Matter Update for Eve MotionBlinds Now Available

It’s been nearly two years since Eve became the first company to release its Thread-enabled blinds option (via third-party resellers). Now they’re finally pushing the long-awaited update, which adds Matter support along with a few other new features.

If you have any Eve MotionBlinds, you’ll find the ‘Upgrade to Matter’ option in the settings for the blinds. Once selected, the app will check to make sure your blinds meet the basic three requirements for the update, which are that you’re up to date on iOS, you have a working Thread network, and the blinds are connected to Thread. None of these are a given, of course, so it’s important to ensure your blinds meet these requirements.

As was the case with some of Eve’s other devices that got a Matter update, this is a one-way street, so once updated to Matter over Thread, you can’t go back to HomeKit over Thread. This also means that the original QR code that came with your blinds will no longer be valid. Instead, the Eve app generates a brand new Matter QR code for you, that is conveniently stored in the app.

The app also warns you that if the upgrade doesn’t succeed, you’ll need to reset your blinds in order to try again. The upgraded blinds will take a while to show up in the Eve app, and will, of course, need to be added to HomeKit as a new device, so it’s advisable to make a note of any automations you’re currently using. As the update is transferred to the blinds using Thread, the process is going to take a while – 10 minutes according to the Eve app, so it’s important not to use the blinds during the update process.

What does the upgrade offer? Well starting with Matter itself, this means you can now control your blinds with not just Apple Home, but also other platforms, like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings, as well as a possible Home Assistant integration. In addition, the blinds come with three separate speed options, so if you’re happy with more frequent recharging in exchange for faster opening and closing, then there’s now an option for you.

the final new feature is something similar to Apple’s Adaptive Lighting, called Adaptive Shading. This allows the blinds to open or close depending on the time when the sun is strong and tends to flood through your window, prompting the user to close the blinds in response. This can be achieved with a light sensor of course, but with the option built into the app, and stored on-device, this means one less device to use. It also allows you to set things like the angle of your windows in relation to the sun, based on your location, and even add an offset.

Ingeniously, the app has a feature that allows you to configure Adaptive Shading with the edge of your iPhone pressed against the window, using a combination of location and compass data to work out your location and position in relation to the sun.

This update should also be available for the separate MotionBlinds kit that allows you to have this tech in your own existing blinds, which saves money. You can check out our written review of the Eve MotionBlinds as well as check out the video below;