Using the BLU Remote Control ZB with the Shelly Dimmer Gen3

If you already have a Shelly Dimmer Gen3 running your lights, the BLU Remote Control ZB adds something the app can't: a physical remote with a wheel to raise and lower brightness with your thumb, no phone needed. And yes, it works: Shelly explicitly lists the Dimmer Gen3 among the devices supported by Default Command Mapping. Let's walk through it.

No hub, no dongle, no cloud

The remote transmits over Bluetooth (it also speaks Zigbee, but here we cover the BLU use). When you press a button or turn the wheel, that signal needs something to receive it. The advantage: the Dimmer Gen3 has a built-in Bluetooth gateway, so it receives the remote itself. You don't need a separate BLU Gateway.

And because the link is direct Bluetooth, it keeps working even if the Wi-Fi or the internet goes down: local control doesn't rely on the cloud. Just mind the range — about 10 metres indoors — since remote and dimmer talk radio to radio.

The dimmer profile is already available

When you pair the remote with the Dimmer Gen3, Default Command Mapping assigns the controls automatically. For a dimmer, the default layout is:

• Left button: turns the light off.
• Right button: turns it on.
• Scroll up: raises the brightness smoothly.
• Scroll down: lowers it.

This isn't a future promise: Shelly confirms that for relays, shutters and dimmers the default mapping is already available; only mapping with Shelly plugs is still pending (version 1.8.0). For on, off and dimming, you don't need to build any scene.

Pair and confirm the mapping

Here's the step that makes it «not work» for many people: besides pairing, you have to confirm the mapping in the dimmer's own web interface. Trying it from the app alone is where people get stuck.

1. Enable the Dimmer Gen3's Bluetooth and make sure it's on your account.
2. Put the remote in BLE mode: press a ring button four times in a row. The LEDs sweep left to right.
3. Pair and choose a channel on the remote (it has four).
4. Confirm in the dimmer's WebGUI: after pairing, the dimmer asks you to press each control — left (off), right (on), scroll up and down — and from then on it responds directly.
5. Test with the wheel: roll the scroll and the light should brighten and dim instantly. If it doesn't respond, check the Bluetooth range.

Before you set it up

• The bulb must be dimmable and 230 V. No dimmer turns a non-dimmable LED into a dimmable one.
• Below 20 W without a neutral, the dimmer needs its bypass, or you'll see flicker and a glow with the light off.
• Heads-up if you use Zigbee: the remote hardcodes groups 1 to 4, which can't be reconfigured, and on a Zigbee network with groups already defined it may switch or dim other lamps by accident. For the direct Bluetooth use described here, this doesn't apply, because Zigbee groups never come into play.
• Four channels: with the < and > buttons you drive up to four dimmers or zones from the same remote.

FAQ

Can I really dim the Dimmer Gen3 with this remote?

Yes. Shelly explicitly lists it among the devices supported by Default Command Mapping, and for dimmers it's already available. The wheel raises and lowers brightness; the buttons turn it on and off.

Do I need a BLU Gateway?

No. The Dimmer Gen3 has a built-in Bluetooth gateway, so it receives the remote directly.

I paired it but the wheel doesn't dim — what's missing?

Usually the mapping hasn't been confirmed in the dimmer's web interface: after pairing, the dimmer asks you to press each control so it can learn them. If you only do it from the app, it may not get assigned.

Does it work without internet?

Yes. The link is direct, local Bluetooth, so dimming keeps working even if the Wi-Fi goes down.

Can I control several lights with one remote?

Yes, it has four channels. Assign each dimmer to a channel and switch with the < and > buttons.

Do I need to create scenes?

For on, off and dimming, no: the default mapping handles it. Scenes are for custom actions on top.

What if the remote's batteries run out?

The light still works from the app and from the switch wired to the dimmer. Swap the two AAA cells and you're set, no re-pairing.

Summary

• The dimmer → Shelly Dimmer Gen3
• The 4-channel remote with wheel → BLU Remote Control ZB (also in black)
• Bypass for loads under 20 W without a neutral → Bypass for Dimmer Gen3

Want a physical remote for your dimmable lights and not sure your setup fits? Tell us what devices you have and we'll help with the pairing. Technical support and shipping available for your market.