Smart homes are supposed to make your life easier, but with every smart home device requiring their own apps to manage them, it hasn’t been easy for consumers to manage their different devices. Imagine being able to use all your Google smart home devices with Siri or all your Samsung smart home devices with Alexa. Now, with Matter, you can. Consumers can now control every Matter-trusted device in their home, regardless of brand, while choosing their individual products of choice. No closed ecosystem.

As consumers purchase many of their smart home devices during this time of year, this will be the first time they have the option to buy Matter-trusted devices. We are getting questions about what devices currently support Matter and questions about devices already in the field. In today’s post, we’ll aim to answer those questions.

What is Matter?

Matter is the first effort to provide a standard for secure, reliable interoperability for smart home devices, mobile apps and cloud services. It’s not a replacement for existing platforms, but a common way for devices and platform providers to communicate securely and reliably.

Sponsored by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), there are hundreds of companies, big and small, involved in Matter, and DigiCert has played a key role in developing the security-related aspects of the standard. This broad support will ensure that all devices, apps and platforms can work seamlessly together. Additionally, Matter is available globally and is an open-source standard.

Which manufactures support Matter?

The list of manufacturers that support Matter has now surpassed 300, with promoters including all the biggest names in smart home, like Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung. Just since the release of Matter 1.0, 20 new companies joined the project. With the adoption of Matter growing, it will be a key competitive differentiator for IoT device manufacturers. Thus, we expect to see more manufacturers around the world adopt Matter in the near future.

Which smart home devices are currently Matter-trusted?

There are 190 different devices that are currently Matter certified, with more expected to join soon.

Types of devices that currently support Matter include:

• Lighting products (smart plugs, lightbulbs, switches)
• Door locks
• Thermostats
• Heating and air conditioning
• Network and WiFi routers
• Motion sensors
• Blinds and shades
• Home security
• Televisions
• Smart speakers

For a more detailed list, visit https://matter-smarthome.de/en/overview-products-compatible-with-matter/. For Matter-enabled Google devices, visit https://developers.home.google.com/matter/supported-devices.

What about devices already in the home?

For many devices, software updates will provide Matter certification. This is the case for Apple devices, which updated to iOS 16.1 and watchOS9.1, released in October. While it will take time before Matter will be everywhere, we predict that it will eventually be the standard of the future.

Updates to release Matter to devices in the field:

• Apple iOS 16.1 devices and watchOS9.1 — October 2022
• Amazon Echo (except 1st gen Echo and Echo Dots) — expected December 2022
• Eve devices — expected December 2022
• Aqara Hubs — December 2022
• Amazon Thread on Echo and Eero mesh routers — expected 2023
• Aeotec and Samsung SmartThings Hubs (V2 and newer) — expected soon
• Google Nest smart speakers and displays and Google Home — expected soon
• Google Nest WiFi — expected soon
• Google Nest Thermostat — expected soon
• Ikea Dirigera smart home hub — expected soon
• Philips Hue smart lights — expected soon
• Schneider Electric Wiser gateways and smart plugs — expected soon
• Yale Assure and Assure 2 smart locks — expected soon
• TP Link

What devices will be added to Matter?

Devices expected to use Matter in the future:

• Security cameras
• Smart speakers
• Robot vacuums
• Garage door controllers
• Air quality sensor
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Motion sensors
• Home appliances

How does Matter ensure security and privacy?

Matter not only makes it easier to manage devices, but also increases your smart home security. Manufacturers selling Matter-trusted devices are required to meet certain requirements, including receiving device attestation certificates. DigiCert currently issues device attestation certificates that verify the identity of the manufacturer and device.

Device attestation is critical to Matter-trusted devices and accomplishes secure interoperability in three main ways:

1. provides assurance that the device comes from a trusted manufacturer,
2. installs a strong identity on the device, so they can be tracked and identified, and
3. enables validated, authenticated connections.

Thus, when you see the Matter logo on devices, you know it has met the requirements to be Matter-trusted and will connect to other devices seamlessly and securely.

Learn more about how you can stay smarter than your smart home by setting up new devices with best security practices for smart home.