# Smart Shades

> Solar-powered device to make regular window shades smart and controllable via smartphone. (iPhone/iPad app by Wazombi.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shades/id1016406862 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Wazombi](https://appshunter.io/developer/922472388)
- Category: Lifestyle
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.10/5 from 62 App Store ratings · 80 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 47 MB
- Released: 2015-10-20
- Data updated: 2026-08-21
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shades/id1016406862/reviews.md

## What is Smart Shades?

SOMA Smart Shades is an easy to install, solar-powered device that turns your regular window shades into smart shades. It is extremely simple to operate via your smartphone. It is also easy to install since it is wireless.

All the movements of SOMA Smart Shades are controlled by the application which communicates with SOMA Smart Shades via Bluetooth Low Energy. You can move blinds in your rooms up and down whenever you like or create automated patterns and schedules for different rooms to make your life even more convenient.

## Key features

- Turns regular shades into smart shades
- Solar-powered operation
- Wireless and easy installation
- Smartphone app control
- Automated patterns and schedules
- Bluetooth Low Energy communication

## What do users think of Smart Shades?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Works with HomeKit
- 👍 Automations and scenes work
- 👍 Good product, great service
- 👍 Easy to set up
- 👍 Works well with HomeKit
- 👍 Good app, reasonable price
- 👍 Works well
- 👍 Great bit of kit
- 👍 Amazing technology
- 👍 Good Alexa and HomeKit control

**Cons**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App not opening
- 🐛 Basic and poorly designed
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity
- 🐛 Software awful
- 🐛 Not iPad friendly
- 🐛 Planned obsolescence
- 🐛 Horrible app
- 🐛 Total flunky app
- 🐛 App needs updating desperately
- 🐛 Completely unreliable
- 🐛 Constantly disconnects
- 🐛 Awful App. Needs updating
- 🐛 Poor quality app
- 🐛 Can’t finish set up
- 🐛 App needs improvement
- 🐛 Slow not much programming
- 🐛 Pretty bad
- 🐛 Hardware great..software awful
- 🐛 The worst smart blinds
- 🐛 Not working!!!
- 🐛 Stay away
- 🐛 Hobby
- 🐛 Useless app for me now
- 🐛 App keeps crashing
- 🐛 Poor app, redesign made it worse
- 🐛 Can’t open app at all
- 🐛 Total flunky app
- 🐛 Basic
- 🐛 Software exactly as bad as hardware
- 🐛 Not iPad Friendly
- 🐛 Planned obsolescence
- 🐛 Basic, poorly designed, virtually unsupported
- 🐛 SCAM
- 🐛 Matter and app update request
- 🐛 No up/down button

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes with Smart Shades 3
- App crashes after update
- App crashes instantly
- App closes itself right away
- App won't open at all
- App crashes before it even opens
- Sunset function stopped working
- Sunset trigger doesn't work
- Bluetooth stopped working
- Not responding to Alexa
- Soma Connect not working
- Soma Connect shows WiFi numbers, not names
- Soma Connect connection failed
- Shade control only works on Android
- Next button missing during calibration
- Calibration deviation over time
- Blind drifts out of calibrated position
- Cog works its way off spindle
- Battery status inaccurate
- Motor is slow
- Units open at different speeds
- Blinds lose their position
- Hub setup programmed poorly
- Voice commands limited
- App not updated for over a year
- Easy to interrupt movement
- Device forgets min/max heights
- Pairing Soma Connect is almost impossible
- Blinds slip and need reconfiguring
- Motor is slow to respond
- Ripped the gear cog to shreds
- App crashes halfway through firmware update

**Most requested features**

- Matter support
- Change app language
- Change highest/lowest position
- Recalibrate function
- Simple up and down buttons
- Dusk to dawn automation
- Sunrise/sunset schedule
- Siri Shortcut integration
- Group triggers
- Confirmation dialog when cancelling setup
- Manual adjustment offset
- Notification for low battery
- Single screen for all battery levels
- Support for iPhone X screen size
- Rename groups/individual units
- Speed control for motors
- Temperature setting (Fahrenheit)
- Dusk/dawn open and close
- Edit shade name
- Continuous open/close feature
- Update for iOS 11 group creation
- iPad version
- Live power meter for solar panel
- Secure version of product

## Recent user reviews (10 of 80)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shades/id1016406862/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No up/down button

*2026-04-11, version 3.0.10*

No simple up/down.  If your blinds slip you have to reconfigure every time

### 2/5 — Matter and app update request

*2025-01-18, version 3.0.10*

Matter support still not available on smart shades 3 and no news about when it will be released, is not possible to change the language in the app like spanish and was also removed the option to change the highest y lower position for smart shades 3, now is only available during the first configuration and not in the option of the device as before.

### 1/5 — SCAM

*2024-12-14, version 3.0.10*

AVOID AVOID AVOID

This company is a scam. They sell faulty products that fail and they promise a warrant replacement but ghost your emails.

Their software and Hub have questionable security and privacy with company employees having the ability to connect to the hub remotely.

