SwitchBot Blind Tilt: Retrofit blinds motor in HomeKit

Daniel

Right at the beginning of the year, we were able to tell you about the prospects at SwitchBot in terms of the Matter. According to current planning, the SwitchBut Hub 2 will be available for purchase at the end of February, beginning of March. This brings many of the company’s existing Bluetooth devices into the Apple HomeKit world. In addition to the SwitchBot Curtain, the SwitchBot Lock and the SwitchBot Bot, this is also planned for the all-new SwitchBot Blind Tilt Motor.

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is a smart motor that can be attached to your existing blinds in just a few steps to make them smart. We were surprised ourselves at how innovative the new device is in terms of design and how it could be attached and set up in just five minutes. SwitchBot has once again adapted and optimized the design in recent months.

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt can tilt the slats of your blinds as desired. Pulling up the blind on the cord is not possible, in case anyone suspected that.

According to the manufacturer, the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is compatible with almost all blinds. A gear is clamped to the existing rod, the motor is glued to the top of the blind and, if necessary, the enclosed solar panel is connected for permanent power supply. A 2000 mAh battery is integrated into the motor casing itself, which should last for about 10 months without recharging. Blind Tilt is equipped with a high-torque motor, so even a large, 3-meter-wide blind can be easily controlled. Nevertheless, the operating volume remains quite quiet at 40 dB. SwitchBot provides all the necessary helpers, for example, to quickly measure the thickness of the rod and select the appropriate adapter (S/M/L) from the set. Help is also provided with the correct placement of the motor.

As usual from SwitchBot, the app helps with the setup and calibration of the device. Thus, the open and closed state of the slats is taught and can be controlled via the app after a few minutes. Manual operation directly via the bar is also still possible.

Scenes and automations can also be set up via the SwitchBot app, for example using the light sensor integrated in the solar panel to automatically open or close the blinds. For us as Apple Home users, however, the choice of course currently still falls on the corresponding Homebridge plugin to use the SwitchBot Blind Tilt mainly via HomeKit. The SwitchBot app is mainly used by us for the initial configuration of the devices and for updating to the latest firmware version. By the way, Siri shortcuts are possible right out of the box when a Hub Mini is also in use.

The plugin homebridge-switchbot is continuously developed, accompanied by SwitchBot itself, and supports almost all devices of the manufacturer. We always recommend using it together with the current SwitchBot Hub Mini, due to a more reliable connection between the plugin’s interface, the Hub Mini and the devices, according to our experience. Currently the plugin is still being prepared for use with Blind Tilt, but in version v2.4.1-beta.7 it already works quite reliably. The final version of the plugin is expected to be available in a few days.

If you already know the plugin, you know how quick and convenient it is to set up a new device. After a reboot of the Homebridge, the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is also immediately available in HomeKit and can be controlled and integrated into automations there.

Particularly exciting, of course, is the news that SwitchBot has shared with us that the SwitchBot Blind Tilt will also talk to the Hub 2 and thus Matter in the future with an over-the-air (OTA) firmware update.

The workaround via Homebridge is no longer necessary and the device can then be directly integrated into Apple HomeKit via the Hub 2. This update will probably not be directly available at the launch of the Hub 2, but the good prospects are a consolation.

The device is available on Amazon for 69.99 EUR. Directly through the SwitchBot online store, you can get the Blind Tilt for a price of 52.50 EUR and free shipping, with our community discount code “SMARTAPFEL25LOVEBOT”, which you can also apply to other SwitchBot devices.