The most frustrating part of getting any new Smart Home tech is that you’ll have to troubleshoot all its connection issues with your other Smart devices.
Feit Smart Bulbs generally use their proprietary HomeBrite application (now called Feit Electric) to connect and control the Feit Smart Bulbs in your home. But this technology isn’t foolproof—far from it!
Here are the most common problems revolving around the connectivity of Feit Smart Bulbs and the first steps you can take to get your Smart Home up and running.
Installing, Connecting, & Resetting Feit Smart Bulbs
(1) Start By Installing the New Feit Electric App.
You’ll first want to ensure that you have the correct application to control your smart bulbs. Start by uninstalling any old applications like HomeBrite or HomeBrite 2.0. These apps are defunct and are no longer serviced by Feit Electric.
Feit Electric has a proprietary application that you can use. It used to be called HomeBrite, but nowadays, the app you want to use is just called “Feit Electric.”
Truthfully, HomeBrite and Feit Electric don’t have the best reputation on the app store. The now-defunct HomeBrite app features a stunning one-star overall review on the iOS app store, while Feit Electric has a glowing 2.7 stars on Google Play.
While installing the app is certainly your first step… it’s kind of a crapshoot as to whether this will even affect your experience in a meaningful, positive way. The most common issues people have with the Feit Electric app are being unable to pair the bulbs with the app (which we’ll touch on later) and not having many customization options.
Steps if you have need to update to the new app
If your app is still called HomeBrite, it’s time to get with the times and download the new app!
Before you do that, though, you’ll want to disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the device. Then power it off for one minute (60 seconds, no cheating!).
While waiting for your device to be powered down for a full minute, skip ahead to the next step for hard resetting your Feit Smart bulbs. This will give you the most seamless transition from one stage to the next.
Once you’ve reset the Smart bulbs, turn your device back on and download the Feit Electric app. When prompted to enter a 4-digit code, enter a new code. Feit Electric warns never to enter the same code after a fresh install. Then register the app. Future app uses will only require you to restore the configuration and fix issues without re-downloading the app.
(2) Hard Reset Your Feit Smart Bulbs
Before you try to pair your Smart bulbs with the app, you’ll want to hard reset the bulbs.
Feit has steps for hard resetting your bulbs, but admittedly it’s a little bit convoluted. Unlike other Smart devices with reset buttons, Smart bulbs don’t generally have the same features because of their shape and size. Where would you fit this mythical button on a light bulb, pray tell?
To reset the Feit Smart bulbs, you’ll need to look at the light switch that powers the outlet your bulb is connected to. Turn the light switch off to start. Then turn the light switch on for 18 seconds, then back off for 1 second. Repeat that five times back to back and then on the sixth time, turn the light switch on and leave it on to allow the bulbs to attempt to connect to your smart device.
Alternatively, you can turn the bulb on for one second, then off for one second — and then repeat this process three times. When the bulb has been reset, it will flash rapidly. This flashing is a sign that the reset has been successful.
(3) Discover New Bulbs
Once you’ve hard reset the bulbs and re-downloaded the Feit Electric app, there will be three dots in the right-hand corner of the Feit Electric app. Tap these three dots to add additional menu options, then select the “Discover New Bulbs” option.
After you’ve completed these steps, you should see the Feit Electric app start to populate and connect with the bulbs you’ve just hard reset. Once they’re all connected and associated with the app, you’ll be able to select the additional options for those bulbs.
Troubleshooting a Feit Smart Bulb That Won’t Connect
If your bulbs still aren’t connecting, keep reading. We’ll cover the most common issues people have when connecting their Feit Smart bulbs to their SmartHome networks.
Feit Smart bulbs aren’t entirely failsafe like any other product or service. A person looking to get started with Feit Smart Bulbs might run into all kinds of trouble.
Here are the most common causes of connectivity issues with Feit Smart bulbs.
(1) They Are Regular Lightbulbs, Not Smart Bulbs
Ironically the most common issue regarding Smart bulb connectivity with Feit seems to be that they make several series of non-Smart bulbs that look identical to their Smart bulb lineup. These bulbs are similar in almost every way, except that they don’t have Smart Home capabilities.
So, you won’t be able to use them with your Smart Home because… they’re not compatible with it, even if they look almost identical.
The key is to take out a few of the “malfunctioning” bulbs and compare the writing on the bulbs with one that is a functioning Smart bulb.
It may turn out that you don’t have a Smart bulb installed at all! If this is the case, start by swapping a Smart bulb and seeing if it connects. If so, there were no problems, to begin with… lucky you!
(2) Ensure the Internet Is Using the Right Bandwidth
Feit Smart Bulbs have one notable flaw: a fundamental incompatibility with 5.0 GHz bandwidth internet. To make a long story short, your internet modem and router use bands to connect to the internet. As one might guess, high numbers on the bars are “better” than low numbers.
For the majority of recent history, 2.4 GHz bands were the standard. 5.0 GHz came in a few years later but was reserved for high-intensity tasks.
Nowadays, 5.0 GHz bandwidth is becoming the new standard, and innovations to bring faster, larger bandwidths to homes are underway. Feit Smart Bulbs are only able to work with a 2.4 GHz band.
Now, it’s not like your internet will be lacking a 2.4 GHz band. There are plenty of technologies where this band is still the standard. But nowadays, it’s becoming increasingly common to see the 5.0 GHz band being used by consumer technologies.
