This is how IKEA’s smart blinds work with HomeKit on iOS and through Siri

After missing its initial deadline, IKEA has slowly and quietly started rolling out HomeKit support to its FYRTUR and KADRILJ smart blinds. As that rollout continues, HomeKit Authority has gotten the opportunity to go hands-on with IKEA’s HomeKit integration, and it looks to have been worth the wait.

Here are the software versions you need to take advantage of HomeKit support with the IKEA blinds. You can update via IKEA’s Home Smart app, but the updates haven’t yet rolled out to everyone it seems.

• Tradfri Gateway running 1.10.28
• Smart Blinds running 2.2.009
• Open/Close Remote running 2.2.010
• Ikea Signal repeater running 2.2.005

To use the IKEA smart blinds with HomeKit, you first need to add the TRADFRI Gateway to your Home app. This is done by scanning the gateway’s HomeKit pairing code, just like with any other HomeKit accessory. After the TRADFRI is connected to HomeKit, the blinds should appear in the Home app.

Once you see your IKEA blinds in the Home app, they work much like you would expect them to. You can tap on the tiles to fully open or close the blinds, or long-press and use the slider for more precise control –– such as opening them to 50%. If you have more than one blind over a window, you can group them together in the Home app, just like you can with multiple bulbs in a single fixture.

As for Siri control, you can say things like “open the kitchen blinds” or “open the living room blinds to 40%.” This works via iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, and Apple Watch.

The IKEA smart blinds can also integrate with HomeKit scenes and automations. For instance, you can have the blinds automatically open and close at sunrise and sunset everyday. By integrating the IKEA blinds with HomeKit scenes, you can have them automatically close during a “movie night” scene, for instance.

All in all, HomeKit Authroity praises IKEA’s smart blinds integration with HomeKit and says that performance with the Home app is much better than with IKEA’s own Home Smart app for iOS. You can read the full hands-on post here. IKEA’s smart blinds area available with limited availability at retail stores.