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Bond Connect

Bond Connect is a universal control technology built into Mate and Sidekick remotes. It lets a single remote control any device in the Bond ecosystem — ceiling fans, lights, shades, heaters — without per-device configuration on the remote itself.

When a channel is set to Bond Connect, the remote sends semantic button events (tap, double-tap, hold) rather than device-specific actions. The receiving Bond device — a Bond Bridge Pro, Firefly, or other controller — interprets those button presses based on what kind of device is being controlled and executes the appropriate action.

This means the same Up/Down/Stop buttons on Mate automatically do the right thing whether the linked device is a roller shade, a ceiling fan, a dimmable light, or a venetian blind.

Availability

Bond Connect requires v4.29+ firmware. Available in the stable channel April 1, 2026, or in beta now.

Why Bond Connect?

Before Bond Connect, Mate and Sidekick channels could only be linked to shades. Controlling a ceiling fan, a light, or a heater was only possible through key linking — on Mate, that meant using just the K1, K2, and K3 buttons, and on Sidekick it required entering a special mode to specify what each key does. The channels themselves — with their intuitive Up/Down/Stop buttons — couldn't control non-shade devices at all. The legacy "Relay" mode only forwarded shade actions (Raise, Lower, Set Position), which don't make sense for fans, lights, or heaters.

Bond Connect changes this. By shifting intelligence to the receiving device, Mate and Sidekick become universal controllers for the entire Bond ecosystem. Mate acts as a universal joystick, and the Bridge (or Firefly, or other controller) decides what "tapping Up" means for each specific device. The result:

  • Fan, light, and heater control from Mate — for the first time, Mate and Sidekick channels can control ceiling fans, dimmable lights, RGB fixtures, and heaters through a Bond Bridge Pro or other controller
  • One technology for everything — shades, fans, lights, heaters, all from the same remote channel
  • No per-key configuration — users don't need to manually link individual buttons to actions; the system maps them automatically based on the device type
  • No configuration on Mate — besides setting the channel to Bond Connect technology (which will soon be the default), the remote doesn't need to know what it's controlling
  • Future-proof — new device types are supported by updating the controller firmware, not the remote

Setting Up Bond Connect

On Mate

  1. In the Bond Home app, set the channel technology to Bond Connect (or select bond connect from the on-device technology menu)
  2. Link the channel to a device on your Bond Bridge Pro, Firefly, or other controller

That's it. The receiving device automatically detects what kind of device is linked and maps the buttons accordingly.

On Sidekick

  1. In the Bond Home app, set the channel technology to Bond Connect (or on device: Menu → 4 → 3 → 4 → 5 → Stop)
  2. Link the channel to a device on your controller

Requirements

  • Mate Pro or Sidekick Gen 5+ with Bond Connect firmware
  • A Bond Connect-capable receiver: Bond Bridge Pro, Firefly, or other controller with updated firmware
  • Bond Home app for linking channels to devices

One-Way Communication

Bond Connect is one-way RF from the remote to the receiver. Mate always shows the transmit indicator when a button is pressed, even if the receiving device is offline or out of range. No error feedback is provided to the user.

Direct RF vs. Bond Connect

For shades, you have a choice: pair the channel directly to the motor using its native RF technology (e.g., Somfy RTS), or use Bond Connect through a Bridge. Direct RF gives lower latency. Bond Connect gives you app integration, range extension through the Bridge, and a unified experience across all device types. For fans, lights, and heaters, Bond Connect is the only option from Mate/Sidekick.

Button Mapping Reference

Bond Connect automatically maps Mate/Sidekick button gestures to device-appropriate actions based on what the linked device supports. The tables below show what each gesture does for each device class.

Gesture Types

Tap — press and release. Double-tap — two rapid taps. Long-press — press and hold, triggers a single action. Press and hold — press and hold, action repeats continuously until released.

  • Roller Shade Roller Shade

    Standard motorized shades, screens, and louvers.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Raise
    Tap Down Lower
    Tap Stop Hold (stop motion)
    Press and hold Up Raise (continuous)
    Press and hold Down Lower (continuous)

  • TDBU Shade Top-Down Bottom-Up Shade

    Shades with independently adjustable upper and lower rails. Tap controls the lower rail; long-press controls the upper rail.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Raise lower rail
    Tap Down Lower lower rail
    Tap Stop Hold
    Long-press Up Raise upper rail
    Long-press Down Lower upper rail

  • Venetian Blinds Venetian Blinds

    Blinds with adjustable slat tilt angle. Tap controls shade position; long-press controls slat tilt.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Raise
    Tap Down Lower
    Tap Stop Hold
    Long-press Up Close slats (tilt to 90°)
    Long-press Down Open slats (tilt to 0°)

  • Aura Shade Aura Shade

    Premium multi-layer shades with sheer, blackout, and integrated lighting (e.g., PowerView Aura). Tap controls sheer; double-tap controls blackout; press and hold adjusts lighting.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Raise (sheer layer)
    Tap Down Lower (sheer layer)
    Tap Stop Hold
    Double-tap Up Open blackout layer
    Double-tap Down Close blackout layer
    Double-tap Stop Toggle light
    Press and hold Up Increase brightness (~15%/sec)
    Press and hold Down Decrease brightness (~15%/sec)
    Long-press Stop Cycle color temperature

  • Ceiling Fan Ceiling Fan

    Variable-speed ceiling fans with optional direction control.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Increase speed (+1)
    Tap Down Decrease speed (−1)
    Long-press Up Max speed
    Long-press Down Turn off
    Long-press Stop Toggle direction

  • Fan with Light Fan with Light

    Ceiling fans with integrated light kit and brightness control. Tap controls the fan; double-tap and press and hold control the light.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Increase fan speed
    Tap Down (fan on) Decrease fan speed
    Tap Down (fan off) Turn on at speed 1
    Tap Stop Turn fan off
    Double-tap Up Light to 100%
    Double-tap Down Light off
    Press and hold Up Increase brightness (~15%/sec)
    Press and hold Down Decrease brightness (~15%/sec)

  • Dimmer Dimmer

    Dimmable lighting fixtures with brightness control.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Brightness to 100%
    Tap Down Light off
    Press and hold Up Increase brightness (~15%/sec)
    Press and hold Down Decrease brightness (~15%/sec)

  • Light Switch Light Switch

    Simple on/off lighting with timer support.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Light on
    Tap Down Light off
    Tap Stop Toggle light

  • Generic Generic

    Heaters, fireplaces, and other simple on/off devices.

    Gesture Button Action
    Tap Up Turn on
    Tap Down Turn off
    Tap Stop Toggle power