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Jun 27, 2023

Every device that works with Matter (April 2023)

By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, a smart home reviewer who's been testing connected gadgets since 2013. Previously a writer for Wirecutter, Wired, and BBC Science Focus.

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Spring, they said.

It’ll all be ready by spring.

Well, now it's April, and the new Matter smart home standard is still barely simmering. Belkin backed out of Matter, Philips Hue put the brakes on its rollout, and we still don't have Google Home or Amazon Alexa apps for iOS. But a few promised products from Eve and Nanoleaf are available now, with more slated to be released in the next few months. We’re keeping tabs on everything slated to work with Matter right here, so read on if you are anxious to get started with the new common language for smart home devices.

If you’ve got this far and aren't exactly sure what Matter is, here's a quick summary: Matter is a new standard designed to simplify the smart home and make it easier to buy, set up, and use products. Its primary purpose is to help connected gadgets work with each other across platforms and ecosystems, so you won't have to pick between Amazon Alexa, Apple, and Google when adding smart devices to your home. With Matter, you can control your smart lighting, smart locks, and more, simultaneously, with any Matter-compatible platform using iOS or Android devices. So, if you have an iPhone and your roommate has a Google Pixel, you can both control all your smart home devices.

For more details on how Matter will work with each smart home platform, what you will need to get started with Matter, and how Matter actually works, read my explainer, "What Matters about Matter."

Here, you’ll find a list of Matter-compatible products divided into categories and separated by whether you can buy them now or if they are coming soon. We’ll keep this updated as new information comes out.

The Matter standard provides a common language and a set of supported actions for smart home devices. Right now, it only supports a few categories of devices, and only certain features are available for each of those categories — although, depending on which platform you run them on, you may have access to more features on top of the Matter integration.

As of April 3rd, 2023, the following device categories are supported in Matter: light bulbs and light switches; plugs and outlets; locks; thermostats and other HVAC controllers; blinds and shades; sensors (motion, contact); televisions and streaming video players; wireless access points; and bridges (more on this later).

Home appliances (such as fridges and washing machines) and robot vacuums should be included in the next Matter update (slated for spring, but no ETA yet). Home security cameras, garage door controller sensors, indoor air quality monitors and air purifiers, and smoke and CO detectors are next on the roadmap, according to the CSA, which runs the Matter standard. Also in the works are energy management features and support for ambient motion and presence sensing.

A Matter controller onboards Matter devices to your home network, controls them, manages communications and automations, and facilitates remote access (when enabled). A Matter controller needs to be a device that is always in your home, always powered, and has a Wi-Fi or ethernet connection to your home network. This means a smartphone won't work as a Matter controller.

You’ll need a Matter controller for each smart home platform you plan to use; an Apple HomePod or Apple TV for Apple Home, a Google Nest Hub for Google Home, and an Amazon device for Alexa. Every major smart home platform has updated its existing hubs and smart speakers to make them Matter controllers. Some controllers are also Thread border routers, which you will need if you add any Thread devices to your home. Thread is one of the main wireless protocols Matter runs over.

Apple Home

Google Home

Samsung SmartThings

Amazon Alexa

Samsung SmartThings

Other platforms

Apple Home

Amazon Alexa

Google Home

Samsung SmartThings

Other platforms

Other platforms

To add Matter devices to a smart home ecosystem, you’ll need to use that platform's smartphone or tablet app. These act as Matter commissioners, connecting the Matter device to a Matter Controller. The following smart home apps are Matter commissioners and can add and control devices, as well as set up automations and routines. Matter is also built into the latest versions of Android and Apple's operating systems, enabling apps to access the local infrastructure required by Matter.

*Tuya Smart is an IoT development platform service provider that supports over 446,000 developers with schematics for over 1,100 smart home products, from robot vacuums to smart lights. It already has Matter certification for a number of light bulbs and smart plugs as well as a Matter controller. Brands that use Tuya include Teckin, Gosund, Nooie, Lidl, and Iotty.

Smart home devices that use a bridge, such as Philips Hue smart bulbs, can be "bridged" into Matter so that their connected devices can be controlled in a Matter smart home platform.

As of April 3rd, 2023, only Apple Home fully supports Matter bridges. Google says it's working with its partners to add bridging support, and recently added compatibility with Aqara's M2 hub. Amazon and SmartThings confirmed to The Verge that bridge support isn't live yet on their controllers but that both companies plan to enable it.

So, even if you have a bridge that's been updated to Matter, the devices connected to it won't work in Matter until the platform you are using supports bridges. Currently, however, there are no bridges that support Matter without using beta software.

If you have a Matter and Thread-enabled Wi-Fi router, you wouldn't need any other Matter controller in your home. Amazon (which owns Eero) has said Matter-over-Thread capability will be turned on in its compatible Eero devices this spring. Google routers are already Thread-enabled and work with Matter.

Most companies that have announced Matter devices say they will start shipping in early 2023. New products that are compatible with Matter should have the Matter logo on them (it looks a bit like a stick person wearing bikini bottoms). Many manufacturers are adding Matter support to existing devices with over-the-air firmware updates. Below are the products that currently support Matter or will in the future, according to the companies.

As of April 3rd, 2023, there are no smart switches with Matter support enabled.

As of April 1st, 2023, there are no smart locks with Matter support enabled.

As of April 3rd, 2023, there are no smart thermostats with Matter support enabled.

As of April 2023, there are no home appliances or televisions that work as Matter devices (some Samsung refrigerators and TVs are Matter controllers, see above). Several manufacturers have promised Matter support in some upcoming and existing products.

Matter uses numeric and QR setup codes over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to add a device to your network. Open your smart home platform or device maker's app, scan the QR code or manually enter the numeric code written on the device, and follow the prompts.

NFC pairing will be an option for some devices, letting you tap the device with your phone. And some platforms will support auto-detection, so your phone will just see there is a device ready to be paired and prompt you to add it.

Once your device is set up in one platform, you can add it to other apps and platforms using Matter's multi-admin feature. The process of sharing is similar to onboarding, but you don't have to have the device in hand. Access the pairing code from the device settings in the app you first set it up with. Go through the steps to add a new device to the new platform, then scan or copy and paste that code when prompted. Once paired to another platform, you can now control that device from both platforms simultaneously.

If you add a Matter device that supports Thread, you will need a compatible Thread border router. Check which Thread border router the device and platform you are using are compatible with first, as currently, Thread compatibility across platforms is spotty.

Last Updated April 3rd, 2023 at 4:30PM: This list is updated regularly as new Matter devices launch or are announced.

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Apple Home Google Home Samsung SmartThings Amazon Alexa Samsung SmartThings Other platforms Apple Home Amazon Alexa Google Home Samsung SmartThings Other platforms Other platforms Apple Home Samsung SmartThings Google Home Amazon Alexa Eve Amazon Alexa Aqara Eve TP-Link Tapo Tuya Smart Life Wiser Last Updated April 3rd, 2023 at 4:30PM:
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