Programming Somfy Motors: Easier Than You Think
August 7, 2026 · Automation · By David Martineau
People assume a motorized shade is like a thermostat from the 90s - powerful, but you will need the manual every time. The truth is the opposite: Somfy designed its motors so the everyday adjustments take seconds, on purpose, with one button. As a certified Somfy Expert, here is how programming actually works, what we set up for you, and the parts you can confidently do yourself.
What "programming" a Somfy motor actually means
Every Somfy motor stores a handful of settings: which remotes and keypads it listens to, its upper and lower travel limits, and a favorite position Somfy calls "my". That is the whole vocabulary. There is no code to write and no app account required for the basics - the motor learns from button presses.
The part we do: pairing and limits
On installation day, our team pairs each motor to its remote and sets the limits - the exact millimeter where the shade stops at the top and kisses the sill at the bottom. Limits are the difference between a shade that looks engineered and one that looks close enough; it is why we set them window by window rather than trusting defaults. On a Sonesse roller that means a hembar perfectly level across a wall of glass; on a Glydea drapery track, drapes that close to a precise center meet.
The part you can do: the "my" position (5 seconds)
The favorite position is yours to change whenever you like. Move the shade to the height you love - say, exactly where the sun stops hitting the TV - then press and hold the my button until the shade jogs. Done. From then on, one tap of "my" returns the shade to that spot. Change it with the seasons; the motor doesn't mind.
Adding a remote or keypad
Also simple: on an existing paired remote, hold the PROG button on the back until the shade jogs, then tap PROG on the new remote - the motor now listens to both. This is how a bedside remote joins a wall switch without any rewiring. If you would rather not think about it, it is a two-minute stop on any service visit.
Scenes and schedules with TaHoma
Add Somfy's TaHoma hub and the same motors join the app: schedules that follow sunrise and sunset, "away" simulations, whole-home open and close, and voice control through the major assistants. We configure the first scenes with you at handover - most clients are editing their own schedules by the end of the week, because the app reads like a calendar, not a control panel.
Battery motors: nothing to unlearn
Somfy's WireFree battery motors program exactly the same way - same buttons, same "my" position, same pairing. The only extra task is charging once or twice a year, and the motor politely slows down to tell you when.
When it is not easy: large and wired projects
Honesty from a certified team: a two-story facade of aligned shades, a wired SDN network in an office or hotel, or motors integrated into Control4 or Crestron is professional territory - addressing, grouping, and integration drivers belong to us. That is precisely why we program every system we install and document the setup before we leave.
The takeaway
Daily life with Somfy is one button. Setup done right is one visit. If your shades don't behave this simply - limits drifting, remotes unpaired, the "my" position a mystery - our team services Somfy systems every week, including ones we didn't install. Start with the Somfy range or book a free consultation.
Somfy, made simple
Certified Somfy Expert and SDN Specialist - installed, programmed, and documented by our own team.