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Business Standard
08-05-2025
- Business Standard
Soon, setting up Matter-certified smart home devices will become easier
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is rolling out an update to the Matter protocol that will make it easier to set up compatible smart home devices. As part of the new Matter 1.4.1 specification, users will get access to improved setup options, including a multi-device setup QR code, NFC-based setup, and a more seamless in-app onboarding process. What is new in Matter 1.4.1 Multi-device setup QR code: Users will be able to scan a single QR code to set up multiple devices at once. This is especially useful for products like smart light bulb packs, which previously required scanning and configuring each unit separately. Manufacturer support is required for this to work. NFC setup: The update enables NFC-based setup as a standard feature. While Apple devices already support NFC pairing, this move will bring the capability to a broader range of products from other manufacturers. Enhanced setup flow: Users will now be able to accept a manufacturer's terms and conditions directly within the setup app, rather than being redirected to a separate web browser. This simplifies and streamlines the overall onboarding process. What is Matter protocol Matter is an open-source, royalty-free connectivity standard that enables smart home devices from different manufacturers to work together reliably and securely. Designed to solve compatibility issues, Matter allows devices to communicate across ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings What brands make Matter-certified devices The Matter standard is developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, a group that includes major technology companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, Huawei, and others. These companies have committed to supporting Matter, allowing consumers to choose from a wide range of compatible devices while sticking to the ecosystem of their choice. How to use Matter devices To use a Matter-certified device, you will need a Matter controller specific to your smart home platform. Examples include: You will also need the respective mobile app, which acts as the Matter commissioner, to pair and manage the device.
Android Authority
07-05-2025
- Android Authority
Setting up your smart home could be a lot easier next time around, thanks to new Matter update
Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority TL;DR Matter 1.4.1 implements a handful of new features to ease new-device setup. Multi-device QR code setup will let you add a whole box of smart home devices while only scanning a single QR code. NFC support adds flexibility to setup, especially where QR codes could be awkward. Living in a properly configured smart home can be something out of a dream. Curtains part in expectation of the morning sun, foyer lights turn on as guests ring the doorbell, and agile little robots clean up everyone's crumbs. We've got no shortage of devices ready to start making our lives easier in myriad ways, but there's one big speedbump to clear before you're able to enjoy these modern niceties: getting it all set up. Today we're learning about a couple new developments that could make configuring your next smart home go over much more smoothly. The early days of smart home connectivity represented a bit of a cobbled-together mess, but in recent years we've seen the adoption of standards like Threads and Matter to simplify how we network together and communicate with all this hardware. Today the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) announces Matter 1.4.1, the latest version of the standard with an emphasis on tools for easy setup. We're looking at three main feature additions here, each one involved with streamlining different parts of smart home setup. Maybe the one with the potential to be the most impactful is multi-device QR code setup. While QR codes already make setting up smart home gear much easier than it would be if we had to manually type a whole bunch of serial numbers in, it can still take the better part of forever when you're working with a lot of little devices, like smart outlets or bulbs. With Matter 1.4.1, you could scan a single QR code and set up an entire box of smart bulbs all at once. Another useful one involves expanding the existing QR code-based setup workflow to also support NFC. The thinking here is that QR codes might not be easy to access, especially if you've already physically installed something in a wall, while just getting close enough for an NFC scan might add some extra flexibility. Finally, we're learning about a general change to the hardware onboarding process, with a more integrated option for agreeing to a manufacturer's terms and conditions. Just by avoiding the need for users to jump between apps as they agree to terms, that could speed up setup, especially when you're doing a lot of it, all at once. Of course, we actually have to wait for smart home companies to start implementing this latest version of the standard before we can hope to actually enjoy the fruits of the CSA's efforts, but this sounds like fantastic news, all around. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Digital Trends
07-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Setting up your smart home is about to get a lot easier
Say goodbye to (some) smart home woes. New user-facing features are coming to Matter that will make it easier than ever to set up your smart home and circumvent some of the more finicky, frustrating parts of adding new devices. The features come as part of the 1.4.1 specification announced today by the Connectivity Standards Alliance. The most useful feature of this update is Multi-Device Setup QR Code. Some smart devices (like a pack of lightbulbs) currently require you to scan each bulb individually and set it up in-app before moving on to the next. Not only is this time-consuming, but you often have to scan the code while the device is powered on. Since the QR code is usually found at the base of a device, it can be a tricky proposition. Recommended Videos With this new update, users will only need to scan a single QR code to set up multiple devices at one time. Of course, that's dependent on the manufacturer enabling the function in its devices. Another useful feature is the ability to set up a device through an NFC connection. This isn't technically new; both Apple HomeKit and smart light company LIFX, among others, have used this function for years now, but it wasn't a popular choice throughout the industry. By making it part of the Matter protocol, it can spread to a wider range of devices. The final notable update is called Enhanced Setup Flow. Let's say you're using the Google Home app to set up a new device, but you have to agree to the manufacturer's terms and conditions. Normally, it would kick you out of the Home app and into the app for that specific device. With ESF, you can agree to the terms and conditions without leaving the Home app. 1.4.1 is the first 'dot' release for Matter, and these changes are relatively small — but they mark an update addressing some of the primary complaints users have with the protocol, and anything that makes managing a smart home easier is a welcome addition. Please enable Javascript to view this content
Forbes
07-05-2025
- Forbes
Latest Matter Update Focuses On Smoother Smart Home Setup
