Does Aqara P1 Need a Hub? Yes — With One Caveat Worth Knowing
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Short answer
Yes
Yes, the Aqara Motion Sensor P1 uses Zigbee and requires an Aqara hub (or other Zigbee coordinator running Aqara's integration) to connect to Wi-Fi and your phone.
The Aqara Motion Sensor P1 communicates over Zigbee 3.0, not Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Zigbee devices can't talk directly to your router or the Aqara app - they need a Zigbee coordinator (a hub) that bridges the Zigbee mesh to your home network.
Aqara's own product documentation lists the sensor as requiring an Aqara hub (such as the Aqara Hub M1S, M2, or E1) or a compatible third-party Zigbee hub that supports Aqara devices, for setup, automations, and remote/app access. Without a hub, the sensor has no way to reach your phone or trigger smart-home automations.
What to do instead
Pair it with a Zigbee hub from Aqara's own lineup (e.g. Aqara Hub M2, M1S, or E1) or another Zigbee coordinator with confirmed Aqara compatibility, such as a Home Assistant/Zigbee2MQTT-based setup. Note that IR-only hubs (like SwitchBot's Hub Mini) do not have a Zigbee radio and cannot pair with this sensor - IR hubs only control infrared devices like TVs and ACs. We don't currently list a Zigbee hub in this catalog, so you'll need to source one separately and confirm Aqara P1 compatibility on its own spec page before buying.
