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I have a problem: I can't pick a smart home ecosystem.
My living room has an Echo Show (Alexa). My office has a Nest Hub (Google). My phone is an iPhone, so I also use Apple HomeKit for a few things. It's chaos. But it means I got to test my Mingchen Sunshade smart blinds with all three voice assistants.
After six months of yelling at different speakers, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and which one is actually worth using for blinds.
Spoiler: they're not all the same.
Before I get into the voice stuff, here's the setup. Mingchen smart blinds connect to your Wi‑Fi via their own app. Once that's done, you can link the Mingchen account to Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit (or all three, like I did).
The blinds themselves don't have microphones. They don't "listen." The voice assistant talks to the cloud, which talks to Mingchen's server, which tells the blind to move. So you need an internet connection for voice control to work.
Now, onto the actual testing.
I started with Alexa because I have the most devices. Set up took about three minutes in the Alexa app: enable the Mingchen skill, log in, discover devices. Done.
What works well:
Basic commands like “Alexa, close the living room blinds” work instantly. No lag. No mistakes.
I can set specific percentages: “Alexa, set bedroom blinds to 50%” – the slats tilt to halfway between open and closed. Very useful for afternoon glare.
Routines are great. I have one called “Good morning” that opens the blinds, turns on my coffee maker, and reads the weather. The blinds move first, which is nice.
What's annoying:
Alexa talks back too much. “Okay” every single time. At 6 AM, I don't need a cheerful robot voice confirming my blinds opened. I figured out you can turn on “brief mode” in settings, which shortens it to just a beep. Better, but still not silent.
Sometimes Alexa mishears “blinds” as “blinks” or “blends.” “Sorry, I don't know that one.” I renamed my blinds to “window shades” in the Alexa app. Problem solved.
Verdict: Best for reliability and routines. Annoying for verbosity. 8/10.
Google Assistant surprised me. It understands casual speech better than Alexa. I can say “Hey Google, can you close the blinds in the bedroom please?” and it just works. No need for exact phrasing.
What works well:
Natural language. I tried “Hey Google, it's too bright in here” – it asked which room, then closed the blinds 50%. That's impressive.
Google's routines are more flexible. I have one that triggers when I say “Goodnight” – it turns off lights, locks the door, and closes the blinds. Works every time.
The voice is less robotic than Alexa. Google's “okay” sounds more like a nod than an interruption.
What's annoying:
Lag. Consistently 1‑2 seconds slower than Alexa. Not a huge deal for blinds, but noticeable. Alexa is almost instant. Google takes a breath.
Setup was slightly more annoying. The Mingchen skill didn't show up in Google Home search at first. I had to link through the Mingchen app directly. Worked eventually.
Sometimes Google replies “Sorry, I don't understand” even though the blinds moved correctly. False error messages.
Verdict: Best for natural conversation. Slower but more pleasant. 7/10.
HomeKit is different. It requires an Apple hub – either a HomePod, Apple TV, or always‑at‑home iPad. I have a HomePod mini. Setup was the smoothest of the three: scan the QR code from Mingchen, add to Home app, done.
What works well:
No cloud dependency for basic commands. HomeKit communicates directly with the blinds over your local network. So if your internet goes down, you can still say “Hey Siri, close the blinds” and it works. Alexa and Google both require internet.
Siri is quiet. When you give a command, she just does it – no “okay” unless you ask for confirmation. Much better for early mornings.
The Home app interface is beautiful. You can see all your blinds on one screen, with a slider for tilt percentage. Feels premium.
What's annoying:
Siri misunderstands me more often. “Hey Siri, close the office blinds” sometimes becomes “close the office blend” or “close the office lines.” I have to enunciate like a robot.
HomeKit requires a hub. If you don't have a HomePod or Apple TV, you can't use Siri for blinds at all. That's a $99 minimum investment.
Fewer routine options than Alexa or Google. You can do basic scenes, but complex automations (like “close blinds when the sun sets plus 30 minutes”) require third‑party apps.
Verdict: Best for privacy and offline use. Worst for Siri accuracy. 8/10 but only if you already own Apple hub.
All three assistants struggle with very specific commands. Here's what I tested that failed more than half the time:
“Close only the top half of the blinds” (blinds don't work that way)
“Tilt the slats to 30 degrees” (percentage works, degrees doesn't)
“Close the blinds in the room where the temperature is above 75” (too complex)
“Make the blinds match the sunset time today” (Alexa couldn't, Google could with a custom routine, Siri no)
Stick to simple: open, close, set to X percent. That's what works.
Honest advice:
Use Alexa if you already have Echo devices and want the fastest response. The verbosity is fixable.
Use Google Home if you talk casually and don't mind a half‑second delay.
Use HomeKit if you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and value privacy/offline control.
I personally use all three for different rooms. Alexa in the living room (fastest). Google in the office (I talk to it more naturally). HomeKit on my iPhone for when I'm away from home (the Home app is best for remote control).
You can also use voice commands through your phone. Google Assistant on Android, Siri on iPhone, or the Alexa app on either. It works fine but feels clunkier than just talking to a speaker.
The Mingchen app itself has a voice button too, but I've never used it.
None of the assistants can tell you the current position of your blinds. I can ask “Alexa, are the bedroom blinds open?” and she says “Sorry, I don't know that.” The blinds don't report their state back to the voice assistant – only to the Mingchen app.
So if you forget whether you closed them, you have to check the app or look with your eyes. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice.
Smart blinds are one of those products where voice control actually feels useful – not just gimmicky. I use it every day. “Hey Google, close the blinds” while I'm cooking with messy hands. “Alexa, open living room 30%” when the afternoon sun hits my laptop. It's genuinely convenient.
But don't buy smart blinds just for voice control. Buy them for the scheduling and automation. Voice is the cherry on top.
Mingchen's blinds work with all three major assistants. Which one you use depends on what you already have. If you have none of them, start with Alexa – cheapest entry point (Echo Dot is often $30 on sale).
And if you really hate talking to robots? The remote works great too. No voice required.
— Chris, smart home addict with too many speakers
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