Google has officially wrapped up its first wave of Matter updates by bringing the interoperability feature to Nest and Android devices. If you own products in these lineups, you’ll now be able to quickly connect them to other Matter-enabled products.
The rollout happened quietly throughout December, with the original Google Home speaker, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub (1st Gen), Nest Hub (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max, and the Nest Wi-Fi Pro all receiving the update. You’ll also benefit from Fast Pair on Android, allowing you to quickly sync Matter devices to your home network. All updates happened automatically (so long as you’re running the latest firmware).
If you’re unfamiliar with Matter, the technology is aiming to consolidate the smart home market — allowing products from Apple, Google, or other manufacturers to easily communicate with devices outside their ecosystem. In other words, you’ll be able to shop for your favorite products without worrying if they’ll be compatible with your current setup. The number of Matter-enabled devices is limited right now (as it just went live a few months ago), but things are expected to ramp up as we move into 2023.
Looking forward, Google is hoping to bring Matter support to its iOS apps sometime next year. For now, only Android users can pair Matter devices with Home devices. The company is also planning to get Matter working with partners such as Eve, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue, and Meross.
We’re bound to see plenty of other first-party Google devices gain Matter support in the coming months, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled as we roll into the new year.
