Product Library / Switches & Dimmers

Inovelli White Series Smart Fan/Light Canopy Module (VTM36)

Compiled by SmartHomeWorkflow Research · Inovelli · Switches & Dimmers · ~$60 (at time of research (Inovelli's own store) — never treated as a live price)

Compatibility

Protocols: MATTER · THREAD^[2][8][18]

Needs before it works: Yes. Inovelli states it plainly: 'This module requires a hub that supports Thread.' In practice that means a Thread border router on the network plus a Matter controller for whichever ecosystem you use — Inovelli's own compatibility list annotates Home Assistant and Hubitat with 'requires Thread Border Router' explicitly, and the manual gives the radio budget as up to 100 metres line-of-sight between the module and the closest border router.^[1][19]

What it can do^[3][16]

Listed capabilities are what we could establish from vendor documentation. An ability missing here is unestablished — not necessarily absent.

Subscription reality^[3][16]

✓ Works without a subscription: Yes.

Vendor account required: No — no vendor account is involved.^[9]

No subscription appears on the product page or in the help-centre manual. Inovelli is a local-control hardware vendor and this device speaks Matter over Thread, so there is no vendor cloud to gate.

Maintenance reality^[1]

• Works without the internet: Yes — the core function runs on the device or your home network. A vendor cloud may still be involved in remote access.^[7]
• Installs inside the ceiling fan canopy, not a wall box: 1 in D x 3 in H x 2.13 in W, 120 V AC 60 Hz only ('this module only supports 120V'). Fan output is rated 1.2 A and is for AC motors only; the light output is rated 300 W incandescent / 150 W LED / 100 W CFL. Inovelli's manual states 'Neutral is not mandatory, but recommended' while also noting 'Neutral is mandatory in certain installations', so the wiring answer depends on the circuit. Bluetooth is the commissioning radio per the CSA certification; Thread carries operation.
• Security updates: No security-update support date is on record for this model yet. We haven't yet checked whether Inovelli publishes one, so this is a gap in our research — not a statement about the manufacturer.

The catch

Two catches, and the first is unusual enough to lead with: this is a Matter device that does not work with Amazon Echo. Inovelli states outright that Alexa does not support the Matter Fan profile, so the module joins Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Home Assistant and Hubitat but not the largest voice platform in the US — and Inovelli's own manual muddies that by listing Alexa anyway. The second is the same limit its Zigbee sibling has: AC motors only, no DC. Inovelli's manual is blunt about it — 'only to be used to control AC Motor exhaust and ceiling fans. Do not use the module on any sort of lighting load or DC Motor' — which rules out a large share of modern fans. It also needs a Thread border router before it does anything at all, and it installs inside the fan canopy rather than in the wall box.

Who it's for

Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Home Assistant or Hubitat households with an AC-motor ceiling fan and a Thread border router already on the network, who want fan and light on separate smart controls without replacing the wall switch. Not a fit for Alexa households, for DC-motor fans, or for anyone without a Thread border router.

Sources & method

Numbered sources below back the facts marked with the matching number above. This is a research profile: compiled from manufacturer documentation, certification registries, and published testing — we state facts, not verdicts, and we have not physically tested this unit. How we work →

Compatibility and lifecycle information reflects the last-verified date above and can change without notice (firmware updates, cloud-service changes, discontinuations). It is provided as-is, for information — verify with the manufacturer before purchasing. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it. Full terms: Terms of Service.

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