I converted all my existing blinds to smart blinds with Switchbot Blind Tilt. Thanks to Matter support, they now support…
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In this update for 2023, I am excited to share how I have made all of my blinds smart! With the advancements in technology, it is now possible to automate and control blinds using smart devices. I have installed smart blinds in every room of my house, and it has transformed the way I live and interact with my home.
Smart Blinds Installation Process
- I started by researching and selecting the appropriate smart blinds for each window. There are various brands available, so I compared features, prices, and compatibility options before making my choice.
- Next, I measured each window carefully to ensure the blinds would fit perfectly. I then placed an order and waited for the delivery.
- Once the smart blinds arrived, I followed the manufacturer’s instructions to install them. The installation process was straightforward and didn’t require any special tools.
- After mounting the blinds, I connected them to the corresponding smart hub or bridge. This step allowed me to control the blinds using my smartphone or other smart devices.
- Lastly, I customized the settings for each set of blinds. I can now schedule them to open and close at specific times, use voice commands to control them, and even integrate them with other smart home devices.
Benefits of Smart Blinds
- Convenience: I can control the blinds from anywhere using my smartphone. This feature is especially helpful when I’m away from home and want to simulate occupancy.
- Energy efficiency: By automating the blinds’ opening and closing based on the time of day, I can maximize natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating or cooling, resulting in energy savings.
- Privacy and security: With the ability to schedule blinds to close automatically, I feel more secure knowing that prying eyes cannot see into my home.
- Integration with other smart home devices: It’s amazing how well the smart blinds integrate with other devices. I can create scenes that adjust the blinds, lighting, and temperature simultaneously, enhancing the overall smart home experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making all of my blinds smart has been a game-changer for me. The convenience, energy efficiency, privacy, and integration benefits are well worth the investment. I highly recommend considering smart blinds if you want to enhance your home automation setup.
FAQs
1. Are smart blinds compatible with all types of windows?
Yes, there are smart blinds available for various window types, including standard-sized windows, skylights, and even irregular-shaped windows. It is important to measure carefully and select blinds that are suitable for your specific window shape and size.
2. Can I control the smart blinds when I’m not at home?
Absolutely! As long as you have an active internet connection, you can control your smart blinds from anywhere using a smartphone or any other smart device with the corresponding app installed.
3. Are smart blinds difficult to install?
Not at all. Smart blinds typically come with easy-to-follow installation instructions. Most installations can be done without any specialized tools or professional help. However, if you’re not comfortable with DIY projects, it’s advisable to seek assistance.
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Only closing down in HomeKit might be a dealbreaker. During calibration could you just make switchbot believe up is down and down is up?
Only 6 matter devices kind of sucks. The group workaround may do the trick.
Could you setup your limits so at, let say 0% they are fully down and at 100% they would be fully up. Then you would have a way to control if you want them closed down or up. And when you want to have them “open” horizontally, you just set them at 50%
Is it possible to use those for roller shades?
As in attach it to the tube on one of the sides and use the same turning motion.
I bought one and love the info
I want these❤❤
Shane, have there been any FW updates since this video ? The tilting up issue and more importantly the number of tilts (think you said 6 max) that can be associated with 1 hub, have those been fixed / addressed yet ? Thanks
The “SwitchBot Hub Mini” says it has “Siri Shortcuts” on the box. Has anyone tested this, or do I still need Hub 2 for HomeKit?
I just bought my first Switchbot blind tilt and put it in Apple Home through matter. I love it! Does Switchbot tell you how far away it can be from the hub and still work over Bluetooth? Thanks!
These things don’t work well in HomeKit. Maybe its the lousy connectivity of the Hub2, but their operation is bad in my home. The Home app doesn’t control them reliably, automations aren’t reliable and Home doesn’t correctly show me what their position is. I’ve moved the Hub2 to within 6’ of the units, which helps, but not enough to make Home my controller of choice for them. Also, there is too much beta in their app to make it a good experience. I’ve got lots of automation using hubs in my home which work very well. This one’s not ready.