Due to this rise in popularity for the 5.0 GHz band, the 2.4 GHz band isn’t always enabled on every default router setting. You may have to go in and manually help the 2.4 GHz band if you’ve recently upgraded or changed your Internet service.
Depending on the setup of your smart home and other connected devices, this 2.4 GHz vs. 5.0 GHz may make Feit smart bulbs incompatible with the rest of your system.
(3) Turn Off Your VPN
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are excellent for protecting your privacy online and securing your data. However, since VPNs route all of your data through additional servers, it can create conflicts with Smart Home devices that want the fastest way through your house.
With a VPN on your phone, your Wi-Fi and Smart Bulbs simply won’t be able to connect. So you’ll need to disable your VPN to allow the Smart Bulbs to connect to your network. You should be able to turn your VPN back on once they are synched together, but you may experience service disruptions from having a VPN enabled.
In addition to a VPN, router settings can also prevent smart bulbs from pairing. Try turning off the WPS on your router momentarily, and check if the smart bulb can now connect. Having WPS disabled can pose a security risk, so you shouldn’t necessarily leave this setting disabled long-term.
Alternatively, you may need to manually enable the WPS setting in order to connect. So, try connecting the bulbs once with WPS disabled, and then try again with WPS manually enabled. If neither attempt fixes your problem, continue reading!
(4) Power Cycle Your Router
Turning it off and back on is always an excellent strategy to try with consumer technology.
As tech bloggers, we feel silly mentioning this obvious fix. Most users have already tried this before they turn to an online help guide. However, the reason that power cycling still needs to be mentioned is that a simple off/on of the device solves close to half of routine tech problems.
If your Smart bulbs struggle to connect to your router and you’ve tried everything on this list, try power cycling the router. This will reset your internet connection and all related things, giving your router more freedom to function with less interference.
(5) A Defective Bulb (or Batch) May be the Culprit
Although it isn’t what any user wants to hear, a defective bulb may be the entire reason for your troubles.
For a moderately tech savvy person that has tried darn near everything and still can’t get the bulbs to connect, your best bet might be to return the bulbs and try with a new batch.
If the new bulbs won’t connect, at least you now know that the bulbs weren’t the problem. At this point, you can proceed with trying to troubleshoot the app, your WiFi, and a number of other possible causes.
(6) Double-Check Your Connected Device
Oftentimes the problem isn’t with the gadget that isn’t working (your Feit smart bulb), but rather with the connected device (your phone or computer).
If you have made it to this point in the guide without finding a fix, here is the next thing I would try:
If you are using a phone, try power cycling the phone. If this doesn’t work, then close and then re-open the Feit electric app. And if this still doesn’t work, try deleting and then re-installing the Feit electric app.
Another option is to attempt to connect your bulbs using a different connected device. Ideally, if you are having trouble using an Android, you could try connecting on an iPhone. Obviously, this won’t be possible for everyone.
(7) Double-Check Other Obvious Causes
Forgive us for sounding patronizing here, but it should be mentioned nonetheless.
Sometimes “smart” devices fail for dumb reasons. For example, a tripped breaker, weak WiFi signal, or faulty wiring. While these aren’t likely to be the solution to your problem, they should still be considered.
(8) Switch from EZ to AP Pairing Mode
Feit smart products have two different pairing modes. Generally, the EZ mode is the default method of connecting.
Before giving up on your smart bulbs, try switching to AP pairing mode and trying again.
(9) Troubleshoot Google Home or Alexa
If you are using Google Home or Alexa to connect your smart bulbs, the communication between these services may be at the root of the problem.
There are a million guides for troubleshooting Google Home and Alexa connections, so we won’t go through every step here. But be sure to consider whether this may be the issue, rather than a flaw with the bulbs themselves.
Final Thoughts
While it may be frustrating to troubleshoot your electronics, the ease they add to your home can be worth everything to some. After trying these steps, you may still experience disruptions or lack of service, but if you’ve ruled out all the above causes, these point to a more severe manufacturing flaw that you’re unlikely to fix at home.
If you’re still experiencing difficulties with your Smart Bulbs, reach out to Feit to get a replacement for your Smart Bulbs. If your device is still under warranty, a replacement should be easy to get and free to boot!
FAQs
How do I install and connect Feit Smart Bulbs?
Start by uninstalling any old applications like HomeBrite or HomeBrite 2.0 and install the new Feit Electric app. Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your device, power it off for one minute, and reset the Feit Smart Bulbs. Turn your device back on, download the Feit Electric app, enter a new 4-digit code, and register the app. Follow the instructions to connect the bulbs to the app.
Why won’t my Feit Smart Bulbs connect to my Smart Home network?
There could be several reasons why Feit Smart Bulbs are not connecting. First, ensure that you have Smart bulbs and not regular light bulbs, as Feit also manufactures non-Smart bulbs that look similar. Check if your internet is using the correct 2.4 GHz bandwidth, as Feit Smart Bulbs are not compatible with 5.0 GHz bandwidth. Disable any VPNs on your phone and make sure router settings, such as WPS, are not causing conflicts. Power cycling your router may also help resolve connectivity issues. If none of these steps work, there might be a defective bulb or a problem with the connected device.
How can I troubleshoot Feit Smart Bulbs that won’t connect to Google Home or Alexa?
If you are using Google Home or Alexa to connect your Feit Smart Bulbs and experiencing issues, troubleshoot the communication between these services. Refer to specific guides for troubleshooting Google Home or Alexa connections to identify and resolve any potential issues.