What is Amazon Simple Set-up (WSS)?

Amazon's Simple Set-up (WSS) is an Amazon feature that lets two devices (your Amazon device and your LIFX light) configure WiFi connections, which lets you skip tedious steps required to set up a smart home.  

So how do the two connections configure? In simple terms, your Amazon device will provide a hidden WiFi network. When you power up your new LIFX light, it will try to find and connect to that Amazon device’s hidden network. Once they find each other, your Amazon device and your LIFX light will configure connections and you’ll be able to easily set up your smart home.

If this sounds like a feature you’d like to use, read on to the next section to make sure you’re prepared for a smooth Amazon Simple Set-up experience. 

If you don’t want to (or can’t) use Amazon Simple Set-up (WSS), don’t worry – you can still use our LIFX App to set up your LIFX light. Simply download our LIFX App and it will automatically walk you through the process of setting up your new light. Or read this article on Set-up Success for first time users of LIFX. 

Preparing for Simple Set-up Configuration.

Before starting the Simple Setup process with your Amazon device and your new LIFX light, there are a few things you can do to ensure a smooth set-up. These requirements are listed and explained below.

If these tips are something you’re already familiar with, skip to the “Essential Troubleshooting” section of this guide. 

Ensure your Amazon account or device has your WiFi details.

To start your Amazon Simple Set-up, the Amazon device you’re using for this configuration needs to know your WiFi details. This means your WiFi details need to be saved in your Amazon account. Please note, your new LIFX light requires that the WiFi network saved to your Amazon account is a 2.4 GHz network (not 5 GHz). If you aren't sure what that is or means, you can read this helpful article here. 

If you already have an Amazon device (like an Echo or Fire TV), you will have been prompted to save this information to your account when you originally set up that device. 

If you didn't save your WiFi details during a previous setup, or you haven’t owned an Amazon device before, you can find information about how to do this on your Amazon account here using Amazon's Wi-Fi FAQs.

Did you purchase through Amazon.com?

If you haven't purchased your new devices through Amazon.com, Amazon Simple Set-up (WSS) won’t be available to you. If you purchased through LIFX.com or another retail partner, that's fine too – you can still use our LIFX App to get set up.  

If you haven’t purchased your new devices through Amazon.com, simply download our LIFX App and it will automatically walk you through the process of setting up your new light. Or read this article on Set-up Success for first time users of LIFX. 

Is your Amazon device prepared for Amazon Simple Set-up?

If your Amazon device isn’t new, ensure the version of your device isn’t too outdated for Amazon Simple Set-up. 

If your Amazon device is new, ensure you’ve set up that device with Amazon before attempting Amazon Simple Set-up with your LIFX light. 

If you’d like to set up your new LIFX light without using Amazon Simple Set-up, you can easily use our LIFX App. Simply download our LIFX App and it will automatically walk you through the process of setting up your new light. Or read this article on Set-up Success for first time users of LIFX. 

Have you set up your LIFX account and added the LIFX Skill to your Alexa app?

To use Alexa with your lights (and of course to get access to Alexa Simple Set-up) you'll need to add the LIFX skill to your Alexa app. You only need to do this once for your first LIFX light, any future lights will already be ready to use on Alexa once you've done this.

To add a skill, keep in mind you'll need to have a LIFX account to link your Amazon account to, so the first thing is to grab our app from the App Store (it's free and quick to set up an account with just an email address). You can now link these two accounts together by searching for the skill "LIFX: Optimized for Smart Home" in the 'skills' section of your Alexa app, or by asking Alexa to add a skill and saying the name. (We've got a quick little guide here if you're not sure about this.)

Triggering Amazon Simple Set-up 

If you’ve ensured all of the previous section’s preparation is correct, you’re now ready to use Amazon Simple Set-up to configure the connection between your devices. All you need to do is turn on your LIFX product, and it should do the rest. Once it is powered, the Alexa device and the light will find each other and both will react to show you it's worked—your LIFX will blink and your Alexa will announce it has discovered and added the device.

If this hasn’t worked for you, read on to the next section to troubleshoot potential errors. 

Essential Troubleshooting.

If you've done all of the above, but you're still having trouble connecting your LIFX lights, check the following: 

You’re setting up your new LIFX light to a 2.4 GHz network.

While some devices run on 5 GHz, LIFX lights will only connect to WiFi networks that are 2.4 GHz. To make sure you’re using the right type of network for your LIFX light to connect to, check the network saved to your Amazon account or device. (You can do that in your Alexa app.)

For help with finding or naming your 2.4 GHz network, read this helpful article here. 

Or, if you need help checking what network is saved to your Amazon account, Amazon explains how you can do this here. 

The distance between your devices is correct.

Your LIFX light, phone, and router need to be within 10 ft (~3m) of each other, and visible to each other for your initial set-up.

You’re not using a dimmer switch. 

Ensure that the LIFX light you’re attempting to set up is not in a socket that uses a dimmer switch.

You’re using the most recent version of the LIFX App. 

Please make sure you’ve downloaded and are using the latest version of the LIFX App. 

You’ve reset your LIFX light to factory settings. 

By switching your LIFX light on and off again five times in a row (immediately and consecutively, not over a long period of time), you will reset your LIFX light to factory settings. Resetting your LIFX light will override the opportunity to configure Amazon Simple Set-up. 

If you’ve reset your LIFX light to factory settings, you can still set up your new LIFX light through our LIFX App. Simply download our LIFX App and it will automatically walk you through the process of setting up your new light through LIFX. Or read this article on Set-up Success for first time users of LIFX. 

Additional tips and tricks. 

If you’re still unable to successfully use Amazon Simple Set-up (WSS), here are a few additional tricks you can try: 

"Power Cycle" the Light

1. Turn your light off
2. Wait 5 seconds
3. Turn it back on
   
   

Set your phone to airplane mode with WiFi enabled.

Setting your phone to airplane mode can help simplify things while you're getting started.

For more help with connection issues, have a look at our Wi-fi Connectivity Checklist here.

What happens if my Simple Setup got disrupted or I had to reset my bulb? 

Amazon Simple Set-up will only initiate when the device is first powered up and the first set-up is attempted. If something has happened to interrupt your set up (the dog knocked your router over; your toddler pulled the plug on your lamp; or any of the various “life” things that can happen) you may need to set up your new LIFX light by using the typical set up method via the LIFX App. 

Never done a LIFX app set-up before? That's ok, the LIFX App will guide you through what you need to do. But, if you need more information along the way, you can read this article on Set-up Success for first time users of LIFX. 

Want to know even more? Check out this Amazon help article to learn more about Amazon Simple Set-up for Wi-Fi devices.