Hey Shane, Can you recalibrate your blinds so that closed is closed, full open is 50%, and finally closed up is 100% open. You just have to remember to use 50% for full open, and 100% for close upward. Please let me know if that works out. Great videos.
Is this better than the soma tilt 2 with soma connect?
Hello. I am trying to create an automation with Fridge door sensor – alert if open for 1 or 2 mins, and that Siri says that the fridge is open and the temperature is x degrees. Do you know how this can be done
some smart blinds have night and day automations you can make biased on light received by the solar panel, why hasn't anyone invented a hub that will talk to all devices and determines their actions through out the day biased on weather, sunlight, motion, presence? "the ultimate trigger device" If i was a company that had those means I'd be the richest one.
I purchased 3 they are all on same window wall. Had to run a few times to get them to open fully at same level. But % is slightly different for each. As long as you save the settings when you select fully open they are all equal and flat. Just got Hub 2 turned on Matter added natively to HomeKit, not as good as Homebridge SwitchBot Plug-in for now.
Very nice! We’re actually filming a switchbot tour at a viewers home here in MN next week. Good to know about the tilt mechanisms for corded style blinds
I literally just set up mine yesterday, thanks for the video Shane
Hey Shane – any recommendation for roller blinds?
No Vertical blinds allowed? What with that plus another hub? No thanks, I'll pass! Eventually there will be a native Homekit blind controller that doesn't require a hub…I'll wait for that day.
These look great! I just wish there was a way to do this with plain up+down honeycomb shades, since we don't have venetian blinds. Lutron Serena would be a great option, but holy cow those are pricey. Our windows are too big (and non-standard sizes) for the cheap Ikea route, so I'm still stuck raising and lowering shades by hand like a savage, in my otherwise fairly smart home. 🙁
When you calibrate the blinds could you set 100% open to be closed up then 50% would be fully open horizontal?
workaround, but if you only want to close them up and not down, you can recalibrate them in the switchbot app but do the instructions in reverse. when it says to close your blinds down, close them up, and vice versa for down. close down should then close up, etc
Hi Shane, this is great, my wife and I are looking for exactly something like this! However, we need to replace our blind first. Which ones did you wind up going with?
Great info as usual!
Thanks for the video! I’m still on the fence. I don’t love the look of the Blind Tilt devices.
Any suggestions on a HomeKit plug and play IR blaster?
Shane, thanks for all the great you give us each week. This is a project that I have been planning for a while now but my wife has always been hesitant to make our shades Smart until today. She really loved your video and saw how beautiful they look after you installed them. Thank you for helping me convince my wife and doing this project. Continue the great work you always do each week. I look forward to what comes next!!!
I wish I could automate mine. But the issue is they are ones that you just pull or push up.
awesome Shane!!! need this at home!!
Great video with all of the details, Shane. I have three sets of blinds in my home office and have been considering converting to a Home compatible set. Seeing all of the details you undertook was very helpful, as I now know I will be hiring someone to do this for me!
The only concern I have is the weight of the blinds. They are all real wood which gives them some heft, though the windows are not massive (maybe 6’x4’). Have you seen any stated limits on the weight limits for the SB motors?
Just ordered 7 off Amazon clicking through on your link. Thanks!
Hopefully those few peculiarities get worked out. Might get these before the Texas summer moves into full death mode.
Thanks for all your hard work on here. Never miss an episode or live stream. The community really appreciates you!
Hey Shane. Great video as always! In regards to the way HomeKit portrays the blind position, I have experienced the same thing with the Lutron Serena Wood blinds throughout my place. The Lutron app will show 50% as open whereas the Home app will show 100% as open. If you go beyond the open mark in HomeKit it does get a little confused. Lutron Wood Blinds have never been advertised as HomeKit compatible although they do show up in HomeKit as a bonus. The Lutron Shades work exactly as prescribed as they are advertised as HomeKit compatible and obviously a different animal. I always thought the Lutron Wood Blinds positioning issue was just a side effect of them not being 100% HomeKit compatible but after seeing your video it appears it may be an Apple thing in general and has been an issue since I had the blinds installed close to a year ago. Hopefully one day they’ll get it fixed. For this I do find it easier to use the Lutron app for basic scheduling as they have a light optimization feature for the wood blinds that works really well. For more advanced scheduling for the blinds and shades I use the home app.
