Troubleshoot PowerView® Gen 3

Summary:
Fix issues with PowerView® Gen 3, including schedule timing, Wi-Fi setup, remote access, and account management.

Applies To:
PowerView® Gen 3 (after Spring 2022)

System Setup and App Requirements

1. System Requirements
2. App Permissions

Common Troubleshooting Topics

3. Schedules Are Not Activating at the Correct Time
4. Shades Are Not Moving in Sync (Hembar Alignment)
5. Shades Aren’t Responding – Try Deactivating Ship Mode

Wi-Fi, Account, and Remote Access

7. Update Wi-Fi Configuration for Gateway
8. Update Your PowerView Account Email
9. Access Your Home Remotely with RemoteConnect™

Account and User Management

10. Need to Transfer Ownership of Your PowerView Home?
11. Want to Add or Manage Users in Your PowerView Home?

System Requirements

TWith PowerView Gen 3, setting up automated shades is designed to be fast and easy. The entire configuration process can be done entirely through the PowerView App. The app guides you through each step, making shade discovery, remote programming, and home setup faster and easier to use than ever before. To ensure that installers, homeowners, and all users have the best experience, please note the following basic system requirements.

PowerView Gen 3 Basic System Requirements:

1. An Apple or Android™ smartphone or tablet - The most up-to-date information on compatible devices and minimum operating system requirements is available in the Apple® App Store and the Google Play™ store. 
2. The PowerView® App (updated to the latest version) - The app is required in order to program and configure PowerView Gen 3 shades, accessories, adjust limits, and other functions. The app is a free download from the Apple® App Store or from the Google Play™ store.
3. Bluetooth® Functionality - The mobile device must have Bluetooth functionality enabled. If not, the app will let users know this is necessary.
   1. All communication between the PowerView App and PowerView shades takes place using Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. As a result, Bluetooth must be enabled and active on any device being used to communicate with the shades.
4. App Permissions (App version 3.7.0 and newer) - The PowerView App can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the user. As a result, depending on the features a user chooses to enable, the app will require varying levels of access or permissions from the mobile device being used. While certain permissions like Bluetooth are always required, and depending on the device’s OS, additional permissions such as Location Services are only required when enabling features like Schedules.
   • Bluetooth permissions are always required for PowerView setup and operation.
   • Depending on the device’s OS, additional permissions are only required for use of specific features, such as Schedules.
   • The PowerView App will prompt users for additional permissions only when the use of a specific feature necessitates it.

The chart below outlines the various permission prompts a user may encounter, as well as their role in the PowerView ecosystem specific to the device’s OS.   

Legacy or Mixed Environment PowerView users adding their first Legacy Hub are required to select Enable Legacy Hub Setup from the Homes List. This enables Wi-Fi AP Scanning, allowing the app to discover legacy devices. Instructions and additional permission details for Legacy users can be found in the article Troubleshoot Legacy PowerView®.

5. A PowerView Account - A PowerView Account is required in order to set up or even access a PowerView Gen 3 Home. In order to access a Gen 3 system, you must log in to an existing account or create a new account and then log in.

Note: Once you know these minimum requirements, you’re ready to get started. Check out our setup videos to learn more. 

Android Users

Apple Users

Schedules Are Not Activating at the Correct Time

In PowerView® Gen 3 systems, schedules are stored in the shades. The precise times when these shades move as scheduled will be determined by each shade’s clock. Over time, the clock on the shade will drift if it does not receive regular time updates. You’d then see shades that are part of a schedule start moving at slightly different times. Also, sunrise and sunset can change by as much as two minutes each day in the spring and fall, which could make this difference more noticeable.

We want to make sure that the shade clock gets these regular updates, so schedules activate in sync and on schedule. The shade clock update process is a little different depending on whether you have a gateway or not.

