Google Nest and Android devices are now Matter controllers (for future devices) - Ars Technica

Enlarge / A full clump of Google devices, including Android phones, tin present power Matter devices. Those devices volition beryllium present astatine immoderate point, possibly soon.

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The promise of Matter—the aboriginal wherever smart-home devices easy nestle into your home, careless of what different devices oregon speakers you use—just got a spot person today. Google announced that Nest and Android devices are Matter-enabled, allowing them to acceptable up and power different Matter devices—that mostly don't beryllium yet.

If your Android instrumentality runs mentation 8.1 oregon higher and has Google Play Service 22.48.14 oregon newer, you tin usage it to brace a Matter-compatible instrumentality with different Matter products and controllers. In these early post-launch Matter days, that means you tin brace a fewer Eve devices that got their Matter firmware update 3 days ago. Or you tin hold connected a fewer Nanoleaf bulbs, immoderate Level astute locks, oregon immoderate other is to come. Nest devices that person softly received their latest firmware updates tin present beryllium utilized to power that aforesaid (quite limited) acceptable of devices.

The entreaty of the infinitesimal is that you could, technically, usage an Android telephone to enactment an Eve instrumentality onto your Matter network, past usage an iOS Home app, Samsung's SmartThings, oregon an Alexa talker (when those are updated successful aboriginal 2023) to really power that device. Alternatively, devices you brought onto the web with an iOS instrumentality could beryllium controlled from a Google Nest Hub oregon talker oregon different Nest device.

Google besides announced that it has added "Matter enactment for Fast Pair connected Android." As champion arsenic we tin tell, this means that erstwhile a Matter instrumentality is adjacent (advertising itself implicit Bluetooth), a pop-up punctual and network-adding travel that's akin to the 1 Google uses for Pixel Buds and different affable devices volition locomotion you done getting your instrumentality onto your network—with a nudge toward utilizing Google Home to power it. As Google notes successful its blog post, you should look for devices with a Matter badge to guarantee compatibility, but "also look for the Works with Google Home badge" to guarantee they "work good with Google devices."

More helpfully for immoderate aboriginal Matter home, the Nest Wifi Pro, Nest Hub Max, and second-generation Nest Hub should present beryllium moving arsenic Thread borderline routers, expanding Thread sum successful your home, adjacent if you're not utilizing Google Home to power it.

The Nest Mini, Audio, archetypal and second-gen Hubs, Max, and Wifi Pro, on with the Google Home and Google Home Mini, are receiving Matter controller enactment first. The Nest Wifi, Hub Max, and Learning Thermostat are slated to beryllium updated successful 2023.