Or look at the Aqara Shade E1 if you have the cord style
Hey Shane, after I watched your review of the new Switchbot hub2 a few weeks ago, I ran to buy the Switchbot tilt blinb for my blinds and windows. Works great and happy to finally have it functional in Homekit. The only issue I discovered with Homekit is 25% or 75% is the same opening position wich is a bit annoying when you need to control the blinds according the position of the sun. Maybe a bug to be corrected with Homekit like you said for the close up position. Great video and well detailled.
Any recommended solution for Roman shades? Corded or cordless?
Great review! I have some of mine closing up via HomeKit. I accomplished this by running the calibration again in the SwitchBot app for each of the blinds I wanted to close up. When the calibration starts off saying to close the blinds down, I closed up instead and followed the process from there. Been working perfectly for a few weeks now.
Great detailed review! The solar charging ability is an awesome plus for those high-up windows!
Shane:
Like you, we have a house with many, many windows and blinds. And, I spend way too much time opening and closing some 20+ of them every day. These SwitchBots appear to be a perfect answer. I'm ready to throw down the cash and get moving.
A couple of questions:
1) The front face of the headrails on many of my blinds is not flat. It is slightly rounded. (HD Cordless Room Darkening 2.5 in. Premium Faux Wood blinds). Do you think that this will prohibit attaching the SwitchBot bracket to the face of the headrail?
2) All our blinds are inside mounted like the ones you show, with the factory valances attached using the provided valance clips that came with them. This leaves only a finger's width gap between the face of the headrail and backside of the valance. How much space does the SwitchBot mount require? (I'm guessing I can replace the valances and mount them differently if I have to.)
And finally, I'll add this comment: Blind automation can enhance security when one leaves home. In fact, the first thing the burglars did when they forced entry was close all the blinds tight so outsiders could not see them ransacking our house!
Take it from someone who's home has been burglarized twice and talked with a few cops and security pros. Blinds or draperies shut tight all the time are an indicator of the residents being away. Being able to have the blinds open in the morning and close at night on an automation when we aren't home can act as a deterrent. Or, at least give them pause about hitting the place.
This video is great.
It just so happens I have six (6) Tilt devices that, literally (not even joking), got delivered while I'm watching this. They'll be added as Groups to an exiting Group of 3 Tilts I currently have in my Dining Room.
Having Automated control of blinds makes things VERY nice around the house.
Thanks, as always, for the content. Good stuff.
What would happen if you configured the blinds in the switchbot app to recognize closed up as open? Then in HomeKit you could theoretically open the blinds to 50% for full open and 100% for closed up?
So these connect to the hub over bluetooth? How is the range and reliability? I've been waiting for a native HomeKit smart blinds solution for my house, but the device limit makes it an immediate no go for me. I'm gonna need way more than 6, even if I grouped them all together.
Great video. I would install these. When I was thinking about smart blinds, I considered something like this, but my Venetian blinds really needed to be replaced, so I decided to go with Ikea smart cellular shades. I have had them for 6 months and they have been excellent. I am still trying to find a smart solution for the blinds that I have over the side light windows at my front door. They have a little slider on the side that you use to open them. I would love to find a smart device that could open/close those.
Unfortunately I reached out to SwitchBot and they confirmed that there is no option to close up and here is their response “HI, i just confirmed with our team, and currently we don't have plan for this, thanks for your understanding.”
No close up even being worked on ☹️
Great video. Definitely something I want in my smart home sooner than later.
I’ve always seen “shades” as cheap (the flat fabric roll up blinds) and “blinds” look much better (the one featured in this video). However I don’t want to look through slits all day. Find me away to open and close the blinds by moving it up and down completely I don’t need it to twist the wand.
A great and thorough video. I really like the way you cover the little gotchas instead of just saying how great they are.
Another banger. I currently have one in my office and love the set it and forget it scheduling and using it in automations. Mine however, did not pass the wife approval test, so looks like I’m stuck with the one for now 😂