Skip to main content

HomeKit Weekly: How to make any curtains Siri-controlled with SwitchBot and Homebridge

Over the past few months, I’ve been exploring many of the various use cases around Homebridge through the HOOBS all in one box. I have devices that can run Homebridge, but I like the streamlined approach of not needing to manage the nitty-gritty software. My latest experiment with HOOBS is adding the SwitchBot Curtain Motor to my HomeKit environment.

HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.


As I mentioned, I am using the SwitchBot Curtain with HOOBS, but frankly, it’s beneficial on its own. If you don’t care about accessing it through HomeKit, you can buy the curtain motor, the SwitchBot Hub Mini Smart Remote, and the SwitchBot One Touch Button to build a really nice solution. On a daily basis, I’d almost be tempted to open and close curtains in a living room or office using the button.

Getting started

The installation process of the SwitchBot Curtain Motor is going to vary depending on what type of curtains you have, but I’ll embed SwitchBot’s installation video below.

When you look at how it’s constructed, it’s a pretty genius process on how it works. Because you’re taking something physical and dragging it open or closed, all it needs is a motor to move left or right. When I first came across the product, I was skeptical that it would work well, but it ended up being reliable on my rod-based curtains. One critical reminder is that the calibration process is really important so SwitchBot can understand what you consider “open” and “closed”.

Once it’s installed, you’ll add it to the SwitchBot app on iPhone. In my installation process, I already had a SwitchBot Hub up and running for my SwitchBot Button Pusher.

Adding SwitchBot Curtains to HOOBS

Inside the HOOBS dashboard, search for the Switchbot Plugin. The certified one is the one I am using, and I would recommend it to you as well. Once it’s installed, you’ll paste in the API key in the appropriate field.

I initially had many challenges with getting the Button Pusher to work on my first go around. Unfortunately, I had a typo in my MAC address which took me a lot of time to figure out, but I think the plugin could use some better documentation.

Since I already had SwitchBot Hub configured in HOOBS, I turned on Device Discovery, and it showed up in HomeKit after a reboot of the HOOBS plugin bridge.

Accessing with Siri

The main use case of adding the SwitchBot curtain to HomeKit is for Siri access. I am not going to lie, it feels pretty good to walk into a room a say “Hey Siri, open my curtains” and watch it happen. Practically, though, using the SwitchBot app or the SwitchBot remote is a bit faster.

Overall impressions

There’s an aspect of using workarounds like Switchbot to make regular things “smart” that I can really get behind. It allows you to change curtains in the future without worrying about if they are “smart” or your “smart rod” is compatible. It’s a simple mechanical process that adds “smarts” to an existing product for a reasonable cost. Would I put them in every curtain in the house? Probably not, but if you have a home office or a media room, it’s a really nice way to upgrade the experience of opening and closing the curtains.

As a reminder, to get this setup up and running, you’ll need the SwitchBot Curtain Motor, HOOBS, and the SwitchBot Hub Mini Smart Remote.

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c