Matter FAQs
The answers you need for your Matter smart home questions.
The Matter badge tells you that a product has been certified to the Matter standard. It means that the device can be set up, connected, and controlled by any app or smart home ecosystem that supports that type of device.
Some brands and ecosystems go a step further with additional performance testing or ecosystem-specific features, which device companies can promote using those ecosystems’ “Works With” badges, but the Matter badge is a good starting point for understanding its compatibility.
Many existing smart home products can be updated to support Matter, especially if they already use Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread.
Some updates happen directly on the device, others happen through bridges they connect to. Check your device app’s settings, website or support pages to see if manufacturers offer an update to add Matter compatibility.
Some basic Matter devices work perfectly without a manufacturer app. Other devices may offer more advanced features, guided setup, or extra controls, that are best experienced through their native app. It’s all about choice: you decide which apps you want to use and how you want to grow your smart home.
For advanced functionality – think configuring special features on the door lock – you may find that the manufacturer-provided app provides the most comprehensive options.
You might use multiple apps in your smart home, but Matter is designed to make the experience feel simpler and more consistent.
When people talk about needing too many smart home apps, they’re usually talking about juggling multiple apps just for simple device setup and control.
Matter reduces that complexity by giving ecosystems a shared, familiar way to set up and control devices, without limiting device makers’ ability to deliver innovative features to users through their own apps.
Multi-Admin is a key feature of Matter that enables the choice and flexibility for being able to control your Matter device from different apps and smart home systems. It allows you to get a single device, like a smart plug, lock, or light, connected to more than one smart home app or ecosystem at the same time.
This means everyone in your home can use the app, phone, voice assistant, or device they prefer to control the same product for a smarter, more flexible way to share your smart home.
Matter currently supports many common devices, including smart lighting and plugs, door locks, thermostats and HVAC controllers, blinds and shades, home security sensors, TVs and casting video players, security cameras and robot vacuum cleaners.
The standard continues to evolve, so more smart home device types will be added in the future.
No! You don’t have to replace every device you own to start enjoying the benefits of Matter.
Most smart home apps and platforms have added Matter as an additional way to connect and control devices, so your existing devices will likely continue to work, even as you grow your smart home with new Matter devices.
If you’re growing an existing smart home with devices that use other technologies like Zigbee, then the Matter Bridge feature may be something you can use to control these non-Matter devices.
The Matter Bridge feature is often built into your existing hubs and it can allow some non-Matter devices to join your Matter smart home without needing to replace them.
In most cases, no. Matter is designed to work with the Wi-Fi and Ethernet network you already have.
To control Matter devices from a smart home ecosystem app, you’ll need a Matter Controller from that smart home ecosystem.
A Controller is the device or app that sends commands to your smart home devices.
The good news is that this functionality is often built into products you may already own, such as smart speakers, displays, routers, and TVs.
If you buy Matter devices that use Thread, you’ll also need a Thread Border Router, which connects Thread devices to your home network.
But again, this is often built into products already in your home including some of those Matter Controllers mentioned above.
So most people won’t need to buy anything new to start building their smart homes with Matter.
A Matter Controller is what allows a phone app or a smart home ecosystem to connect and control your smart home devices.
A Matter Controller is essential for setting up new devices and performing local communication. In many cases, it’s the device that enables you to remotely access your home devices, or set up automations for them.
The good news is that this Controller is usually included in a device you already own, like a smart speaker, display, Wi-Fi router. These devices are often described and advertised as being a Matter “hub”. Some apps are even Matter Controllers, letting you control devices while at home, though you will likely need a hub-based Controller for remote access and automations.
Thread is a low-power, wireless mesh network made specifically for smart home devices. It helps your devices stay responsive, reliable, and last longer on batteries, by letting them pass messages through each other across your home.
Devices like sensors, locks, and some types of lighting often use Thread for Matter communication, although you can sometimes find versions of these device types which use Wi-Fi. If you buy Thread-based Matter devices, you’ll need a Thread Border Router to connect them to your home network.
But you may already have one: many smart speakers, hubs, displays, TVs, and Wi-Fi routers include Thread Border Router functionality. So many people don’t need an extra device to get Thread Border Router functionality.
Matter devices that are low-powered, like sensors or door locks, sometimes use a network technology called Thread.
To connect these Thread devices to your home network, you need a Thread Border Router.
However, this is not necessarily an extra device you need to buy. This Border Router functionality is often built into other existing products like Wi-Fi routers, smart speakers, and other smart home devices.
Matter is based on local control, which means devices can communicate directly with each other inside your home network using Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread.
This makes your smart home faster and more reliable, especially since devices can still communicate with each other even if your internet connection goes down.
The particular smart home ecosystem you choose may or may not require internet access for setup, control, automation, or advanced features. So if this is important to you, make sure to check with them.