What is Matter? The Smart Home Standard Explained
Updated · Sources are linked in each section · Editorial policy
Matter is an open, royalty-free smart home connectivity standard published by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the industry group formerly called the Zigbee Alliance. A device certified for Matter can be added to any platform that supports its device type, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, without a separate hub for each brand.
The problem Matter solves
Before Matter, every smart home platform had its own way to connect devices. A bulb or lock might work with Alexa and Google Home but not Apple Home, or need its maker's own hub and app, so shoppers had to check compatibility charts for each purchase. Matter gives devices one common language, so the maker certifies once and the device can work with every platform that supports that kind of device.
The standard began in 2019 as Project CHIP (“Connected Home over IP”), backed by Amazon, Apple, Google and the CSA, and was renamed Matter in May 2021 (CSA announcement). Matter 1.0 was released on October 4, 2022. The CSA has published about two releases a year since, plus smaller point releases; the latest, as of this update, is Matter 1.6 from June 2026. Our Matter versions explainer lists what each release added.
How Matter works
Matter is an application standard: it defines how devices describe what they are and how they accept commands. It runs over networks that are already common in homes:
Wi-Fi
Plugged-in devices such as plugs, switches, bulbs and appliances, and devices that move more data, such as cameras. They join your router; no border router is needed.
Thread
A low-power mesh network for sensors, locks, buttons and some bulbs and plugs. Thread devices need a Thread border router in the home.
Ethernet
A wired connection, used mostly by hubs and bridges.
Bluetooth LE
Used by most devices only while you set them up, not for everyday control. Newer releases add setup over NFC or Wi-Fi alone.
Setup works the same way everywhere: you scan the device's Matter QR code, or type its numeric setup code, in your platform's app, and the app adds the device securely. Commands then travel over your home network rather than through each maker's cloud. Three different jobs are involved, and one box can do one, two or all three:
- Matter controller: Adds and runs devices in your platform. Often a smart speaker, display, streaming box or hub you already own.
- Thread border router: Connects Thread devices to your home network. Many controllers include one, but not all.
- Bridge: Brings supported non-Matter devices, such as some Zigbee or Bluetooth accessories, into Matter.
Our hubs and bridges guide explains these roles, and Thread border routers explained lists which Apple, Google, Amazon and Samsung devices include a border router, according to their makers.
One device, several platforms
Matter's multi-adminfeature lets you add one device to more than one platform, for example a lock in both Apple Home and Google Home. You set the device up in one app, use that app's option to share it or turn on pairing mode, then add it in the second app with the new code. The specification requires certified devices to support at least five of these connections, called fabrics (explainer). Matter 1.4 made sharing to several platforms simpler, and Matter 1.6 added Joint Fabric, in which controllers you authorize share one Matter network (CSA: Matter 1.6).
What Matter does not do
- It does not put every feature in every app.A maker's own app often exposes settings that the Matter integration does not.
- Platforms support different device types.Amazon, for example, says its Echo devices support “a subset of Matter 1.5 and lower device types” (Amazon developer documentation). Check that your platform lists the kind of device you want.
- It does not make older devices Matter devices. Some get firmware updates; others can join only through a bridge that supports them.
- A Matter logo on a listing is not proof for the exact model. Certification covers a specific product and software version. See how to verify Matter certification and certified vs compatible.
Which devices support Matter?
Matter 1.0 covered lights, plugs and switches, door locks, thermostats, blinds and shades, sensors, TVs and bridges. Later releases added robot vacuums, appliances, smoke and CO alarms, air purifiers and fans (1.2), EV chargers and water leak sensors (1.3), solar, batteries, heat pumps and water heaters (1.4), and cameras (1.5). The CSA keeps the official certified product database.
MatterCatalog lists 2,697 catalog records from the CSA registry and retailers: 1,062 Matter products sold in the US, plus certification records and products sold outside the US. 1,890 of the records have a CSA certificate matched to the record; each product page says which, so you can tell a certified model from a support claim.
642 Matter products with a verified US store link have a CSA certificate matched to their exact model, in 14 categories: see the list of Matter certified devices.
Matter compared with Zigbee and Z-Wave
| Feature | Matter | Zigbee | Z-Wave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintained by | Connectivity Standards Alliance | Connectivity Standards Alliance | Z-Wave Alliance |
| Built on IP networking | Yes | No | No |
| Radio | Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet | 2.4 GHz (IEEE 802.15.4) | Sub-GHz (around 900 MHz in the US) |
| Works across platforms | Yes, on platforms that support the device type | Through the hub it is paired to | Through the hub it is paired to |
| What you need | A Matter controller; Thread devices also need a border router | A Zigbee hub or coordinator | A Z-Wave hub |
Working Zigbee and Z-Wave setups do not need replacing; many hubs bridge them into Matter. Our Matter vs Zigbee vs Z-Wave guide compares them in detail.
How to set up a Matter device
- Check that your platform has a Matter controller, and a Thread border router if the device uses Thread.
- Find the setup code: a QR code or numeric code on the device, its packaging or its manual. Keep it; you need it to reset or re-add the device.
- In your platform's app, choose to add a device, then scan or type the code. Keep Bluetooth on; most devices use it during setup.
- Name the device and choose its room. To use it in a second platform, share it from the first app.
Our setup guide has the steps for Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings, and the Matter FAQ answers common questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Matter free to use?
For buyers, yes. There is no fee or subscription for using Matter devices. Manufacturers pay to join the Connectivity Standards Alliance and to certify their products.
Do my existing smart home devices support Matter?
Some do after a firmware update, and some can join through a bridge, such as a hub that exposes its own accessories to Matter. Others never will. Check the manufacturer’s documentation for your exact model.
Does Matter work without internet?
Matter devices are controlled over your home network rather than through each maker’s cloud, so control inside the home does not depend on the maker’s servers. Remote access from outside the home, and many voice assistant features, still depend on your platform’s cloud service.
What's the difference between Matter and Thread?
Thread is a network, like Wi-Fi. Matter is the application standard that runs on top of Thread, Wi-Fi or Ethernet and defines how devices describe themselves and accept commands. A Matter device can use Thread, but not every Thread device uses Matter.
Sources
- Connectivity Standards Alliance: Matter
- Connectivity Standards Alliance: Matter FAQ
- CSA: Matter 1.0 announcement (October 2022)
- Apple Support: pair and manage Matter accessories
- Google Nest Help: Matter hubs
- Amazon: Matter support on Echo devices
MatterCatalog does not test devices; this page summarizes the documentation above. See our editorial policy.
See also: What Is Matter? The Complete Guide to the Smart Home Standard, our shorter blog introduction.