How to Control Blinds and Curtains with Google Assistant
Google Assistant is Google’s answer to virtual personal assistants. Designed to make your life as easy as possible, Google Assistant connects to your home’s devices through your phone, smart watch, laptop, TV, car or Google Home hub.
Google Assistant offers voice commands, voice searching, and voice-activated device control, letting you complete a number of tasks after you’ve said the “OK Google” or “Hey Google” wake words. It is designed to give you conversational interactions.
Google Assistant also allows you to control your blinds and curtains when connected to Somfy’s TaHoma Switch hub. With Google Assistant you can use your voice to control the connected equipment you have configured in the TaHoma app.
But what is TaHoma?
Somfy’s TaHoma Switch is the easy-to-install home automation system that makes controlling your home simple.
TaHoma hubs only need an internet connection to operate, so there’s no need for additional wiring to be installed to get started. The Switch is also small and discreet, so it’s easy to hide or blend in with your existing tech.
This system is compatible with RTS and iO frequencies, so it’s easy to connect your existing roller blinds to the TaHoma hub.
How do I connect TaHoma to my Google Assistant?
Connecting the two devices couldn’t be simpler. Once your TaHoma switch is set up and connected to all of your blinds and curtains, all you need to do to connect that to Google Assistant is:
1. From the Google Home App home page select the ‘Add’ icon +
2. Select ‘Set up device’
3. Select ‘Works with Google’
4. Select the Magnify glass and search ‘Somfy’
5. Select ‘Somfy TaHoma’
6. Enter the TaHoma Login credentials that were used to Register during TaHoma programming
7. Select ‘Login’
8. Select ‘Yes’
9. Select ‘Yes’ to authorise Google to access the Somfy Account
What’s the benefit of using Google Assistant to control my blinds and curtains?
Scenes
Sequences, or ‘scenes’, are configured using the TaHoma app, and it’s surprisingly simple to do! All you need to do is choose when to launch a scene, whether that’s at a specific time, on specific days or even based on sunrise and sunset using a sun sensor. Then add the devices you want to include in the scene.
This could be all of your living room blinds, all the blinds on a south-facing wall or even every blind in the house. It’s completely customizable and up to 200 devices can be added to the TaHoma, so you have tons of options!
The purpose of scenes is to make life as simple as possible. Scenes can automatically begin at pre-set times, for example opening all the blinds at sunrise, or closing them all when the sun begins to set. Not only does this save you having to manually do this, but it also means that if you are out of the house on holiday it still appears lived in. This is great for improving security and deterring theft when the home is empty.
The buttons at the top of the switch can also begin a preset scene, so you can open the blinds and turn on the lights as you come home, or close the blinds and turn off the lights on the way out, all at the touch of a button.
Voice Control
It also enables you to control your blinds using voice operation.
It’s as simple as saying ‘Hey Google, open the Master Bedroom blinds’ and the blinds will open. As long as a blind is labelled on the TaHoma app, you can control it using your Google Assistant.
This is another way of making life simpler. Without even leaving the room or getting up from the sofa, you can reduce the glare coming in through the windows or brighten the room.
Save Energy Costs
An automated shading solution is the most effective way to improve light and heat levels in a building as it means the blinds can react and operate in response to sunlight levels and temperature in real-time. It also eliminates the need for manual operation so you can ensure the office blinds are always in the correct position, even when there’s no one in the office.
When your shades are static, it forces heating and air-conditioning systems to work longer and harder to maintain a consistent internal environment. Google Assistant and TaHoma allow you to create a responsive, easy to operate shading system.
For more information on how to connect your blinds to Google Assistant, or on the benefits of automation, get in touch. We are experts in motorisation and automation and can advise on the best smart system for your blinds and curtains.