Matter is rolling out to Android phones and the Google Home ecosystem
After years of teases and promises,Matterfinally launched in November 2022. The smart home standard that wants to interconnect all products in your home regardless of ecosystem and manufacturer is officially ready to be used, and many devices are getting updated to support it. Today, Google has announced that it is also jumping on the bandwagon, stating that most of itsgreat smart home devicesand virtually all Android phones are now equipped with Matter.
Google started updating the millions upon millions of Android devices out there and many of its smart home products these past few weeks, andthe company saysthat the rollout is finished as of today.
What does the Matter rollout mean for you?
What’s probably most exciting for Android users is that the update will enable support for Fast Pair. This will allow you to connect a new smart home device that supports Matter with the tap of a button, similar to how you can quickly connectthe latest and greatest earbudsand other accessories.
The Google Home app for Android is also introducing support for the standard, which is necessary in order to have a true hub to collect all devices that support matter. If iOS is more of your jam, things are moving a tad slower, with Google Home for this platform getting Matter support in 2023.
On top of that, Google’s smart home devices are receiving support for Matter. The company brought the smart home standard to the following devices:
Additionally, the Nest Wifi Pro, Nest Hub Max, and the Nest Hub (2nd gen) can serve as so-called Thread border routers, enabling full Matter support for your smart home devices. To explain, Matter is operating on a number of different connectivity standards like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. The latter is a low-energy network that lives parallel to your Wi-Fi network and is best for low-power devices like smart locks.
There are a few notable omissions in Google’s lineup, but the company makes clear that more Nest devices will receive the update next year, in 2023. The older Nest Wifi and the 2020 Nest Thermostat will support the standard then, too.
Google also wants to make Matter’s Multi Admin feature better in 2023, and is working with Samsung SmartThings on an easy option to add smart home devices to both platforms without a lengthy setup process. This is great for households where people prefer different platforms.
What does Matter on Android and Google Home mean for developers?
For developers, flipping the Matter switch on for Android and Google Home means that they can now start building apps and products using Matter APIs, as the companyannounced on its developer blog. Google points those interested to theGoogle Home Developer Centerfor details on how they can get started. The company offers a number of SDKs, which allows developer to build solutions for multi-admin options, Thread support, and more. There is also a sample app for Matter to use for inspiration.
A few companies were able to pilot Matter support as part of an Early Access Program, making it possible for Google to react to what developers need. Some big names are among them, so you can expect proper support for Matter from them soon. The companies in question are Eve, Meross, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue, and Tuya.
Matter is slowly getting there
Overall, the Matter rollout have been moving slowly following the big November announcement, but that might change now. Google is one of the biggest player in the area and thus a gatekeeper, so with the company adding support for the standard, we might soon see a ton of smart home gadgets that ship with Matter.
UPDATE: 2022/12/16 10:54 EST BY MANUEL VONAU
Details for developers
This article has been updated with further details relevant for developers.
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