Voice Control for Blinds: Alexa, Google Home and Siri, Set Up Right
"Alexa, close the living room shades" is the moment most people fall for motorized blinds. Getting there is easy, but a little planning makes voice control work first time, every time.
In short
- Our motors work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and Siri, and SmartThings.
- Short, unique names and the right rooms make the biggest difference.
- Routines and automations do the most useful work: sunrise, sunset and leaving home.
- The remote and wall switches keep working even if the internet is down.
On this page
What you need
Two things: motorized shades, and the smart home app you already use for your speakers, lights or thermostat. Our motors work with all the major platforms, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home with Siri, and Samsung SmartThings, and with whole-home systems such as Control4. We pair the shades with your app at installation, so you don't need to set anything up yourself. See smart motors for blinds.
Names that work
Voice assistants are only as good as the names they're given.
- Short and distinct: "Office shade", "Kitchen left", "Kitchen right". Avoid "Shade 1".
- Don't repeat device words: if the room has a "Kitchen light", call the shade "Kitchen shade", not just "Kitchen".
- Use the word you say naturally: if your family says "blinds", name them blinds.
Rooms and groups
Put each shade in the right room in your app. Then "Hey Google, close the bedroom shades" closes every shade in the bedroom without naming each one. Groups across rooms help too: "Front of house", "Upstairs" or "All shades".
Positions, not just open and closed
Most platforms let you set a position by percentage: "Alexa, set the office shade to 50%." We also save a favourite position in the motor at installation, such as zebra bands lined up for privacy with light, so the shade can go straight there.
Routines that make a difference
The most useful voice command is the one you never have to say.
- Alexa Routines can lower the west shades at 2 p.m. on summer afternoons, or close everything when you say "Alexa, goodnight".
- Google Home automations can open the bedroom shades with your alarm and close the street side at sunset.
- Apple Home automations can close the shades when the last person leaves and open them again when someone arrives.
See getting smart blinds working with your home for scenes worth setting up.
Commands people actually use
- "Close the living room shades."
- "Open the bedroom blinds."
- "Set the office shade to 30%."
- "Lower the patio shades."
- "Goodnight" (a routine that closes every shade and turns off the lights).
When voice isn't the best tool
Voice control is great for whole rooms and routines. For one shade, the remote or a wall switch is often quicker, and both talk to the motors directly, so they keep working when the internet doesn't.
Our warranty
Every motor and its programming, including the pairing with your smart home, is covered by our full 3-year in-house warranty. If a shade stops answering, you call us.
Common questions
Do motorized blinds work with Alexa?
Yes. Our motors work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home and Siri, and SmartThings. We pair them at installation.
Can I set blinds halfway by voice?
Yes. Most platforms let you say a percentage, and we also save a favourite position in each motor.
What happens if the internet goes down?
The remote and wall switches talk to the motors directly and keep working. Voice control comes back when the internet does.
