# How does the official Hue (bridge) app communicate with the Hue bridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions & Help\ **Tags:** homey-pro\ **Created:** [December 12, 2024, 9:12am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739 "2024-12-12T09:12:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/cedric_hernalsteens/32/116879_2.png) [@Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://community.homey.app/u/Cedric_Hernalsteens)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 9:12am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/1 "2024-12-12T09:12:01Z")
Hello everyone, I was wondering how the official Homey Hue (with bridge) app communicate with the bridge? Is it through HomeKit? (I guess not). Is it local over ethernet (I hope so)? Does it rely on the API (and thus not local - I hope not)? If local over ethernet, does that mean that it uses a kind of hue-bridge-specific protocol to communicate? Is it open or proprietary? ---
**Author:** ![Nick11](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/nick11/32/120935_2.png) [@Nick11](https://community.homey.app/u/Nick11)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 9:42am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/2 "2024-12-12T09:42:42Z")
Hi, The hue bride contains its own http server and therefore the API can be accessed locally. It is not homeKit, it is local over ethernet, but it relys on the api, which is local. It uses the hue-bride-specific API which is well documented, you can get access here: > **[Get Started - Philips Hue Developer Program](https://developers.meethue.com/develop/get-started-2/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)** > > Follow 3 Easy Steps Step 1 First make sure your bridge is connected to your network and is functioning properly. Test that the smartphone app can control the lights on the same network. Step 2 Then you need to discover the IP address of the bridge on... ---
**Author:** ![Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/cedric_hernalsteens/32/116879_2.png) [@Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://community.homey.app/u/Cedric_Hernalsteens)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/3 "2024-12-12T16:19:19Z")
Hi Nick, Thanks a lot for your answer. Very clear now. I had experience with the home bridge Hue plugin ([GitHub - ebaauw/homebridge-hue: Homebridge plugin for Philips Hue](https://github.com/ebaauw/homebridge-hue)) and indeed it communicates with their API locally as well. I found that this plugin was more feature rich than the official homey hue app, so that means that there would probably be room for an improved community Hue bridge app. One more question: can the Hue bridge be also connected via Matter ? The Hue bridge is itself a Matter bridge and Homey is a Matter controller, so this could work? Just trying to understand the ecosystem. ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:24pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/4 "2024-12-12T16:24:17Z")
> [@Cedric\_Hernalsteens](#): > > so that means that there would probably be room for an improved community Hue bridge app. Before creating one, ask Athom if they will actually allow it in the app store. Officially the guideline is that there should be only one app per brand and that developers are encouraged to work together by issuing PR’s against the app that already exists, but that guideline is immediately negated by Athom pretty much making all their own apps closed source. ---
**Author:** ![Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/cedric_hernalsteens/32/116879_2.png) [@Cedric\_Hernalsteens](https://community.homey.app/u/Cedric_Hernalsteens)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/5 "2024-12-12T16:25:37Z")
Thanks for the heads up. I wasn’t aware of that. I imagine we could run the app anyway and share it through Github even if it is not accepted in the App Store. ---
**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/6 "2024-12-12T16:35:42Z")
Correct, or publish it through the community app store(s). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/how-does-the-official-hue-bridge-app-communicate-with-the-hue-bridge/123739/7 "2024-12-12T18:33:18Z")
And of course exceptions (were) (are) made ![1000038700](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/3/3/33ecb86f05a2bbc3ff355013341954afa4262ca4.jpeg)