If You Have a Gateway

When a gateway is part of the Home, the gateway will automatically update every shade’s clock at least once a day. This is the optimal experience, as shades will move as expected and will not drift from their schedules.  The gateway is offered in two different models to fit a variety of needs: the PowerView Gen 3 Gateway and the PowerView Gen 3 Gateway Pro. Both models will automatically update shade clocks, as described above. 
 

If You Don’t Have a Gateway

When there is not a gateway in the Home, the PowerView App on your smartphone or tablet will update shade clocks. The app can connect to the shades while the app is open and running in the phone’s background, and will attempt to do so at least once a day when it sees shades in range. It is important to note that if the PowerView App is actually closed (force closed or hard closed) rather than just backgrounded, it cannot complete these clock updates.

If the app is closed or the device is not local when the shades lose power (i.e. removal of the battery wand for replacement or charging, or a power outage for hard-wired shades), schedules will not run until a user connects to the affected shades. In this scenario, the user would need to open the PowerView App while in the home, and activate Scenes that include all affected shade(s). 

Here are some scenarios where we would recommend adding a gateway to the Home, in order to maintain schedules:

• The homeowner travels frequently and may not be home for extended periods of time.
• Users prefer to not have apps running in the background and regularly force close apps.
• The shades are installed in a large or spread-out house, in which users may not have their phone in parts of the house with enough frequency for all the shade clocks to update in the background.

Update Wi-Fi Configuration for Gateway

If you change the Wi-Fi SSID and/or password after the original wireless configuration setup, the Wi-Fi connection for a PowerView Gen 3 Gateway or Gateway Pro will need to be reconfigured. Please note that reconfiguring the Gateway network is not required if you are changing your Wi-Fi router, but you maintain the same SSID and password. 

Ideally, this process should be done before the password is changed by following the steps below. 

1. Select More  →  Accessories → Gateways.
2. Select the desired Gateway.
3. Select Info & Options.
4. Select  Forget this Network.

Note: The Gateway LED will blink blue and purple to indicate that the Gateway is connected to the PowerView Home but is not connected to the internet.

5. A pop-up will appear in the app, indicating that the reset is complete. Select Set Up Wi-Fi.
6. Follow the prompts to select the new network and enter your credentials. 
7. A Gateway Connected! message will appear to indicate success. Wait until the Gateway LED turns solid blue before operating shades.

If the SSID and password have already been changed or if the installer does not have access to the Gen 3 Home, use the P button on the back of the Gateway, as referenced in the steps below. 

1. Open the PowerView App.
2. Press and hold the P button on the back of the Gateway. The LED on the front of the Gateway will turn solid amber.
3. An action sheet will appear in the app. 

Note: Please note that the list of options will appear different depending on whether you are already a user added to the PowerView Account.

4. Select Reset IP Network. A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm if you want to reset the IP network:
5. Next, a Reset Complete message will appear, indicating that the network connection has been reset. 
6. Select the option Set Up Wi-Fi and then follow the guided steps to enter your updated Wi-Fi credentials and join the network. 
7. A Gateway Connected! message will appear to indicate success. Wait until the Gateway LED turns solid blue before operating shades.

Please note that these steps must be done on-site, in range of the Gateway(s).

Update PowerView Account Email

A PowerView Account is required to create or access a PowerView Gen 3 Home. In some scenarios, it might be necessary for users to create a new PowerView Account. For example:

• A user wants to update the email address to which the PowerView Account is registered.
• A user changed their email address, and they no longer have access to the email address registered to their PowerView Account.

The email address cannot be updated in the existing PowerView Account. However, please follow the instructions below to create a new PowerView Account with the preferred email and then take ownership of the Gen 3 Home in the PowerView App. Please note that creating a new PowerView Account does not require deleting the old account.

