Matter and Thread: the smart home standards, demystified

For years, smart home buyers had to check whether a device worked with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa or SmartThings. Matter is the industry's attempt to fix that.

What is Matter?

Matter is an open, royalty-free smart home standard managed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), with backing from Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung and many others. A Matter-certified device is designed to work with any Matter-compatible ecosystem.

Key ideas:

• Local control. Matter devices communicate on your home network, so many automations keep working even if your internet goes down.
• Multi-admin. One device can be controlled from more than one ecosystem at once — for example, both Apple Home and Google Home.
• Simple setup. Devices are added by scanning a Matter QR code or entering a pairing code.

What is Thread?

Thread is a low-power wireless networking protocol. Matter can run over Wi‑Fi, Ethernet or Thread.

Thread devices form a mesh: mains-powered devices such as smart plugs and bulbs relay messages for others, so the network gets stronger as you add devices. Battery-powered sensors benefit from Thread's low energy use.

Thread border routers

To connect a Thread network to the rest of your home network, you need a Thread border router. Many recent smart speakers, smart displays and streaming boxes include one — check your existing devices before buying a separate hub.

Before you buy a device

1. Look for the Matter logo on the box or listing.
2. If it's a Thread device, make sure you have a Thread border router.
3. Check which device types your ecosystem supports — Matter adds new categories over time, and support can vary between platforms.
4. Prefer devices that receive regular firmware updates.