The massive growth of the smart home market has led to problems with competing standards and protocols. The World Economic Forum estimates that more than 130 million households owned a smart home device in 2022. These issues have grown exponentially. Matter solves these problems by establishing a new smart home standard that allows smart home devices to be controlled by one app, improves security, and creates more reliable connections. Today, the best smart home devices that support Matter include devices from Google, Apple, and Amazon.

But what exactly is Matter, and how does it work? This article covers everything you need to know about Matter, including how it could help you build a security system with smart home devices.

What is the Matter smart home standard?

Matter is a smart home standard created by Project Connected Home Over IP (Project Chip) in 2019. It's now maintained by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), formerly the Zigbee Alliance. The standard is royalty-free and encourages interoperability between devices and platforms. Matter officially launched in November 2022.

The Matter smart home standard also addresses another common pain point with current IoT (Internet of Things) devices: The devices require a constant internet connection. IoT devices have previously relied exclusively on the cloud for everything, making them useless when you lose your internet connection.

Matter allows your devices to work offline without requiring continuous access to the cloud and various cloud services. Less reliance on the cloud also means increased security for your devices — essential for sensitive hardware like smart locks and security cameras — making Matter even more beneficial. The goal is to combine these new features to give you the best smart home experience possible.

What is Thread, and why does it matter for Matter?

Thread is another dedicated wireless protocol that complements Matter-enabled devices in a big way. As a low-powered mesh-based wireless protocol, Thread creates a low-latency offline environment that instantly sends and receives data across devices. As such, your Matter-certified devices continue working together even if you lose connection to the internet. Smart homes of the past were rendered useless when internet service went out, so this solves a major pain point with Matter.

graphic showing various smart home protocols
Source: Thread Group

What problems does Matter solve?

IoT devices have been around for years, yet they were separated into their unique categories. There wasn't a universal standard to bring them together, which was one of the biggest hurdles we've had to overcome. Between Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, the wireless connectivity space for smart home and IoT devices became too crowded for its own good.

graphic showing a 2D home with icons of various devices
Source: Pixabay

Also, most third-party smart home products use their proprietary app during and after the initial setup. And the more variety of device brands you had, the more apps you were forced to juggle. This added plenty of unwanted stress to the user, which is the opposite of what a smart home should do.

A smart home is supposed to work seamlessly with your daily life, not against it. That extra baggage was enough to keep most early adopters from diving head-first into the smart home ecosystem.

What devices and platforms work with Matter?

Google added Matter support for many of its Nest and Android-compatible devices in December 2022. The Google Home app supports Matter devices, and most Google Assistant smart speakers and devices support the standard and can be used as Matter hubs. The Nest Thermostat will get the Matter firmware update in 2023.

Apple added Matter support for its iPhone and iPad lineup with iOS/iPadOS 16.1 in late 2022. Users can see their Matter-enabled devices in the Settings app even if they were set up on a different device. Apple users can access Matter-enabled smart devices via Siri, the Apple Home app, and the Command Center.

iOS apps that want to operate smart devices but haven't implemented their own Matter ecosystem can do so in the Apple Home app as long as they use the HomeKit API and have an Apple HomeKit entitlement.

Amazon began updating its Eero routers and smart home hardware in 2022 and will finish in early 2023. The update will include most of the Amazon Echo lineup. The company also announced a partnership with Samsung in late 2022. Samsung Galaxy smartphone and tablet owners can set up and control Matter devices with Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings interchangeably.

Three black, curved arrows pointing inward with the word "Matter" in lowercase next to the mark.
Source: Connectivity Standards Alliance

Look for the Matter logo on smart home hardware and accessories.

The number of Matter-enabled smart devices is increasing. Eve, Meross Nanoleaf, Hue, Comcast, and Toya are some of the brands updating or creating new Matter-enabled solutions. Look for the Matter smart home badge when you purchase new devices or accessories. If you're wondering if your existing devices will get the Matter update, refer to the manufacturers' websites.

What does Matter mean for the future of smart homes?

Matter is a new, open source standard that uses a wireless technology based on Internet Protocol (IP), which Wi-Fi routers use to assign an IP address to each connected device.

Adding the Thread wireless protocol into the mix can also achieve complete offline computing within your local mesh network of IoT devices. This paves the way for a future where your Matter-certified products work together in synchronous harmony.

various icons in blue circles surrounding a cloud in a blue circle
Source: Pixabay

At the same time, multiple smart home wireless technologies caused a fragmentation problem over the years. But by getting some of the biggest smart home device makers to work together, we'll start seeing Matter-certified devices to solve that problem. Bringing our smart home products together is more complex than one might imagine. The ultimate goal is to create a "set-it-and-forget-it" ecosystem where our IoT devices fade into the background. And Matter is likely the answer we've been looking for to bridge that gap to better our future smart homes.

Matter 1.0 combines Wi-Fi and Thread protocols for wireless communication between devices. It'll also use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) during the initial setup process via the Fast Pair feature on Android. The setup method is expected to be similar to pairing wireless headphones with your Android smartphone, except it'll be your IoT and smart home products. Adding new Matter-certified devices to your wireless network should be quick, easy, and seamless.

What are the problems with Matter?

Nothing is perfect, and while it's a lot better than its predecessors, Matter has a few drawbacks.

Introducing a new standard relies on widespread adoption. One benefit of Matter is that you can control all your smart home devices from one platform. But when companies like Philips delay Matter adoption, the problem is reduced, not eliminated. Belkin has given up on Matter, so a future where all our smart home devices work seamlessly together may be further away than we would like.