Option 1

You can follow these instructions regardless of whether the user has access to the original PowerView Account:

1. Create a new PowerView Account, making sure to verify the new account through email.
2. Sign in to the PowerView App with the new account. You may see an error message such as No Access to PowerView. Keep the app open to the first screen you see after signing in.
3. Press and hold the control button on one of your shades for about 6 seconds until the LED glows amber. 
   • If the shades are out of reach and there is a gateway in the home, you can press and hold the P button on the back of your gateway for about 6 seconds as an alternate option.
   • If the shades are out of reach and there is not a gateway in the home, we recommend using the other method described in this article under Option 2.
4. An action sheet opens in the app. Select Take Ownership of this Home on the app screen. 
5. Follow the steps in the app to accept ownership and gain access to the Gen 3 Home.

Option 2

Follow these instructions if the user has access to the PowerView Account with ownership of the PowerView Gen 3 Home:

1. While signed in to the existing PowerView Account, transfer home ownership from the existing account to the preferred email address.
   1. Navigate to More → select the Home name at the top → select Transfer Ownership. 
      • An email will be automatically sent to the preferred email address advising to accept ownership of the Home. Do not accept ownership of the Home yet.
      • You can also access this Transfer Ownership option from your Homes list, by clicking on the gear icon next to the desired Home. 
   2. Select Send Email and enter the preferred email address.
2. Sign out of the existing PowerView Account.
   1. Navigate to More → select the area where the Account name and email is displayed (Account Settings) → Sign Out.
3. Create a new PowerView Account with the preferred email address, making sure to verify the new account through email.
4. Sign in to the PowerView App with the new account credentials.
5. Follow the steps in the app to accept ownership and gain access to the Gen 3 Home.
   1. Alternatively, follow the link sent to your preferred email address, advising you to accept ownership of the Home. It is important to complete this step only after signing in to the new, preferred account.
   2. Note: The homeowner will need to be physically onsite at the home when accepting the request

If users also integrate PowerView with home automation systems, please note the following: 

• Integration with Amazon Alexa will require the user to disable the PowerView Automation Skill and then enable it again in order to connect the Amazon account to the new PowerView Account. 
• Integration with Google Assistant will require the user to disable the PowerView Automation Action and then enable it again so that users can connect their Google account to the new PowerView Account.  
• All other compatible home automation systems are either not account-dependent or not cloud-based, so they will not be affected by the new account. No further action will be necessary for Apple HomeKit, Control4®, Crestron®, Elan®, RTI, or URC®.

Access Home Remotely with RemoteConnect™

RemoteConnect™ is a technology feature within the PowerView App that allows users to access and control their PowerView Homes from anywhere in the world where there is internet connectivity. With PowerView Gen 3 Automation, RemoteConnect has been completely reimagined, allowing for greater control of PowerView Homes than ever before. You can remotely operate Scenes, control individual shades, as well as create, edit, and delete scenes and schedules. 

NOTE: A PowerView Gen 3 Gateway or Gateway Pro is required in order to access RemoteConnect.

Read below to learn which features and controls RemoteConnect provides with PowerView Gen 3:

High-Level Benefits

• Control virtually your entire home, including individual shades and Scenes from almost anywhere in the world.
• Two-way communication - see your shades move in real time in the app, so you know each shade received the command you sent.
• Add a user at any time to the PowerView Home - this includes a homeowner adding the dealer or installer to view the Home and troubleshoot remotely, reducing the need for house calls.
• Create, modify, and delete scenes and schedules.
• Modify individual shade and Room settings.

