Motorized blinds and your smart home: how Alexa, Google Home, and Somfy fit together

Yes, most motorized blinds work with Alexa and Google Home, but usually not on their own. The motor talks to a remote or a phone app, and a small Wi-Fi hub or bridge connects it to your voice assistant. Which hub you need depends on the motor system in the collection you choose, so it pays to pick your smart-home setup before you pick your fabric.

If a new smart speaker or display is on this year’s holiday list, motorized shades are one of the few smart-home upgrades you’ll use every single day. Here’s how the pieces connect, which collections work with which assistants, what Somfy is, and what setup actually involves.

How do motorized blinds connect to your smart home?

Smart-home motorized shades typically have three layers: the motor, a remote or app control, and a compatible hub for voice and away-from-home control. Simpler motorized-wand shades operate locally and do not connect to a hub. The motor’s connection type decides what each layer can do, and it’s the first thing to check when you plan motorized blinds for a smart home.

The motorized wand is the one to watch. It’s a simple, cord-free upgrade, but on our Classic and Envision roller shades it can’t be connected to a remote or a smart home later. If you think you’ll want voice control someday, choose a remote motor from the start. Browse every option in our motorized blinds and shades collection.

Do motorized blinds work with Alexa and Google Home?

Yes, most of our motorized collections work with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home once you add the hub made for that motor. Compatibility is confirmed product by product, so check the product page before you order. Our cellular shades have the widest choice of smart motors, but rollers, solar shades, and romans are well covered too. Here’s how the main collections line up.

A few practical points:

• The hub matches the motor system. Mixing collections from different systems can mean more than one hub and more than one app.
• Several hubs, including the AMP Wi-Fi Bridge, Connector Smart Hub, and Bond Bridge Pro, connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, so check your router settings.
• The AMP Wi-Fi Bridge connects up to 30 shades and reaches up to 98 feet, which covers most homes with one bridge.

For the full lineup of connected options, see our smart home motorization collection. Shopping for a specific assistant? Our Alexa-compatible blinds and Google Home blinds collections narrow the list.

What is Somfy, and which products use it?

Somfy is a motor and control company that specializes in motorizing window coverings. According to the Somfy Group, it was founded in 1969 in Cluses, France, and invented its tubular motor for blinds that same year.

Somfy’s control platform is called RTS, short for Radio Technology Somfy. According to Somfy, RTS:

• sends a radio signal from a remote or wireless wall switch to the motor,
• doesn’t need to be pointed at the shade, and works through walls,
• operates within a range of up to 65 feet, and
• connects to the app and voice control through Somfy’s TaHoma hub.

At Blindsgalore, Somfy motors appear in two places:

1. Coolaroo motorized outdoor sun shades use a Somfy motor with a solar-powered rechargeable battery, so no electrical work is needed. See the full range of outdoor shades.
2. Boutique embroidered roman shades offer Somfy RTS motorization, powered by a rechargeable battery pack or a plug-in AC transformer.

Planning to add Somfy app or voice control? Ask our team to confirm the right Somfy hub for your shades before you order.

Battery, solar, or plug-in: how are motorized blinds powered?

None of the motorized collections we’ve covered here needs hardwiring. You’ll choose from three power options.

Two setup tips save frustration. Some rechargeable batteries ship partly charged, so charge them fully before installation. And for plug-in power on Bali shades, the standard cord is 72 inches, with a 96-inch extension available.

What should you expect when setting up voice and app control?

Setup usually takes an afternoon for a few rooms. The sequence looks like this:

1. Fully charge the motors or batteries.
2. Install the shades, then pair each one to its remote or app.
3. Plug in the hub or bridge and connect it to your Wi-Fi network.
4. Add your shades to the brand’s app, such as the AMP Automation, Connector, Bali, or Levolor app.
5. Link that app to Alexa or Google Home.
6. Name rooms and shades clearly, then create schedules and scenes.

Schedules are where smart shades earn their keep: shades that lower at sunset and open at sunrise without anyone touching them. Our guide on how to schedule motorized blinds walks through it, and our post on designing a smart, stylish home has room-by-room ideas.

Still deciding whether motorization is right for you? Our breakdown of whether motorized blinds are worth it covers cost and which rooms benefit most.

Frequently asked questions