The exponential growth of the smart home industry has resulted in many standards and protocols that work in parallel with each other.
What is worse is that it has complicated things for consumers, who have been confined to choosing only devices that are compatible with their smart home ecosystem.
Some even have to juggle multiple hubs and apps to coordinate their intelligent home devices. The Matter protocol has been introduced to solve this fragmentation of smart home standards.
It is the biggest promise so far in an attempt to make smart home devices work together. This revolutionary connectivity protocol is expected to unify your smart home, irrespective of the smart home platform you use.
What it means is that you won’t have to check if your speakers or bulbs are compatible with Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, or Google Home.
We have detailed everything you need to know about the Matter protocol, including answering commonly asked questions.
What Is the Matter Protocol?
Matter is a new interoperability protocol that enables intelligent home devices to work seamlessly without the need for third-party bridges.
So, all devices that are Matter-certified can link across protocols, platforms, and brands, simplifying and streamlining your smart home experience. Besides interoperability and simplicity, the new unifying protocol offers reliability and security.
The Matter protocol is the brainchild of a working group referred to as Project Chip (Project Connected Home Over IP).
The group comprises leading technological platforms, including Google, Amazon, Samsung, and Apple, among other industry leaders in the smart home space.
In fact, by January 2022, there were as many as 200 companies that had joined hands to fine-tune Matter. Project Chip was coordinated by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).
But in 2021, the alliance met and decided to rebrand Project Chip as Matter.
Why Was There a Need for a New Protocol?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is supposed to enable smart homes to run seamlessly without hassles; every homeowner would love to see their smart home devices working together harmoniously.
However, the smart home automation industry is so fragmented. Different players have their own devices, and many of them use different connection protocols.
This state of affairs negates the very principle of IoT. The lack of interoperability made it difficult for smart home devices to work seamlessly.
Because of this, the central hubs do most of the heavy lifting, making them less efficient. So, the most efficient way to deal with the problem was to have a unifying protocol.
This is the role that the Matter protocol was created to serve. It made it possible for different smart gadgets on different platforms to communicate more effectively.
The Significance of Matter Protocol in the Home Automation Space And Connectivity With Existing Devices
At present, smart devices in most homes can’t communicate more effectively because of variances in standards.
The Matter protocol challenges this status quo in the smart home industry, as it allows different devices to share data and communicate seamlessly.
Before Matter entered the scene, Zigbee and Z-Wave were the major standards in the home automation industry.
Now that Matter is set to dominate the industry, many smart homeowners who already have Zigbee or Z-Wave-enabled gadgets may be worried.
It is crucial to note that Zigbee or Z-Wave wireless protocols have a huge market share. They are incorporated in many smart home devices, ranging from simple devices like motion detectors and sensors to high-end automation setups.
Another unique thing about these wireless protocols is that they are neither short-range as Bluetooth nor power-intensive as WiFi.
Matter-compatible devices will entirely connect over WiFi and Thread protocols, so Zigbee and Z-Wave are not likely to be at the forefront of promoting Matter.
However, the Matter protocol promoters have promised that they will support existing bridges and protocols such as Z-Wave and Zigbee.
So, there is hope for smart homeowners who have Z-Wave and Zigbee-compatible devices. There is a good chance they will retain their devices and even integrate them into the Matter framework.
How Major Tech Platforms Are Supporting Matter
Matter comes with a control feature called Multi-Admin that lets you coordinate Matter devices with multiple platforms.
So, you don’t need big platforms to control Matter devices. The Good news is that all four big smart home platforms support Matter.
This means that you can use Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home apps, hubs, speakers, and voice assistance to control your Matter-compatible devices.
Besides the big four, other rising platforms, such as Home Assistant, TP-Link (Tapo), Wiser, and Aqara, have promised that their apps will become Matter controllers.
As stated earlier, Matter is being promoted by big tech companies, so each one is trying to move things forward.