Full List of Features and Benefits

Individual shades

What you can do:

• Operate your shade
• Jog to identify
• Modify shade’s settings (change shade name, power type, reassign room, etc.)
• Modify both shade’s Favorites

What you can NOT do:

• Slow adjust shade’s position

Rooms

What you can do:

• Create new Rooms (you can only assign previously discovered shades)
• Modify Room settings

What you can NOT do:

• Add new, undiscovered shades to a Room

Scenes

What you can do:

• Activate Scenes
• Create new Scenes
• Modify or delete existing Scenes

Schedules

What you can do:

• Enable and Disable Schedules
• Create new Schedules
• Modify or delete existing Schedules

Accessories

Remote: What you can do:

• View each remote’s group configurations 
• Modify remotes’ names

Remote: What you can NOT do:

• Modify and sync new remote group configurations

Gateway: What you can do:

• View each gateway’s Room configuration 
• View the Gateway LED Chart
• Change a gateway’s name

Gateway: What you can NOT do:

• Reconfigure a Gateway network
• Add a Wi-Fi connection to a Gateway

Shades Are Not Moving in Sync (Hembar Alignment)

Many things can affect the speed at which a product moves, including the power source, battery charge levels, the brackets, the installation, the fabric, etc. We cannot guarantee the products will necessarily move at the same speed. 

PowerView Gen 3 offers hembar alignment as a feature, meaning that shades will begin movement at the same time. If you have a bank of shades right next to one another, and they are identical shade types and sizes, they will begin their movement at the same time and will maintain alignment. Shades with different tube sizes, fabric, etc., will still raise and lower at different speeds. Also keep in mind, dying or low voltage batteries may cause shades to operate at different speeds from those with new or fully charged batteries.

Additional factors will affect whether your shades move in sync, including the number of shades and whether or not the Home includes a gateway:

• When a command is sent via the Gen 3 Remote, up to 12 shades will receive it at the same time. 
• When a command is sent via the PowerView App:
  • In systems without gateways, four shades is the maximum number of shades that can maintain hembar alignment. This means that if there are more than four shades in a Scene, the system will align four shades chosen at random. The system will then move on to the next four shades and keep doing that until the Scene movement is complete.
  • In systems with a gateway, this limitation goes away and all the shades will activate and maintain hembar alignment. 

For larger installations (more than four shades), adding a gateway is the best way to ensure that shades move in sync across the home.

Transfer Home Ownership & Manage Users

In a PowerView Gen 3 system, the creator of the Home in the PowerView App is automatically designated the Owner, and a unique Home ID is created that is secure and only accessible by the owner and those they invite to the Home. All of that information is stored in the Cloud, and access is controlled by PowerView Account permissions that are easily shareable. This is why the installer does not need access to the homeowner’s smartphone or tablet to set up the Home - the information isn’t stored on any single device! 

The Owner can then add Users so that others can access the secure Home, or Transfer Home Ownership to someone else. Transferring ownership is most commonly done by the installer, following the initial setup. Adding users is more commonly done by the homeowner once they have accepted ownership of the Home from the installer. Keep reading to better understand these two separate features in the app, and learn how to avoid any potential problems.

Home Ownership

The installer should use their own smartphone and log into their own PowerView Account to set up a new Home. After setup, the installer should transfer home ownership to the end consumer. The setup flow in the app actually prompts the installer to do this as the final step. We recommend that installers complete the transfer ownership step when prompted rather than skipping past it. The installer simply needs the homeowner’s email address or mobile phone number in order to initiate the transfer. The installer will then remain in control of the Home until the homeowner accepts ownership and becomes the new owner and can complete any additional programming or customization needed.

If the installer skips this step, they can access the transfer ownership function later in the PowerView App. While connected to the Home, they would navigate to the More tab, then access the Homes List by tapping the arrow to the right of the Home Name.

Then, by clicking on the gear icon to the right of the Home name, they can view the Home Settings, and select Transfer Home Ownership. 

Note: If the account type is set to Installer, users can easily access the Homes List and Home Settings when first opening the app. 

The homeowner can then complete the process of accepting ownership of the Home and creating a PowerView Account. The homeowner does not need to be in the home to accept ownership, as they can accept the home transfer remotely. However, it is important to note that homeowners cannot set up the gateway Wi-Fi remotely—or merge the home with Legacy PowerView shades—while remote. They need to have access to the home network to complete those steps.