The Matter smart home Paul Lamkin The latest Matter update is here, but instead of shiny new device types, version 1.4.1 is all about behind-the-scenes improvements for you to get your smart home devices up and running with less hassle. This is the first time the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has released a 'minor' Matter update, under a new naming system that separates major and minor versions. In the past couple of years we've seen standard 'dot' updates, like December's 1.4 launch that added the likes of hybrid solar/battery systems, battery walls, storage units, heat pumps and water heaters to the mix. The CSA isn't relenting on its bi-annual update cadence for Matter, but we're told that the 'dot' numbering will be for major releases and the 'dot dot' for minor releases… so we can consider 2025's first update minor. However, there's plenty in the update to get Matter users excited about, and you could argue that these application refinements are more useful than expanding device categories at this point. That's because Matter 1.4.1 is entirely focused on making setup easier and more consistent across devices and ecosystems, which has been a huge bugbear for smart home enthusiasts getting to grips with the Big-Tech-backed smart home standard over the last couple of years. 1.4.1 introduces three new features: an Enhanced Setup Flow, multi-device QR codes, and NFC onboarding - all aimed at reducing friction and improving the user experience when adding new Matter devices to your system. Enhanced Setup Flow (ESF) makes it possible for manufacturers to display their terms and conditions (and collect user consent) directly within the ecosystem app you're using to onboard a device. That might sound pretty dry but it should mean less jumping around different apps just to accept legal terms before setup can finish. A more visible update is the QR code one. If you've ever set up a multi-pack of smart bulbs or plugs, you know the pain of scanning each device's QR code separately, waiting for one to finish before starting on the next. Matter 1.4.1 introduces support for a multi-device QR code, which lets brands place a single code on the box that can onboard several devices at once. This should be a big time-saver once the major players like Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung allow it within their respective ecosystems. The 1.4.1 bump also adds support for embedding onboarding data into NFC tags, meaning you'll soon be able to tap your phone to a device to begin the setup process, with no camera or QR code scanning needed. This will be especially useful for products where the QR code is hidden after installation, such as light switches or ceiling-mounted fixtures. Until now QR codes and manual numeric codes were the Matter onboarding methods, so the addition of NFC tapping gives users more flexibility depending on their setup situation. So while we'll have to wait for 1.5 for new device types (speakers and security cameras please), the enhancements 1.4.1 brings could significantly cut down on setup frustrations, especially for less tech-savvy users or those just starting to build out a smart home. It's just what Matter needed.
The Verge
07-05-2025
- The Verge
Matter's latest update brings tap-to-pair setup
Two new features coming to Matter are designed to make setting up smart gadgets easier. Multi-device QR codes and a tap-to-pair onboarding via NFC are new options for adding devices like smart lights, plugs, locks, and more to a Matter home network. The updates are part of the new 1.4.1 specification for Matter announced today by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization that runs the smart home interoperability standard developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and others in the industry. With multi-device QR codes, a multi-pack of devices – such as four lightbulbs or a two-pack of plugs – can now use a single QR code. When that's scanned into a Matter-compatible app, such as Amazon Alexa or Apple Home, it will set up all four bulbs at once, rather than you having to go through the setup four times and scan each code individually, which is the current process. NFC onboarding brings the option to skip the QR code and just tap or bring your phone near to a device to pair it to a Matter platform. This should speed up the process as well as make it easier to set up devices that have codes in awkward spots, such as lightbulbs, which have to be powered on to be paired. Trying to scan a code on a bulb when it's already in the fixture can be tricky, not to mention painful to the eyes (speaking from experience). NFC set-up isn't new; Apple has offered it as a way of adding HomeKit accessories for a while, and smart lighting manufacturer Nanoleaf also has it as an option on its devices. But it's not widely used. Hopefully, the addition to the Matter spec will bring more adoption. A third update with 1.4.1 allows you to accept any terms and conditions a manufacturer requires directly from the smart home controller app you're using to set up the device — such as Google or Apple's Home app. Currently, if T&Cs are required, you'll be kicked into the manufacturer app. Called Enhanced Setup Flow, this appears to be designed to meet regulatory requirements such as Europe's GDPR, but it could be a step towards adding more manufacturer information in smart home controller apps, meaning less need to use third-party apps. We won't see security cameras, smart speakers, or any new major features come to Matter until late 2025 at the earliest The release of the Matter 1.4.1 spec and SDK means developers can now implement these features in their devices. However, it will still be a while before you see them on the gadgets you buy for your smart home, and it could be even longer before the smart home platform you use supports them. Anything that makes setting up a Matter device smoother is a welcome update. To date, the process has been very hit or miss for me, and I'm not alone. While things have definitely improved, easy setup is one of the core ideas behind the standard. It's been over two years since Matter launched, and I would have hoped this would be solved already. These updates are very minor for a new spec release, which is why it has the 1.4.1 designation — the first dot dot release for Matter. The CSA confirmed this is its official spring release, labeling it Matter's first 'minor release,' and saying that they are still on a bi-annual release cadence following the 1.4 update in November 2024. This means we won't see security cameras, smart speakers, or any other new device types or major features come to Matter until late 2025, at the earliest. While that's disappointing for those of us watching Matter closely, it does jive with the CSA's statement from earlier this year that 2025 is going to be a year of focusing on reliability and performance. What is Matter? Matter is a smart home interoperability standard designed to provide a common language for connected devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection. It is built to be secure and private, easy to set up, and widely compatible. Developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung (and others), Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity software layer for smart home devices. It works over Wi-Fi, ethernet, and the low-power mesh networking protocol Thread. The standard currently supports most of the main device types in the home, including lighting, thermostats, locks, robot vacuums, refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, ovens, smoke alarms, air quality monitors, EV chargers, and more. A smart home gadget with the Matter logo can be set up and used with any Matter-compatible ecosystem via a Matter controller and controlled by more than one system via a feature called multi-admin.
