The Connectivity Standards Alliance on Wednesday announced Matter 1.6, an update to the smart home standard designed to improve compatibility between devices and platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa. This is particularly important as these platforms add new features, such as Apple Home’s upcoming capabilities to generate AI video descriptions for connected security cameras.
The Matter update is part of a big week for the Connectivity Standards Alliance. The organization also announced updates to Thread, a protocol that Matter and other smart home devices can use for local communication, offering security and energy-efficiency benefits over technologies like Wi-Fi.
What Does the Matter Update Actually Change?
Matter 1.6 is aimed at manufacturers and developers, so many of the updates are behind-the-scenes changes to improve security or make it easier for smart devices to communicate. Here are the key changes:
NFC-Based Commissioning: The standard adds NFC-based commissioning, a setup method that uses near-field communication technology. With NFC, users can start device pairing by tapping or holding a phone near a compatible product, rather than scanning a QR code.
Thermostat Priorities: Matter 1.6 introduces Thermostat Priorities, which provides a framework for prioritizing smart thermostat commands and settings. Manufacturers can specify how a thermostat should handle competing instructions, such as a utility energy-saving program versus a user-scheduled temperature change. The update can also distinguish between manual changes made by the user and automatic changes made by software, prioritizing manual ones.
Event History for Sensors: Smart security sensors gain the ability to store event histories, allowing users to check when a sensor was activated and whether it remains active. Similar capabilities have long been available in manufacturer apps, but Matter could make them more broadly accessible through platforms like Google Home.
Easier Platform Switching: The update enables easier switching of smart devices between platforms. If you prefer Apple Home but your wife likes Alexa, you won’t have to set up the same device on both platforms separately.
Thread Network Monitoring: The new Thread Tools app lets users monitor their Thread network and identify connectivity issues that could affect device placement or performance.
