Google Nest and Android Become Matter-Compatible

Google has upgraded Google Nest and Android devices to enable support for the Matter standard of smart home devices. The cross-company connectivity standard allows Google devices to connect with others on the Matter standard from other brands and streamlined the connection and control byGoogle Home, Nest, and Android devices.

Google Matters

Google, Amazon, and a large coalition of tech companies created Matter as a connectivity standard they could agree to share. Making Matter the default for the Internet of Things allows customers interested in smart home devices to make purchases without having to check that it matches their current setup because the setups and connections have enough in common to make installation easy and require only one app across a huge number of devices, and ensuring most customers won’t be stuck with an isolated smart device limited to a single voice assistant or other AI. Google plans to include more than 80,000 Works With Google Home devices on the Matter standard, but not all at once. Currently, Android devices can pair a handful of Matter-compatible devices from brands like Eve, Nanoleaf, and Level and control them with a Nest, iPhone, or Samsung’s SmartThings hub. The same can happen in reverse with an Android device operating a smart home appliance set up by an iPhone. Amazon’s own limited list of Echo-controlled devices on the Matter standard is set to expand rapidly next year.

“As a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization that develops Matter, we’ve worked alongside 300 companies for nearly three years to help make it easier to connect smart home devices across hundreds of brands. With Matter, everything from smart lighting, thermostats, window shades and door locks will work better together with less time and effort on your part,” Google Home director of product management Karen Yao explained in a blog post. “In the new year, we’ll enable even more Google devices with Matter and bring iOS support to the Google Home app. We’re excited to see how the smart home grows and evolves as more Matter-enabled devices become available.”

Google Smart Home

The Matter compatibility follows the release of a new Google Home app designed around Matter, including more customization tools. The Fast Pair feature provides automatic detection and setup for smart home devices for speedier installation. Once installed, users can view the devices, their potential actions, and automated service in whatever form they prefer, meaning live camera streams and doors that lock automatically when the app is opened. It also continues Google Nest’s integration with Samsung SmartThings, which has deepened significantly this year with the introduction of a Google Nest app for the SmartThings platform offering more control over Nest devices to SmartThings users. The app lets users add Nest devices to the SmartThings controls. Nest can integrate devices certified in the Works With SmartThings (WWST) program. With the new Google Home platform embracing Matter, the integration should be even smoother.

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