LIFX Bulb Not Connecting? (How to Troubleshoot)

So your LIFX bulb won’t connect to your home Wi-Fi, and you’re not quite sure why this is happening? We’re here to help!

In this post, we explain why your LIFX isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi and what you can do to combat the problem.

If that sounds like what you’re looking for, let’s head right into it.

Why is my LIFX Bulb Not Connecting?

If your LIFX bulb won’t connect to your home Wi-Fi, here are some reasons behind it:

• You’re connecting to an unsupported Wi-Fi band.
• Your Wi-Fi network is malfunctioning.
• You haven’t allowed the LIFX app access to your location service.
• Your router is faulty, or the settings aren’t compatible with the LIFX bulb.

With that being said, let’s go through the steps to troubleshoot these issues.

How to Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Connection Issues in a LIFX Bulb?

Here are some troubleshooting steps to help you get your LIFX bulb connected to Wi-Fi:

1. Restart Your Router, Mobile Device, and the LIFX Bulb

As mentioned above, there may be several reasons your LIFX bulb won’t connect.

However, you want to start your troubleshooting by restarting the router, the bulb, and your mobile device. This usually helps to refresh the connection and get your LIFX bulb connected.

If your router comes with a power button, you can restart it by turning it off via the power button and turning it back on. If not, you can restart it by unplugging it from the power source and plugging it back in.

More so, turn off your phone/tablet and turn it back on. Then turn off the switch that controls the LIFX bulb and turn it back on.

If you’ve restarted the devices, return to your phone and start the setup process again.

If the problem persists, continue to the next step.

2. Check and Enable Location Service on Your Phone/Tablet

Is the location service on your phone turned on while trying to set up your LIFX bulb? If not, that could be the reason for the Wi-Fi connection failure.

The LIFX app needs access to your location to connect to your home Wi-Fi.

So go over to your phone’s location settings and permit the LIFX bulb to access your location service. Here is how to do this:

Android devices:

• Find the LIFX app icon on your phone’s home screen. Next, tap and hold the icon.
• Tap App Info and then tap Permissions, then Location.
• From the options, select All the time, or Only while using the app. We recommend the latter option.

iOS devices:

• Go to Settings and select Privacy, then Location Services.
• Look for the LIFX app and tap it. Next, select While Using.

Now you’ve allowed the LIFX app access to your location service. Open the app and resume the setup process.

If it still refuses to connect, see the next troubleshooting step.

3. Check that Your Router is Operating on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Band

Another likely cause of Wi-Fi connection issues with your LIFX bulb is that your Wi-Fi is operating on the 5GHz band/frequency.

LIFX light bulbs do not support this Wi-Fi frequency, so check and ensure your router runs on the supported frequency (2.4GHz).

Refer to your user manual for instructions on how to change the Wi-Fi band on your router.

More so, if you have got a dual-band router, ensure the Wi-Fi bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) are named differently—to prevent connecting to the wrong network.

4. Check Whether Your Router Settings Are Compatible with the LIFX Bulb

You may also experience connectivity issues if the LIFX bulb/app doesn’t support some of your router’s settings.

Here are some settings you need to check and adjust:

AP Isolation: Check your router settings to see if this feature is enabled. If so, you’ll need to disable it as it prevents the LIFX bulb from connecting to your router. In some routers, the feature is known as Client Isolation or Guest Isolation.

Check your router settings and ensure it’s disabled. Refer to your user manual if you’re not sure how to turn off AP Isolation on your router.

Auto Channel: If your router is set to auto channel, it means it can automatically scan your area and pick up channels to operate on. And this might cause connection problems with the LIFX bulb.

Check to see if your router runs on the auto channel. If so, change it to channels 1, 2, or 11. See your router’s manual for instructions.

VPN Service: If your router comes with the VPN service feature, check and ensure it’s disabled.

Also, ensure your phone/tablet has no VPN service running in the background

After changing the settings, reboot your router and the LIFX bulb. You can reboot your LIFX bulb by turning off the control switch. Wait 5 seconds and turn it back on.

For the router, unplug it from the power source and then plug it back in (after 5 seconds).

Now try to set up your bulb again to see if the problem is solved.

5. Update the LIFX App and Firmware

Using the outdated version of the LIFX app may also cause some malfunctions.

Check Google Play Store or App Store (depending on your phone) to see if the app requires an update and get it updated.

More so, check whether your LIFX bulb firmware requires an update (via the app) and update it.

Here is how to check and update your LIFX bulb firmware:

• Open the LIFX app on your phone.
• Tap the Gear icon (settings) in the bottom menu and select Update Firmware.
• If your bulb requires an update, you’ll see it listed there. Follow the instructions in the app to update the firmware.

6. Reset Your LIFX Bulb

If none of the fixes above help, reset the bulb and start the setup again. This usually helps fix incorrect settings and unseen glitches obstructing the connection process.

To reset your LIFX bulb, locate the wall switch that controls the bulb and turn it off and on five times in a row. The bulb will flash, showing the reset is successful.

Now the bulb is reset. Start the setup again—it should connect to your home Wi-Fi this time. If not, try contacting LIFX support for help.

Related Questions

How do I connect my LIFX bulb to a new Wi-Fi network?

To connect your LIFX bulb to a new Wi-Fi, you’ll need to perform a reset on the bulb, then connect it to the new Wi-Fi. You can reset your LIFX bulb by turning it off and on five times.

LIFX stuck on “preparing device”; what to do?

If your connection/setup is stuck on “preparing device”, force quit the LIFX app and launch it back. Next, reset the bulb and start the connection process again. This should fix the issue.

LIFX bulb not connecting to Alexa; what to do?

If your other devices are connected and working with Alexa except for the LIFX bulb, here’s how to go about this issue:

• Open the Alexa app and unlink the LIFX skill. Next, link the LIFX skill back and close the Alexa app.
• Turn the switch that controls your LIFX bulb off and then back on. Next, open the Alexa app and try to connect again.
• If the problem persists, check and ensure that the apps (Alexa app LIFX apps) are up to date. You can update the apps on Google Play Store or Apple App Store—depending on your device.
• If your LIFX bulb is still not connecting, reset the bulb and start the setup again. This should fix the problem.

LIFX bulb not connecting to HomeKit; what do I do?

Usually, problems with LIFX bulbs and HomeKit are caused by outdated app/ firmware. If you’re having issues connecting your LIFX bulb to HomeKit, check and update the LIFX bulb and firmware.

More so, ensure your device is running the latest iOS version.

If all these checks out and you’re still unable to connect the bulb to HomeKit, reset the bulb and try again. This should fix the issue.

LIFX bulb not responding; what do I do?

If your LIFX bulb isn’t responding when you try to operate it or set it up via the app, here is what to do:

• Go over to the switch that controls the bulb and turn it off and on.
• Restart your router and mobile device.
• Check whether the LIFX bulb requires an update and update it. Also, check and update firmware via the LIFX app.
• Check the app again to see if it’s now responsive. If not, reset your LIFX bulb and set it up again.

Wrapping Up

So that’s how to fix Wi-Fi connection issues with your LIFX bulb. Since there may be different factors behind this issue, you want to try all the troubleshooting steps until the problem is resolved.

To recap, if your LIFX bulb isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, restart your router, the bulb, and your phone to fix the problem.

If that doesn’t work, check your Wi-Fi band, enable location service and apply other troubleshooting tips in this post. One should get the job done.

You may also like to see how to troubleshoot Wi-Fi connection issues in a Wyze bulb, Meross light bulb, and Sylvania light bulb.