Philips Hue will soon require an account to use its app — here’s what that means

The Philips Hue Bridge is required to access many of Hue's smart lighting system features, and soon, you'll need an account to use them, too.

Smart lighting stalwart Philips Hue is making some more changes. After launching a new security system last month and finally making good on its promise to support Matter, the company is now requiring users to sign up for a Hue account to use its app.

For most people, this might not seem like a big deal; if you have Hue smart bulbs, you probably already have a Hue account, which has always been optional but lets you do things like connect the bulbs to platforms such as Amazon Alexa for voice control. But for some, the ability to use Hue's line of smart lighting without creating an account was a big part of its appeal. Yes, its products are pricey, but you don't have to give the company your data. That could be about to change.

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