There's a big firmware update coming for your Philips Hue smart home setup

If you use Philips Hue security cameras to monitor your home, there's good news - you can expect a hefty package of new features and bug fixes to arrive very soon, which should make it easier to keep tabs on what's happening indoors and out.

One of the biggest changes is improved package detection if you have a Hue Secure subscription plan. This feature lets you set a zone for detailed alerts that will tell you if a package has been left outside, so you can collect it before a porch pirate beats you to it. Now, notifications should be more accurate, giving you a better chance of grabbing your delivery before a thief does.

Person detection has been improved too, and you should receive fewer false positive notifications as a result of rainfall or trees moving in the wind. You should no longer receive notifications for events triggered outside the activity zones you've defined within the app, either.

Squishing bugs

As Hueblog.com explains, other bugs squished with this update include a problem where live footage from your camera would appear mostly black or mostly white, and an issue that could let the camera go into sleep mode without turning off Bluetooth.

Future updates should be quicker and more stable, and Hue has improved failure reporting so it can resolve errors more effectively.

There is, however, one change that you might not be so pleased to see. After the firmware update, you'll see a Hue watermark on live view footage. Hopefully it won't be too much of a distraction.

If you're thinking about investing in a home security setup but aren't sure where to start, our guide to the best home security cameras will give you lots of suggestions to help you choose the right devices that will work with the rest of your tech, offer the features you need, and fit within your budget.

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