Google-connected home devices are now Matter compatible

Google Home and Nest devices are compatible with Matter. This should make things a lot easier.

The Matter standard can only really make it easier to use home automation devices from different brands if the products are truly compatible with this protocol. Google today announced that it has enabled Matter compatibility on its Nest and Android devices, and you don’t need to download or install anything to take advantage of this. This means Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub (1st and 2nd generation), Nest Hub Max and the new Nest WiFi Pro speakers can now act as a hub for Matter and control your home automation installation.

Google Home and Nest devices are compatible with Matter

Google has also rolled out Matter support for quick pairing on Android, and the tech giant explains that this will allow Matter-enabled devices to connect to your home network “as fast as listening pairing.”Once your devices are connected, this feature will also make it easier to link Matter devices to home automation apps and ecosystems. In addition, Mountain View has updated the Nest WiFi Pro, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub (2nd generation) to work as Thread routers. Thus, you can use them to connect Thread-compatible products, a network protocol for low-power devices such as smart locks, in your installation.

This should make things a lot easier.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, of which Google is a member, has been working on Matter since 2019 to address fragmentation in home automation and make cross-vendor products easier to use. The standard was originally supposed to be launched in 2021, but had to be delayed several times before finally releasing version 1.0 and the product certification program last October. Shortly after the official launch of Matter, Samsung announced that it was working with Google to make it easier to add devices already set up with SmartThings to Google Home and vice versa. Amazon, one of the Alliance’s other founders, also lists 17 Echo devices that will be compatible with the standard in the coming days.

While very few products currently support Matter, Google says that list will grow rapidly in the coming weeks and months. All compatible devices will be marked with a special Matter icon and will work seamlessly with the aforementioned Google products and all other Matter devices.