Matter

HomeKit compatibility used to attract a noticeable price premium when buying smart home products, but the Matter standard is changing that – and Ikea is now going all-in on this.

The company says that it has more than 20 new affordable Matter-compatible smart home devices in the works, with likely plans to expand into completely new product types too …

An update to the Matter standard will make it much easier to set up HomeKit-compatible smart home devices. In particular, it should make tap-to-pair a far more common feature, rather than something supported by only a handful of devices.

Multi-device QR codes will also make setup much easier for things like multi-packs of smart light bulbs, which will let you set up all of them at once, rather than having to do each one individually …

Govee has just unveiled their latest innovation at CES 2025: the Mini Panel Lights. These compact, customizable lights are designed to transform any space with vibrant colors and intelligent features. And the best part is, they support Matter! Here’s what you need to know.

Today at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Schlage unveiled its new Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, marking the company’s first Ultra Wideband-enabled smart lock, complete with support for Matter-over-Thread.

Schlage has consistently been at the forefront of connected home smart locks. In March 2022, it made history as the first company to launch an NFC-assisted Apple Home Keys-enabled smart lock solution, the popular Schlage Encode Plus. Now, let’s take a closer look at the features and capabilities of the upcoming Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt.

Ensuring HomeKit compatibility for smart home products is now very much easier to achieve. Apple has agreed to accept Matter certification for all new devices, without requiring additional testing before granting the Works With Apple Home badge.

Although it was always the goal that Matter support meant automatic compatibility with HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and Samsung Smart Things, there was previously a difference between theory and practice …

Matter is a smart home standard focused on promoting interoperability between the various competing home ecosystems from Apple, Google, and Amazon. A new report says smart speaker support is in the works for Matter, but there’s a big catch regarding what this means for Apple users and the HomePod.

The Apple-backed group that oversees the Matter smart device standard has launched its latest big update. Matter 1.4 debuts today with a variety of improvements that further advance smart home capabilities. Here’s what’s new.

iOS 18 is a big release with a ton of new features. Some enhancements to the Home app, like support for robot vacuum cleaners, aren’t coming until later. But there’s one update available now that could save you time and frustration. Building your smart home of the future just got easier than ever in iOS 18’s Home app.

It was May 2022 when Ikea proudly announced its Diregera hub, bringing Matter support to the company’s smart home line-up. Some two years later, and rather later than scheduled, that upgrade is finally available.

But better late than never, as Matter support means that you can now control any compatible Ikea smart home product via Apple’s Home app …

iOS 18 will bring a huge variety of new features when it arrives this fall, including for pre-installed system apps. One such feature that was never formally announced: the Home app will enable Adaptive Lighting for Matter lights.

A number of people have reported their Philips Hue bulbs suddenly switching to 100% brightness, seemingly randomly.

Update: While the problem was reported to relate to Matter compatibility, it’s now been confirmed that the issue is with Hue code – see statement at the end …

Smart home company Brilliant has announced that it has run out of money, after failing to raise more capital in an attempted funding round.

While its smart home controllers and light switches continue to work for now, there’s no guarantee that will remain the case for long given the lack of either HomeKit or Matter compatibility …

Today Matter, the Internet of Things (IoT) standard developed by major players like Apple, Google, and Amazon, has been updated to version 1.3.

This release introduces support for a host of new device types, such as EV chargers and kitchen and laundry appliances, while also adding enhancements like energy tracking, upgraded TV features, and more.

After announcing its Matter LED Outdoor String Lights at CES, smart light pioneer Nanoleaf has officially launched the product. Here are all the details on these slick outdoor lights that offer IP65 weather resistance, color control, support across smart home platforms, and more.

Popular smart home device maker Aqara has unveiled three new Matter and Thread accessories at CES today. The incoming devices include the new U300 smart handset lock, the Border Router Plug, and the Hub M3.

Just as HomeKit led to the development of the broader smart home standard Matter, so Apple’s Home Key is spurring the adoption of a new industry standard for smart locks and digital keys: Aliro.

The new standard is being championed by Apple, Google, and Samsung – along with a number of smart lock companies …

Matter support for home appliances is on the way, through the latest version of the smart home connectivity standard backed by Apple and more than 600 other companies.

Previous versions of Matter have been limited to smaller smart home devices, like lights, door locks, blinds, and security sensors – while Matter 1.2 will add support for household appliances, robot cleaners, and more …

Philips Hue Matter support was first promised by March of this year, before quietly admitting to a delay just a few days ahead of the deadline.

Whatever caused that delay has now been addressed, and Matter integration is now available within the Hue app …

Ever wish you could AirPlay audio from your iPhone to your amp or powered speakers? Smart home solutions firm Eve is launching a new audio streaming interface that lets you hook up Hi-Fi components to Apple’s Home app and AirPlay 2.

The Matter and Thread standards are supposed to ensure that a huge range of smart home devices can work seamlessly together, mirroring the benefits offered by HomeKit compatibility. But this isn’t the case, say multiple manufacturers.

The main benefit of Thread is that smart home devices can not only talk to each other, but one can pass on commands to another, boosting reliability. There is, however, a problem …

Leviton is out with a free firmware update that brings Matter to four of its smart home devices which will be welcome for both existing and new users. Included are the Decora Smart Switch, Dimmer, Mini Plug-In Dimmer, and Mini Plug-In Switch. Here are all the details.