Already, most of the brands behind Matter have started certifying their products as Matter-compliant. So, as you shop for your smart home gadgets now and in the future, don’t be surprised if you find some devices that have the new Matter logo.
Here is a rundown of how each of the big four smart home platforms supports Matter:
1. Amazon Alexa Matter Support
Amazon announced that it will bring over 100 million devices into the Matter ecosystem. These products include the Echo Studio, Echo Dot, Echo Show, and Echo.
What this means is that you can now set up and coordinate Matter-enabled devices from your Echo displays and speakers.
In spring 2023, Amazon did upgrade its Echo 4th generation speakers to be Thread border routers.
2. Google Home and Google Nest Matter Support
Google also plans to bring more devices into the Matter space. In 2022, the tech giant released a new Home app on iOS and Android with improved pairing features, which promises to streamline smart home setup processes.
Another development is the upgrade of all its Google Nest displays and speakers to Matter controllers, additionally, Newer devices with Thread built-in.
Like the Nest Hub Max, Nest WiFi Pro, Nest WiFi, and the 2-gen Nest Hub, will now be Thread border routers.
On top of this, the Google Home app and Android devices are Matter-enabled, meaning you can use them to add Matter devices to your smart home.
3. Samsung SmartThings
Samsung says that both iOS and Android versions of the SmartThings app are Matter-enabled. Also, the Family Hub fridge has Matter support since 2023.
Already, Samsung v2 and v3 SmartThings hubs are Matter controllers, while Aeotec SmartThings and v3 hubs are Thread border routers.
Going into the future, all new Samsung devices, including smart fridges and TVs, will support Thread and Matter. Unfortunately, the SmartThings hub might not bridge existing smart gadgets into Matter.
4. Apple HomeKit
As part of the new update to iOS 16.1, Apple included Matter support for your iPhone. To check the Matter-compatible devices connected to your iOS device, go to Settings, then select General > Matter Accessories.
In addition to the above, the HomePod Mini, HomePod, and the latest Apple TV 4K models have been upgraded to be Matter controllers.
Some of these devices are also Thread border routers. It is also important to note that all Apple operating systems, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and HomePod, support Matter.
According to reports from the company, all existing HomeKit APIs will become Matter-compatible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The developers of the Matter protocol designed it in such a way that it connects all devices, including the ones you already have in your home. There are several upgrade paths to make sure that all devices work under Matter:
Zigbee and Z-Wave devices can be bridged to be Matter-compliant via existing hubs. Major hubs such as Aqara and Philips Hue have promised to do so. Interestingly, some Zigbee smart devices can upgrade to device-level matter-over-Thread support.
Some devices could also be brought into the Matter framework via over-the-air firmware updates. Devices that have already announced updates include Wiz smart lights, Amazon Echo smart speakers, and Lock smart locks.
Due to privacy and security concerns, some people have been slow to adopt the smart home concept. That is why Matter Protocol makes security its core tenet. The CSA said that every device that joins the Matter network must be authenticated. Moreover, the new protocol utilizes industry-standard encryption technology. So every message on the network is secure.
Regarding your smart home’s data, Matter’s privacy guideline breaks down data protection measures, which include defining the purpose of data-sharing requests as well as how to minimize data sharing in any Matter communication.
The short answer is yes. If your devices work through a bridge, you can maintain them in the short term. This applies to smart home products such as Aqara sensors, Philips Hue bulbs, and Zigbee and Z-Wave devices that run through the SamsungThings hub. Eventually, Matter might take over and run all these by itself. Most gadget manufacturers will find it cheaper to produce Matter-compatible devices than to continue producing bridges.
Final Word
The entry of Matter into the smart home space has opened new horizons in the industry. Top players are thinking in the same direction regarding the development and promotion of a unifying standard that makes your smart home work seamlessly.
And for homeowners looking to improve their smart home experience, the Matter protocol came as a sigh of relief.
Matter is the future of smart home automation. So, if you have yet to embrace it, let’s all join hands in making our world smarter and more connected.
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