This Thursday, Google officially launches support for Matter on Google Nest and Android devices. Matter is a new unified smart home platform that aids the interoperability between ecosystems and lets one platform borrow an incompatible device’s support.
Google has added support for the Matter platform on the Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub (1st and 2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, Nest Wi-Fi Pro, Google Home, and Google Home Mini. That means if you already have any of these devices, it will act as a bridge between the internet and your home’s other Thread-compatible devices.
Google confirms that more Nest devices, including the Nest Thermostat (2020) and the Nest Wi-Fi (non-Pro) will be updated in 2023. Android phones will also support Matter devices and integrates with Fast Pair to quickly add a new device to your home. Google will bring Matter support to the iOS version of the Google Home app early next year. Once a device is on your home network, any Matter-compatible app will be able to control it.
Matter uses Wi-Fi and the ‘Thread’ Protocol to communicate with smart home devices so that the smart home devices themselves can become nodes in a mesh network at home. That way, commands to smart home devices don’t need to bounce to a cloud-based system, reducing dependency on cloud services and reducing latency between command and reaction.
Despite whatever brand your Thread “border router” is, Thread release 1.3.0 will standardize its function across brands, so you wouldn’t have multiple Thread networks running in your home.
Amazon has confirmed 30 of its Echo devices will receive compatibility for Matter and Thread, and Apple has already rolled out support for Matter and Thread on its HomePod Mini (2nd Gen) and Apple TV 4K (2nd Gen).
