What you need to know
- Google Home has been updated with support for Matter.
- Nest smart speakers and displays can work as Matter hubs for compatible devices.
- Android phones can set up matter devices quickly using Fast Pair.
- Support for Matter onboarding will arrive for iOS in 2023.
After what feels like forever following a number of delays, the Matter standard is finally rolling out on smart home devices. Google is the latest major player to launch support for Matter, with the protocol now fully supported on Android and Nest devices as of December 15.
Google announced the update on Thursday, which is a major step as we await for the onslaught of Matter-certified smart home products to reach the market. Now, Android phones are able to onboard Matter smart home devices from the Google Home app, which even includes support for Google Fast Pair to make onboarding quick and easy.
With Matter, a hub is needed in order to act as a controller for other devices. With the update, the following Google products can now act as Matter hubs:
- Google Home
- Google Home Mini
- Nest Audio
- Nest Mini
- Nest Hub (1st and 2nd gen)
- Nest Hub Max
- Nest Wifi Pro
In addition, the Nest Hub (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi Pro become Thread border routers to connect other Thread-enabled devices to the network. As for Nest Wifi and Nest Thermostat, Google says these devices will gain Matter support in 2023.
Apple devices will also be able to onboard Matter devices with the Google Home app in 2023. For now, Matter devices will need to be added from an Android phone, but Apple devices will still be able to control them from the app. Not that it matters much at the moment, as there isn't much in the way of Matter-certified products on the market right now. However, Matter 1.0 was launched fairly recently, so it's only a matter of time until we see tons of items with the Matter logo on shelves.
For now, Matter device types are limited to products such as smart lights, plugs, locks, thermostats, and window shades. Google expects the first batch of devices to arrive during the holiday season.
Google also highlights its partnership with Samsung, which lets users easily view Matter devices that were set up with Samsung SmartThings.
Matter support is available on phones running Android 8.1 and above and with Play Services version 22.48.14.
The Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a unique device that can help track your sleeping habits using radar technology. It also allows you to listen to music, watch videos, and will be able to connect to a host of smart home devices thanks to Matter support.