Another issue with Matter is that it doesn't make life much better for consumers. While your smart home devices will work seamlessly with Matter support, there isn't much talk about developing devices to suit the standard. If a company wants to create a new and exciting smart home device, it must choose between waiting for Matter support or launching without it. If we wish to see new areas of our homes fall under the control of smart home devices, we'll need to ensure companies prioritize Matter support over pushing sales.

You may need to update your router to get the most out of the Matter standard

Current smart home devices that connect over a Wi-Fi network are limited and held back by the technology from older generations of Wi-Fi. The fifth generation of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5) is the most common version in the average consumer's home and has been widely available since 2014.

Because many wireless routers and devices from the past eight years were designed using Wi-Fi 5 for connectivity, this creates a unique problem for these newer IoT smart home products. Wi-Fi 5 wasn't built to accommodate the IoT devices of today, making our current smart home situation inconsistent.

Nest Wifi router on a desk with various cables plugged into a network switch

However, starting with Wi-Fi 6, we finally have a Wi-Fi networking standard that caters to smart home IoT products. Wi-Fi 6 sends and receives data packets to more devices simultaneously, which means fewer wait times when a request is sent. Think of it as a multi-lane highway for your home network. Your wireless router can now handle more traffic with Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 has been the most significant leap forward to the Wi-Fi wireless protocol in a long time, especially for the growing number of IoT devices in our homes.

What are the most common Wi-Fi protocols available today?

With all the talk about Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6, things will get more confusing for the average consumer. We're just getting started. Wi-Fi 6E is also here to replace Wi-Fi 6, along with Wi-Fi 6 Release 2, as the next big thing. And for good measure, Wi-Fi 7 was talked about and showcased with new demo products at CES 2022. Wi-Fi 7 is set to entirely replace Wi-Fi 6, which is still in the early days of consumer adoption.

Here's when modern Wi-Fi protocols were officially certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance:

The Wi-Fi Alliance certifies these Wi-Fi protocols before you can get products that support them. You'll typically see the newest protocol in consumer wireless routers or other devices within a year after certification. This is a general timeline that the industry tends to follow when a new Wi-Fi protocol is certified.

Should you get a new wireless router for your smart home?

Do you want to start building your smart home ecosystem and are currently in the market for a new wireless router? If that's the case, get Wi-Fi 6 at the minimum, as it's designed to handle IoT smart home devices. Although Wi-Fi 6 wireless routers have been out for a few years, it has taken them a while to become affordable for the average consumer. And with the recent arrival of Wi-Fi 6E, the newest extended version of the initial Wi-Fi 6 protocol, that price has dropped even more.

graphic showing various devices under Wi-Fi 6E banner
Source: Broadcom

You'll want Wi-Fi 6E to get the best features, but you'll pay a premium for the latest technology in most cases. Google is looking to bring Wi-Fi 6E to the masses with its Nest Wifi Pro, the successor to the older Nest Wifi and Google Wifi products. These devices have been popular as the go-to mesh home networking solution, and we think the Nest Wifi Pro can change the game again. Google's new focus on bringing Wi-Fi 6E into as many hands as possible means even better things for our future smart homes.

What are some security challenges with current Wi-Fi networks?

Another issue with many current IoT devices is how they can put our smart homes at risk from outside threats. Many wireless devices still use Wi-Fi 5, which launched with the WPA2 security protocol. WPA2 was introduced in 2004 but was made the mandatory security protocol for Wi-Fi starting in 2006.

Since then, we've relied on the same features to secure our wireless networks until Wi-Fi 6 came along. Today's focus on IoT and smart home devices means the time to move beyond the aging WPA 2 security protocol is right now.

image of a globe with a padlock superimposed on top
Source: Pixabay

Wi-Fi 6 introduced the next-generation security protocol for wireless networking, known as WPA3. It brings some much-needed enhancements for IoT devices in the smart home, which is essential for keeping our data safe. WPA3 will benefit all supported products across your Wi-Fi network, not only smart home devices.

Still, with more video doorbells, security cameras, and locks in and around our homes, you wouldn't want that kind of private information to get into the wrong hands. Thus, moving forward in wireless networking security goes hand in hand with the Matter smart home standard.

Your wireless router might support WPA3 security

If you have Google Wifi or Nest Wifi access points in your home, you can easily enable the WPA3 security protocol. Google released a software update to support WPA3 without forcing you to purchase any new hardware. This was a smart move on Google's part, as the Google Wifi and Nest Wifi products are highly rated in the mesh networking market.

Regarding other wireless router device manufacturers, you may not get a free WPA3 software update. In this case, you'll need to purchase a new wireless router with Wi-Fi 6 support at the minimum to get WPA3 security.

image of a gogle wi-fi router on table next to lamp

The Matter standard allows IoT devices to work offline using Thread for increased security and less reliance on the cloud. However, these devices can still use online services for various reasons. Because of that, you'll want at least a Wi-Fi 6 router to ensure you get WPA3 by default. Doing so boosts the security of your wireless network compared to what you get with Wi-Fi 5 and WPA2.

Matter makes smart home management simple

Matter is a huge step forward for smart homes, eliminating many of the annoyances that plague our devices. While we still have a way to go, the future where everything in your home works seamlessly together is no longer a distant dream.

Google Nest products are an obvious choice if you want to bring your smart home in line with Matter standards. Take a moment to check out our top Google Assistant commands that will make your smart speaker or display more useful than you ever imagined.