Updated November 2026. An earlier version of this page described a HomeKit to Matter tool. We rewrote it around the tools people actually use today and the current state of each project.
Once Home Assistant runs your home, the rest of the household still wants to say “Hey Siri” or use the Google Home app. The good news is that you can keep every device managed in Home Assistant and still show it in those apps. Matter is one way to do that, and it has the advantage of being local. This page explains your options and how to set up a Matter bridge. If you want the opposite direction, adding Matter devices to Home Assistant, see our Matter devices setup guide.
Pick the right tool first
- Apple Home only: use the built-in HomeKit Bridge integration. It is part of Home Assistant, fully local, and very stable.
- Google Home or Alexa, with no extra software: Home Assistant Cloud (the optional subscription run by Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant) links both in a few clicks. It is a paid subscription and goes through the cloud.
- Several ecosystems at once, locally: a Matter bridge app, which makes your Home Assistant devices look like Matter devices to other apps. One bridge can be paired to Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa at the same time thanks to Matter multi-admin.
- A real Matter device you already have in Home Assistant: you do not need a bridge. Open the device page, use the three-dot menu and choose Share device.
- HomeKit-only accessories you want in Home Assistant: that is a different direction. Use the HomeKit Device integration, which pairs them to Home Assistant directly and locally.
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Home Assistant OS (so you can install apps), IPv6 enabled on your network, and at least one Matter controller in the house: an Apple TV or HomePod for Apple Home, a recent Nest speaker or hub for Google Home, or a recent Echo for Alexa. If you have none of these, a HomePod mini or a Nest Hub is the cheapest way to get one, and both also act as Thread border routers.
Matter bridge options in 2026
Home Assistant Matter Hub
The most popular choice. It reads entities from Home Assistant and publishes them as one or more Matter bridges. The original project by t0bst4r stopped active development in January 2026, and an actively maintained community fork by RiDDiX has taken over. A fork is a copy of the project that a different person now maintains. Check the fork’s GitHub page for the current app repository before you install, and expect some builds to be marked as alpha.
Matterbridge
A general purpose Matter bridge with a plugin system, including a Home Assistant plugin. It also runs as a Home Assistant app or a Docker container. A good alternative if you want one bridge for Home Assistant plus other sources.
Set up a Matter bridge step by step
The steps are the same for both projects in principle. The exact screens differ, so keep the project’s README open.
- Back up first. Settings > System > Backups > Back up now.
- Add the project’s app repository. Go to Settings > Apps, open the store, use the three-dot menu and choose Repositories, and paste the repository URL from the project’s README.
- Install and start the app, then open its web interface.
- Decide what to expose. Do not expose everything. Create a label in Home Assistant, for example
matter, under Settings > Areas, labels & zones > Labels, add it to the lights, switches, covers and sensors you want, and filter the bridge on that label. Twenty well chosen entities beat four hundred. - Create the bridge and wait for the pairing QR code and numeric code.
- Pair it in each ecosystem. In Apple Home: Add accessory and scan the code. In Google Home: Add device > Matter-enabled device. In Alexa: Add device > Matter. To add the bridge to a second ecosystem, open a new pairing window from the bridge UI.
- Assign rooms in each app. Rooms do not carry over through Matter, so you set them once per ecosystem.
Tips that save time
- Keep entity names short and human. The voice assistant uses the name you expose. “Kitchen light” works with voice, “Kitchen Ceiling Light 2 Switch” does not.
- Do not double expose. If a device is already in Apple Home through HomeKit Bridge, leave it out of the Matter bridge, or you get duplicate tiles and confused voice commands.
- Some device types do not translate well. Lights, plugs, switches, covers, locks and simple sensors work best. Climate, vacuums and media players depend on the controller and the bridge version.
- Locks and garage doors: think twice before exposing them to a voice assistant that anyone in the house, or a TV, can talk to.
Apple Home only: HomeKit Bridge instead
If everyone in the house uses iPhones, the built-in route is simpler and has no third party code:
- Go to Settings > Devices & services > Add integration > HomeKit Bridge.
- Choose the domains to include, for example lights, switches and covers.
- A notification in Home Assistant shows a QR code. Scan it in Apple Home with Add accessory.
- Refine which entities are included in the integration options.
Troubleshooting
- Pairing fails or spins forever. Check that IPv6 is enabled on the Home Assistant host and that your phone, the hub and Home Assistant are on the same network and VLAN.
- Devices show “No response” after a restart. Update the bridge app. Older builds could hand out new Matter IDs after a restart, which broke rooms and routines.
- Some entities are missing. Check the bridge filter and whether the entity type is supported by that bridge.
- Everything is slow in Google Home. Too many entities on one bridge. Split them into two bridges or expose fewer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Home Assistant act as a Matter bridge on its own?
No. Home Assistant is a Matter controller, so it adds Matter devices, but it does not publish your other devices over Matter by itself. For that you need a bridge app such as Home Assistant Matter Hub or Matterbridge.
Is Home Assistant Matter Hub still maintained?
The original project by t0bst4r ended active development in January 2026. A community fork by RiDDiX continues it, so check that fork’s GitHub page for current builds and install instructions.
How do I get Home Assistant devices into Apple Home?
The easiest way is the built-in HomeKit Bridge integration under Settings > Devices & services. A Matter bridge also works and lets you share the same devices with Google Home and Alexa at once.
How do I add HomeKit-only accessories to Home Assistant?
Use the built-in HomeKit Device integration. Remove the accessory from Apple Home first, or reset it, and Home Assistant can pair it directly with its HomeKit code.
Do I need a Thread border router to expose Home Assistant devices over Matter?
No. A Matter bridge runs over your normal network. You only need a Matter controller such as an Apple TV, HomePod, Nest hub or Echo for the ecosystem you want to use.
