Steve H.

Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers

Specialities: smart shades and blinds automation checks, sunrise and sunset routine timing, hub sync issues, location and time zone settings, app-to-automation mismatch.

What to check first when smart blinds respond in the app but ignore sunrise or sunset automations

Technician

Since the shades still move from the app, the motors and basic connection are probably fine.

Let’s start with the safest checks first. I don’t want you deleting routines or re-pairing devices yet if this turns out to be only a timing or location issue.

Did the sunrise and sunset routine stop working suddenly, or has it never worked reliably?

Customer

It used to work. Now the shades open and close fine from the app, but the sunrise and sunset routine does nothing.

Technician

That difference matters. App control working but automation failing usually points to the routine itself, the home hub, location permissions, or a change in time settings.

Around the time it stopped, did anything change such as:
• a phone replacement
• a home app update
• a hub being unplugged or moved
• a new Wi-Fi network or password?

Customer

We changed our Wi-Fi a few weeks ago, and my phone also updated. I reconnected the shades in the app after that.

Technician

That is a very believable trigger. After a network change, the app may reconnect to the shades correctly while the sunrise or sunset automation still depends on an old hub state, outdated location, or a disabled routine.

One safe check first: when you open the automation, does it still show sunrise and sunset as the trigger, and is it enabled?

Customer

Yes, it still says sunrise and sunset. It looks enabled. That is why I am confused.

Technician

That can happen when the routine still looks correct on screen but the home location, time zone, or hub status behind it is no longer right.

This is common after updates, but we should rule out risks before touching the routine itself.

Do you use these shades through Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings, Aqara, or another app with its own automation system?

Customer

We mainly use Apple Home, but the shade maker’s app can still open and close them too.

Technician

Good, that narrows it down. In that setup, the shades can respond directly in the manufacturer app while Apple Home automations depend on the home hub, home settings, and location services being healthy.

Please check two things without changing anything yet:
1) Is your Home hub shown as connected and up to date?
2) Is the Home app using the correct home address and time zone?

Customer

The hub is connected. I am not sure about the home address. We moved recently, and I remember changing the address in one app, but maybe not everywhere.

Technician

That could easily explain sunrise and sunset not firing when expected. Those routines rely on the home location, not just the shade device being online.

Trust moment: I don’t want you to rebuild the whole smart home if this is only an address or permission mismatch.

Another clue: do the shades miss both sunrise and sunset every day, or are they just late, early, or inconsistent?

Customer

They miss both. Nothing happens at all unless I run them manually from the app.

Technician

If both events fail completely, that leans more toward the automation layer than the shade hardware.

Let’s check one more safe area: are there any conditions attached to the routine, such as “only when someone is home,” “only on certain days,” or a scene that includes other devices? A hidden condition can block the shades even when the trigger looks correct.

Customer

I looked and there is a condition about someone being home. I do not remember adding that.

Technician

That is exactly the kind of misleading issue that makes this look like a device failure when it is really an automation condition.

If presence, location, or hub awareness changed after the move or Wi-Fi update, the routine can stay enabled but never actually run.

Let’s also rule out one more thing: when you check the routine details, does it show today’s expected sunrise and sunset time correctly for your area?

Customer

No, the times look wrong. They do not match the local sunrise and sunset here.

Technician

That is a strong sign the routine is tied to the wrong home location or a stale automation state. Since the shades still work from the app, I would treat the motors and device pairing as secondary concerns for now.

The safe path is to review home address, location permissions, hub status, and routine conditions one at a time. That way, you will know whether the failure came from a move, a phone update, or a condition that silently blocks the automation.

Customer

That makes sense. I was close to removing the shades completely and adding them again.

Technician

I would save that for later. Re-adding devices can create duplicate routines or new confusion if the real problem is the hub, address, or home permissions.

For now, keep notes on which app controls the shades correctly, whether the home location is accurate, whether the routine includes presence conditions, and whether the expected sunrise or sunset times look normal. That usually shows whether this is a smart home settings issue rather than a shade problem.

Customer

Thank you. I feel better knowing it may be the routine settings and not the shades themselves.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted first approach when smart shades work manually but not from sunrise or sunset routines:
• Confirm the routine is still enabled and check whether it has hidden conditions such as presence, selected days, or scene dependencies
• Review the home address, location permissions, and time zone because sunrise and sunset triggers depend on the correct location
• Verify that the home hub or automation hub is connected, current, and still assigned to the same home after any Wi-Fi or phone changes
• Compare the expected sunrise and sunset time shown in the automation with the actual local times in your area
• Change only one automation setting at a time and keep notes before removing or re-adding the shades

FAQ

Sources

• Apple Support — Create scenes and automations with the Home app
• Google Assistant Help — Automate daily routines and tasks
• Google Home Help — Supported automation starters, conditions and actions
• SwitchBot Support — How to set up automations for sunrise and sunset

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