, the platform is the cause
- !If nothing responds at all, check the sensor's battery and the Bridge before other settings
- !If the alerts are too many, lower the sensitivity or add a time window
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Matter with and without a Bridge.
Apple Home.
Motion sensor troubleshooting.
Bridge lights and updates.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Does the sensor send notifications?+
The Hue sensor does not send notifications itself, but the platforms you connect can turn its events into alerts.
Why no alert?+
Alerts may be missing because the platform link is broken or the phone's notification permissions are off.
Can I get alerts in Apple Home?+
Yes, you can get alerts in Apple Home by making an automation that notifies you when the sensor detects motion.
Can late alerts happen?+
Yes, alerts can be late, because they depend on the sensor, the Bridge, the internet and the platform.
Should I rely on it for security?+
No, do not rely on a Hue sensor for security, because it is designed for lighting and can miss or delay events.
Can sensitivity reduce alerts?+
Yes, lowering the sensitivity reduces the number of alerts caused by small movements or heat changes.
Does a wall switch cut smart control?+
A wall switch cuts power to a light so smart control stops for it, but battery accessories are not affected.
Do accessories update?+
Yes, accessories update through the Bridge, so keep the Bridge online and up to date to receive the updates.