Frequently asked questions
The short answers, for anyone who wants a light to work.
What is Govee Toolkit?
Govee Toolkit controls your Govee lights from your own computer. It turns them on and off, and it sets the brightness, the color and the white temperature. On a light strip it paints each zone on its own. It is free and open source, under the MIT license.
Is it an official Govee product?
No. It is an independent project, not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Govee. The name "Govee" identifies the lights it works with.
Does my Govee light work with it?
The devices page lists every model the toolkit knows, and what each one answers over Wi-Fi, over Bluetooth and through the cloud. A model that nobody has probed yet shows a question mark: untested, which is a long way from broken.
My model is not on the list. What can I do?
Two ways put it there. Send us the light and we add it for free, or follow the guide and add it yourself. Add a device walks through both.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. The command line takes one short command per action, such as
govee on or govee color. Start here needs no code
at all. Developers can use the same engine from Rust, Python or Node.js.
Does it work without the internet?
Yes. Over Wi-Fi and over Bluetooth, each command goes from your computer straight to the light, on your own network. The cloud is a third mode, which you enable only if you want to reach your lights from anywhere.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cloud: which one do I pick?
- Wi-Fi is the fastest. The light and your computer share one network.
- Bluetooth reaches a light in range, with no Wi-Fi at all.
- Cloud reaches your lights from anywhere with internet access.
You choose the modes for each light. Modes says what each one needs.
What is LAN Control, and how do I turn it on?
LAN Control is the switch that lets your own network reach the light over Wi-Fi. Open the Govee Home app, select your light, open its settings and turn on LAN Control. You do this once per light. Govee publishes the list of models that carry the switch.
Do I need a Govee account or an API key?
Only for the cloud mode. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth need no account and no key. For the cloud, ask for a key in the Govee Home app: profile, then settings, then Apply for API key.
Can I keep using the Govee Home app?
Yes. Over Bluetooth, a light holds one connection at a time: close the Govee Home app when the toolkit connects over Bluetooth.
Can I put a new light on my Wi-Fi without the Govee Home app?
Yes. govee provision sends the network name and the password to the light
over Bluetooth. Use a 2.4 GHz network: Govee lights do not join a 5 GHz one.
Configure gives the details.
Which computers does it run on?
Linux, macOS and Windows. The Python package also carries builds for Linux
on ARM boards, aarch64 and armv7.
Can I control each segment of a light strip?
Yes, on a model that carries segments. Address one zone, a range or the whole strip in one command. Each model page gives its zone count.
Can my lights follow music or my screen?
The toolkit streams colors to a strip frame after frame, in real time, over Wi-Fi and over Bluetooth. Your own program, or one you pick, supplies the frames: from music, from the screen or from a sensor.
Can I control my lights with DMX?
Yes. The DMX bridge, govee-dmx, receives Art-Net from a lighting desk, a
media server or a show application, and each light becomes a DMX fixture.
DMX explains the setup.
Does it work with Home Assistant, Homebridge or Matter?
Not yet. A desktop app comes first, then Home Assistant, Homebridge and Matter. The roadmap follows what people ask for.
My light does not answer. What do I check?
Check these first:
- LAN Control is on for the light.
- The light and your computer are on the same network. Guest Wi-Fi keeps them apart.
- Your firewall lets multicast on UDP through.
Troubleshooting covers the rest.
Where do I ask a question or report a problem?
Open an issue on GitHub with your model number and your operating system. For a light you want to send us, write to contact@gvetk.com.