What Matter is, and what it changes for a UK home
A plain guide to the Matter smart home standard: what it is, what it does for a UK household, and what it leaves for you to check.
By Ines Calder · · 5 min read · Comments
Matter is a standard for how smart home devices talk to the apps and hubs that control them. It is written and certified by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the body that used to be called the Zigbee Alliance, and version 1.0 was released on 4 October 2022 together with a certification programme, according to the Alliance's launch announcement. This guide explains the idea in plain terms and then lists what it changes for a household in the UK and what it does not.
What Matter is
Matter is not a new radio and not a new app. It is a set of rules for the conversation between a device (a bulb, a plug, a lock, a sensor) and a controller (a phone app, a smart speaker, a hub). Those rules run on top of networks you may already have. In the first release, the Alliance listed Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Thread as the networks a Matter device can use, with Bluetooth Low Energy used only to set a device up. Its FAQ describes setup as scanning a QR code or typing a numeric code, either in the maker's app or in a smart home platform.
Thread deserves a word. It is a low-power mesh network for small battery devices, and a Thread device reaches the rest of your home through a border router. The guide on Thread, Zigbee and Wi-Fi goes into that.
What it changes
Choice of controller. A Matter device is not tied to one company's app. Home Assistant's documentation describes a feature called multi-fabric, where one device is joined to several controllers at once, for instance Apple Home, Google Home and Home Assistant. Our piece on sharing a device between platforms covers how that works and where it gets fiddly.
Local control. Google's help page says Matter commands travel over your own network rather than out to a cloud service and back, and gives that as the reason for faster, more dependable responses. Matter-only devices still need an internet-connected controller in the house if you want to control them when you are out, a point the Alliance's FAQ makes directly.
Updates. The Alliance's announcement of Matter 1.2 mentions a requirement that certified products can receive over-the-air software updates. That matters for a switch or a lock that stays on a wall for years.
Older devices. Zigbee and Z-Wave devices do not become Matter devices by themselves. The FAQ says Matter and Zigbee devices cannot talk to each other directly, and that bridges are the route: a hub that speaks Zigbee or Z-Wave on one side and Matter on the other. Whether an existing product gets a Matter update is up to its maker.
What it does not change
It does not replace your platform. The FAQ answers the question "does Matter replace my smart home platform?" with a plain no. You still pick an app or hub to run automations.
It does not guarantee every feature. Matter defines a common set of device types and features, and each platform chooses which it supports and when. A device can carry the badge and still expose only some of its abilities in your app. We explain this in why a Matter badge does not mean every feature works.
It does not remove the need for a hub. Apple's support page says you need a home hub before Matter accessories can be added in the Home app, and a Thread device needs a Thread-capable hub or border router. Apple also notes that HomePod, HomePod mini and Apple TV are not sold in every country or region, so check availability before planning around one.
For a UK household
Nothing in the standard is specific to the United Kingdom, so the UK points are practical ones.
- Check the plug. A certificate says nothing about whether a smart plug fits a UK socket. Read the product listing for the plug type and the maximum load.
- Check your router. Google's page says Matter needs IPv6 enabled on the home network, and that without it setup can seem to work and then control fails later. If you are not sure what your broadband router does, the page suggests checking its manual or asking your provider. We have not checked what individual UK providers do by default.
- Check the controller you already own. A phone, a speaker or a TV may already be able to act as the controller. The platform's own help page lists which models qualify.
What to check before you buy
- The Matter badge, and which network the device uses (Wi-Fi, Ethernet or Thread).
- If it uses Thread, whether you already own a border router.
- The device type, and whether your controller supports that type.
- Whether the certification is listed, which the guide on reading a Matter certificate explains.
- Whether the maker says how it delivers firmware updates.
This guide is based on published specifications and documentation, read on 13 November 2026. We do not test devices.