Their software also is very basic, stuck in the 2010s with no new features.

The worst of the worst

### 4/5 — 3.0.10 app crashes with Smart Shades 3

*2024-12-05, version 3.0.10*

I have a number of Smart Shades, 1”s, 2”s and recently 3”s which are under app control only. 

After the latest update to version 3.0.10, the app crashes with  my Smart Shades 3 units  as soon as you enter the configuration mode with the little gear cog, it’s gone.  No longer able to adjust any settings such as automatic opening times on the 3”s.

Using iOS 18.1.1 on iPhone 14

Works fine with the older blind motors. I suspect it’s receiving extra parameters over Bluetooth it can’t process and dies.  No log I can find.  

Please can you fix?

### 2/5 — Funktioniert nicht mehr

*2024-08-15, version 3.0.9*

Seit dem letzten Update lassen sich die smart shades mit dem iPhone 15 pro max nicht mehr ansteuern. Mit dem iPhone 11 meiner Frau funkpes weiterhin. Kann ich jetzt die Motoren wegschmeißen oder wird das wieder repariert?

### 1/5 — Basic, poorly designed, virtually unsupported

*2024-05-24, version 3.0.6*

This isn’t a good app. Matter support, which has been advertised for well over a YEAR now, has no ETA. Support is slow and unhelpful. Instructions in the app are inaccurate. Automations slowly drift to new times of day. You have to fully reset your blinds to change the start and end points. The list goes on. This app does the bare minimum, but nothing else. I regret my purchase.

### 1/5 — Planned obsolescence

*2024-03-16*

My Soma blinds broke and 2 of them died within the same week when upgraded the Soma bridge to the final v2.3.2.

The blinds became incredibly unstable, slow and unbearable. I contacted the company several times and they just promoted their new $$$ product.

I wouldn’t drop any money for this company - absolute amateurs.

I’ve had to rely on Homebridge to get these blinds working in HomeKit. Downgraded to Bridge v2.3.1 and the blinds at least are more responsive and reliable now.

It’s now just a ticking timebomb until my last 2 Soma blinds die.

### 2/5 — Crashes

*2023-12-07, version 3.0.4*

Doesn’t work on iPhone 15 / latest iOS

### 5/5 — Works Great

*2023-09-09, version 3.0.4*

New units work great with Homekit. Automations and scenes work great! I see a lot of bad reviews 2 and 3 years ago, I guess all that was improved! Would recommend!!

### 3/5 — App stürzt ab

*2023-06-15, version 3.0.2*

Leider stürzt die App, nach dem Update auf 3.0.0, ab. Auch das nachfolgende Update auf Version 3.0.1 brachte keine Verbesserung

Nachtrag, mit dem Update auf 3.0.2 läuft es wieder. Danke für die schelle Reaktion

## Frequently asked questions about Smart Shades

### What does the Smart Shades app do?

The Smart Shades app allows you to control your SOMA Smart Shades device. You can manually move your blinds up or down, and also create custom schedules and automated patterns for different rooms. This provides convenient control over your window coverings directly from your smartphone.

### How do I install SOMA Smart Shades?

Installation is designed to be very simple and wireless. The device attaches to your existing window shades, and its solar-powered nature eliminates the need for external wiring. The app then guides you through connecting and controlling the shades.

### What are the key features of SOMA Smart Shades?

Key features include transforming regular shades into smart ones, solar-powered operation for energy efficiency, wireless and easy installation, and smartphone control via a dedicated app. It also supports automated patterns and schedules for personalized convenience.

### How does the app communicate with the shades?

The application communicates with the SOMA Smart Shades device using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This efficient wireless technology allows for reliable and responsive control of your blinds directly from your smartphone.

### Is this app free to use?

Based on the provided information, the app itself is free to download and use for controlling the SOMA Smart Shades device. The monetization model is 'paid', indicating the cost is associated with the hardware device itself, not the app's functionality.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.0.11 — 2026-07-20

Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 3.0.10 — 2024-11-07

Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 3.0.9 — 2024-06-27

Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 3.0.8 — 2024-05-31

Bug fixes and performance improvements

### 3.0.7 — 2024-05-30

Bug fixes and performance improvements

## Apps similar to Smart Shades

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Neo Smart Blinds Blue](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neo-smart-blinds-blue/id1182557086) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [MySmartBlinds](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysmartblinds/id1042778784) | 2.5 (100) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [HomeCare for HomeKit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homecare-for-homekit/id6747270794) | 4.8 (118) | $9.99 | Lifestyle |
| [tilt smarthome](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tilt-smarthome/id1462445842) | 2.3 (42) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [Sunsa](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunsa/id1479444977) | 4.5 (27) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [Smart Shade PRO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shade-pro/id1631261901) | 4.3 (4) | Free | Lifestyle |

## More apps by Wazombi

- [Gait Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gait-tracker/id1169398773)

All apps by Wazombi: https://appshunter.io/developer/922472388

## Related topics

[wazombi](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wazombi) · [legrand shades](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/legrand-shades) · [bali shades](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bali-shades)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*