As mentioned above, the installer remains in control of the Home until the homeowner accepts ownership and becomes the new owner. Once the new owner accepts ownership of the Home, they have the option to leave the installer on the Home, in which case the installer would by default become a user with Complete Access. If the homeowner chooses to remove the installer from the Home upon accepting ownership of the Home, only then would the installer lose access, and the Home would disappear from the Installer’s list of Homes in the app. 

In the case that an installer has been removed from the Home, but still has programming to complete, they could gain temporary access to the Home by opening the app and then pressing and holding the control button on one of the shade headrails for about 5 seconds until the LED turns amber. When the action sheet appears in the app, the installer would select Temporarily Access Home.

After a job is completed and an installer no longer needs to access the Home, the installer can choose to Leave the Home, which is also accessible under Home Settings, by navigating to the Homes List, clicking on the gear icon to the right of that specific Home name, and then selecting Info & More Options → Leave Home.

Important: In almost all cases, an installer should not delete a Home. Only the owner of the Home actually has the option to delete a Home, so if an installer sees this option, they still own that Home and have not successfully transferred it yet. Deleting a Home deletes the Home from the Cloud, and it is not recoverable. Once a Home has been deleted, no users would be able to access that Home, and any changes (adding additional shades, changing remote programming, etc.) would require setting up the Home again from scratch. In an app release later this year, new features will be added to allow installers to better manage the list of Homes for which they are still the Owner or are listed as a User.

User Management

Adding users is done differently from home transfer and for different reasons. As noted previously, a PowerView® Account is required to access PowerView® Gen 3 shades. Multiple users may share login credentials to a single PowerView® Account to access. Or the homeowner could easily add additional users through the Users section of the PowerView® App, and each user would then login to or create their own PowerView® Account. We recommend the latter method in most cases because the homeowner can add additional users with varying permissions: 

To add additional Users, navigate to More → Users → select the plus button in the top right corner. 

When inviting new users, customize home access by selecting one of the two options for permissions: 

• Complete access - These users will have access to all aspects of the Home, including operation, modification, and management. Users with Complete access cannot delete the Home or transfer ownership of the Home to another user.     
• Basic access - These users can control shades and activate Scenes. Users with Basic access cannot edit Home settings or accessories. 
  • By default, Basic Access users will be able to operate all shades and Scenes in the Home at any time. However, when selecting Basic access, you can further customize this access by duration of time and/or by selected rooms. Use cases might be for children, guests, short-term rentals, or employees. For example, homeowners might want to give access to their children for only their own bedrooms. Or access might be granted for out-of-town guests, for a long weekend, for the common areas and guest room. 

1.  
   1. Under Basic Access, select Duration to limit access to specific dates. Then select the desired start and end date for access.  
   2. Select Rooms to choose specific Rooms for the new user to access. By default, all Rooms are selected. 
   3. Tap Done. Then select Send Email or Share Link to send out the invite to the new user. 

Note: Transfer requests and invitations to join a Home do not expire. Invitations can also be resent or canceled.

Here’s a chart summarizing which users can perform which actions:

Shades Aren’t Responding – Try Deactivating Ship Mode

For shades equipped with an Internal Rechargeable Battery, the power is always on. As a result, these shades are placed into a sleep, or Ship Mode, to ensure safe transportation. Before installation and setup of an Internal Rechargeable Battery equipped shade can be completed, it is necessary to deactivate Ship Mode.

Note: Shades will not operate until Ship Mode is deactivated.
 

How to Deactivate Ship Mode

Follow these steps after unpacking the shade:

1. Press and release the shade’s control button. A small flathead screwdriver or similar-shaped tool may be required to reach the control button.

   • The LED will turn orange
     
     

2. Press and release the control button again

   • The LED will turn white

3. Press and release the control button a third time

   • The LED will turn blue

The shade has now been woken up, and Ship Mode is deactivated. You may continue with the normal installation from here. 

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