When the IKEA smart blinds many were quickly excited, an economical solution compared to others and that would allow to automate and remotely control its rise or fall. The problem is that the integration with HomeKit started to lag. Now, finally, it is beginning to arrive through a Firmware update.
HomeKit support comes to IKEA TRADFRI smart blinds
IKEA launched on the market a few months ago its own smart blinds: KADRILJ and FYRTUR. Two proposals that allowed remote control and another series of actions that gave the option of automating its opening or closing according to the user's own interests through the TRADFRI control system. So, for example, if you wanted to forget about having to open it every morning when you woke up, you could do it. Or set a time for him to hunker down for a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere when night falls.
Everything in principle were advantages, because their prices were quite affordable compared to other options on the market. The problem or inconvenience is that Apple users did not have support for HomeKit. The company had announced that it would be like this but for various reasons in the end they said that it would be delayed until 2020. With the year just started it seems that it will not take much longer and some users who own one of these blinds have already warned that the update to the version 1.10.28 offers such support.
In this way, once the blind has been updated, it would already be visible in the Home application and you could start to control it or define different scenes or other types of automation. Logically, said HomeKit support also gives the possibility of controlling it through Siri voice commands, which does mean an improvement in terms of usability and integration into the home.
If you are interested in these IKEA blinds, you can buy them now at any company store at a price that starts from 99 euros to 139 euros. An affordable cost if your idea is to automate the maximum number of devices and household items. The only thing you should know is that if you have no other product in the TRADFRI series, you will have to buy the bridge or bridge that connects to the home router and already allows understanding with systems such as HomeKit or others such as Google and its Google Assistant.
The only negative part is that the measures - ranging from the 60 cm up to 140 cm wide– they might not fit well for the window you want. That and that the fabric finishes are what they are. Although if you are a bit crafty, you will surely find a way to change it and take advantage of what is electronics and a motorized system.
Finally, for now this update seems to be only reaching users in the United States, so be patient if you still don't get that new version 1.10.28 when you click on the update.
However, if you want to add support to other home automation products that are not compatible with HomeKit, there are several options.