Google Partners with Matter to Improve Smart Home Tech
Smart home enthusiasts, rejoice – Google recently announced that it has partnered with Matter for the Google Home app, as well as Nest and Android devices in order to make smart home management easier and more efficient for users. Let’s take a look at what’s in store!
Matter allows users to further customize their smart home set-ups, allowing for more compatibility with more devices and multiple ecosystems. This new partnership with Matter and Matter-enabled products brings new updates to Google speakers, displays, and even Wi-Fi routers, enabling them to act as hubs for devices with Matter support, which can then be controlled from the Google Home App.
Matter also comes with a built-in Multi-Admin feature that simplifies cross-platform control, making it easy for you to connect your devices to multiple ecosystems and apps at anytime. For example, you can effortlessly manage devices controlled through Samsung’s SmartThings app, and you’ll even be given an option to onboard these devices to the Google Home App, or vice-versa.
For users who want to manage their Matter devices with Google Home, a compatible Home/Nest device is needed to work as a Matter hub. These devices include the original Google Home speaker, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub (1st and 2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi Pro.
Matter-enabled devices can also connect to users’ home network over Wi-Fi or Thread connections, so certain devices will be able to work as Thread border routers – these are the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi Pro.
Google says that it’s working to bring Matter to as many Google Home devices as possible, which will include the Nest Wifi and Nest Thermostat, although this will be later in 2023. Users can also expect support iOS support within the same timeframe, though we’ll have to keep our eyes open for any further updates from Google and Matter with this new collaboration.
Source: Google