Home LivingSmart HomeWhy Matter is the essential free upgrade your Google Nest or Amazon Echo needsHere’s why Matter matters to smart homeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart HomeWhy Matter is the essential free upgrade your Google Nest or Amazon Echo needsHere’s why Matter matters to smart homeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Here’s why Matter matters to smart home
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matter TV)
(Image credit: Matter TV)
Matter is a new standard for smart home technology andGoogleis embracing it wholeheartedly. It’s going to make a big difference to the Google Home app and to Nest-branded hardware.
Google’s senior director of the Google Smart Home Ecosystem, Michele Turner, sat down withThe Vergeto explain why Matter matters. And the main theme of the chat was that Matter will take away the pain points, those little irritations that make your smart home just a little bit annoying. Matter’s goal is to fix the smart home.
This isn’t just a Google technology. It’s an industry standard with widespread support. It’ll be coming to all of Google’s Nestsmart speakersand displays via an over-the-air update, and Google says it’ll also update its Google Home smart speaker,Nest Wi-Fi,Nest Hub MaxandNest Hub 2nd Genso they can operate as Matter routers using the Thread protocol. Thread is a way for smart home devices to talk to one another without needing a central hub.
How Matter will change your smart home
According to Turner, the first change you’ll notice is much faster setup when you buy new smart home kit. This is a real pain in the neck with a lot of smart home kit, so that one is very welcome indeed.
Turner says the second change is that you’ll have much better performance and reliability from your local network, with massively reduced latency: as Turner puts it, “if it’s not as fast as a light switch, what’s the point?”
And thirdly, Matter will embrace everything. “As much as we love having everybody using the Google Assistant, the reality is people have iPhones andAndroidphones in their homes,” Turner told The Verge. “Some of them want to use HomeKit… being able to have multi-admin really work well between these ecosystems is going to be a big benefit for users.”
The feature of Matter that I’m most excited about is what Google calls the “proactive home”. It takes the learning features of the Nest thermostat and applies them across your whole smart home ecosystem, so for example your smart home will learn your routines and do things accordingly, whether that’s turning on your smart lights or notifying you of unusual activity.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
I’m a big fan of smart home tech but I’m also well aware of its limitations and irritations and manufacturers' tendency to overhype things, so I’m glad to see that Turner isn’t promising an overnight revolution: Matter is going to take time to roll out, and the proactive home is something we’ll get incrementally rather than all at once. What Matter is offering is a better foundation for your smart home tech: simpler, faster and not limited to a single tech firm’s platform. Which sounds pretty smart to me.
Waking up for work is tough in the winter – but smart tech can help you avoid that snooze buttonHow smart tech makes winter mornings run smoother
How smart tech makes winter mornings run smoother
Hoka Bondi 9 review: Ultimate comfort meets everyday stabilityThe latest Bondi iteration elevates max-cushioned comfort with a softer ride, improved support, and durable design
The latest Bondi iteration elevates max-cushioned comfort with a softer ride, improved support, and durable design
Waking up for work is tough in the winter – but smart tech can help you avoid that snooze buttonHow smart tech makes winter mornings run smoother
How smart tech makes winter mornings run smoother
Withings’ smart mirror combines a smartwatch and scales into a full-length health scannerWithings debuts new conceptual smart health mirror at CES 2025
Withings debuts new conceptual smart health mirror at CES 2025
LG’s latest smart lamp grows indoor plants and sets the mood – but you might not get oneLG combines smart lighting with indoor gardening
LG combines smart lighting with indoor gardening
Samsung announces new AI home screens for its smart fridges and laundry appliancesSamsung previews its CES launches, including new AI Home screens
Samsung previews its CES launches, including new AI Home screens
I’m a smart home expert – these are the best smart home releases from 202411 smart home releases from 2024 actually worth buying, including Amazon Echo and Google Nest
11 smart home releases from 2024 actually worth buying, including Amazon Echo and Google Nest
Homey launches affordable smart home hub for less than $200It’s available to preorder from today
It’s available to preorder from today
Hisense’s CES smart home launches have been revealed – and they’re about to make household chores a lot easierThere are five new products altogether
There are five new products altogether
New study reveals the huge security flaw that homeowners are overlooking in the winterYale experts reveal how safe your home is in the winter – and how to improve your security
Yale experts reveal how safe your home is in the winter – and how to improve your security
