Getting the Most Out of Your Logitech Harmony Elite

So you’ve purchased a Logitech Harmony Elite. Now it’s time to put it to the test and move beyond just using it to turn on your television or audio device. Here are some of our favorite ways to use the universal remote controller in your home.

Please note: Many of these tasks will also work with other Harmony remotes that support the Harmony Hub.

Harmony and Philips Hue

Philips Hue, the wireless lighting system, like Nest, helped define the still-growing smart home industry. With your Harmony Elite, you can both control the lights that are part of your Philips Hue system, plus add them to your list of home activities.

Setup

To add your Philips Hue to Harmony, find Devices from the Harmony app. From there, click Edit Devices at the bottom of the screen. Next, click + Devices, Home Control, and then Hue. Log into your Philips Hue account, and then follow the final instructions.

You can now adjust lighting using the Harmony Elite remote and Harmony app, including changing colors and scenes. You may also organize your light bulbs into groups such as Living Room and Kitchen. To do so, find Devices from the main screen on your smartphone app, scroll to the bottom and select Edit Devices, then+ Group. Once configured, you may tap the group bulb icon to power everything on/off and swipe left/right to control brightness. You may also expand the group to control bulbs individually.

You can also assign home control buttons to work with the Elite remote controller. From the Harmony app, go into Settings under Remote & Hub. From there, select Harmony Elite > Home Button Controls. There are two light buttons on your Harmony Elite remote controller. Select Button-1 and Button-2 to assign light bulbs.

Note: A short press of a light button turns the bulbs on while a long press switches them off. The two rocker switches next to the buttons control light brightness.

Activities to try

Anyone with the Philips Hue system knows that one of its best features is the ability to change the color of light bulbs to suit your mood or setting. With the Harmony Elite, you can have colors change whenever triggering activities. For example, you may want your bedroom lights to turn blue every time you’re listening to Sonos. Or have your living room lights turn off whenever you’re watching your favorite sports team on ESPN.

There are countless combinations to try between the Logitech Harmony and Philips Hue. The only limitation is your imagination.