Updated for 2026. This guide covers current Matter support status in Home Assistant, how to expose devices via the Matter bridge, and how to share Apple Home Matter devices with your HA setup.

Integrating Matter Devices into Your Home Assistant Setup

The smart home world spent a decade fragmented across Zigbee, Z-Wave, proprietary Wi-Fi protocols, and walled-garden ecosystems. Matter, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, is the universal layer that finally lets devices from different brands talk to each other natively. When paired with Home Assistant’s local-first architecture, you get a setup where Matter devices are commissioned once and controllable from multiple ecosystems without any cloud dependency. This guide walks through the current state of Matter support in Home Assistant, how to prepare your setup, how to commission new devices, how to use Home Assistant as a Matter bridge to expose existing devices, and how to share devices with Apple Home using multi-admin.

Current Matter Support Status in Home Assistant

Home Assistant has supported Matter as a core integration since version 2022.12. Every release since has expanded device type coverage and stability. Recent versions support Matter 1.3+ device types including:

• Lights (on/off, dimmable, color temperature, RGB)
• Switches and smart plugs with energy monitoring
• Contact, motion, occupancy, temperature, and humidity sensors
• Door locks
• Thermostats and HVAC
• Fans and ceiling fans
• Covers (blinds, shades, garage doors)
• Media devices including casting controls
• Air quality sensors and air purifiers
• Robotic vacuums

Cameras, smart appliances, and some advanced device classes still have partial or beta support, with active development happening on every release cycle. Check the Home Assistant changelog or the official Matter integration documentation for the latest device class additions.

What is Matter and How Does It Work With Home Assistant?

Matter is not another competing protocol. It’s an application layer standard built on top of existing networks (Wi-Fi and Thread) that defines a common language for smart home devices. The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which includes Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung, governs the spec. Its four design pillars are interoperability, local control, security, and reliability.

For Home Assistant users, Matter means three things: you can add devices from any brand without proprietary hubs, those devices work entirely locally without cloud dependency, and the same device can be controlled by multiple ecosystems at once thanks to multi-admin.

Preparing Home Assistant for Matter: What You Need

Before commissioning Matter devices, your setup needs three things:

1. A Thread Border Router for low-power Thread-based Matter devices (most sensors, locks, and battery devices). Wi-Fi-based Matter devices skip this requirement.
2. An updated Home Assistant instance. Run a recent version of HA Core and Supervisor. Matter support evolves quickly and older versions miss device types.
3. The Home Assistant companion app on a phone or tablet. Commissioning requires scanning a QR code through the app.

Compatible Thread Border Routers

Several options work as Thread Border Routers with Home Assistant Matter integration:

• Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 (formerly SkyConnect): the official USB stick, works with the OpenThread Border Router add-on for a fully HA-managed setup
• Home Assistant Yellow: built-in Thread radio
• Apple HomePod Mini, HomePod (2nd gen), Apple TV 4K (2021+): act as Border Routers if you’re on the Apple ecosystem too
• Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max
• Eero 6+ routers
• Aqara M3 Hub and similar third-party hubs

For a Home Assistant-first setup with full local control, the Connect ZBT-1 plus the OpenThread Border Router add-on is the cleanest path. Once your Border Router is active on the same network as Home Assistant, HA will detect it automatically and configure the Matter integration.

How to Add a Matter Device to Home Assistant

The commissioning process is straightforward:

1. Open Home Assistant and go to Settings > Devices & Services
2. Click Add Integration and search for “Matter”
3. Select Add Matter device
4. Home Assistant prompts you to use the companion app on your phone
5. In the app, scan the Matter QR code printed on the device or in its manual
6. The app securely transfers Wi-Fi or Thread credentials to the device
7. The device joins your network and appears as a standard HA entity

If you don’t have the QR code, most Matter devices also provide a numeric setup code (looks like 1234-5678-9012) that you can type in instead. The QR code is preferred since it includes additional commissioning data.

Home Assistant Matter Bridge: Expose Devices to Other Controllers

Home Assistant can act as a Matter bridge, exposing your existing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and other non-Matter devices to other Matter controllers like Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa. This means you can keep all your devices managed in HA but still appear natively in those ecosystems.

To set up the bridge:

1. Go to Settings > Devices & Services > Matter
2. Open the integration menu (three dots)
3. Select Open commissioning window
4. Home Assistant generates a Matter pairing code
5. On the other controller (e.g. Apple Home), add a new accessory using that code
6. Selected HA devices now appear in the other ecosystem

You can control which entities are exposed via the Settings > Voice assistants menu or the Matter integration options.

Share Matter Device From Apple Home to Home Assistant

Multi-admin is Matter’s killer feature: the same physical device can be controlled by multiple ecosystems simultaneously, each with full local access, without any of them going through the others as a bridge.

To share a device that’s already commissioned in Apple Home with Home Assistant:

1. Open the Apple Home app on your iPhone or iPad
2. Long-press the Matter device you want to share
3. Scroll down to Turn On Pairing Mode
4. Apple Home generates a numeric setup code valid for a few minutes
5. In Home Assistant: Settings > Devices & Services > Add Integration > Matter
6. Choose Add Matter device and enter the setup code
7. The device is now visible and fully controllable in both ecosystems

The reverse works the same way: open a commissioning window from Home Assistant and pair the resulting code into Apple Home, Google Home, or any other Matter controller.

Automating Matter Devices in Home Assistant

Once a Matter device is commissioned, it appears as a standard entity. A Matter light is a light entity, a smart plug is a switch, a sensor is a binary_sensor or sensor. Everything works with HA’s existing automation engine, scripts, and scenes.

Example automation that triggers a Matter light from a Zigbee motion sensor:

automation:
  - alias: "Hallway light on motion"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: binary_sensor.hallway_motion
        to: "on"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.matter_hallway_ceiling
        data:
          brightness_pct: 80
          color_temp: 350

Because Matter prioritizes local control, automations run instantly within your network independent of internet status or any cloud service.

Troubleshooting Matter Integration Issues

Common issues and fixes:

• Device not showing up during commissioning: Verify your Thread Border Router is active on the same network as HA. Check Settings > Devices & Services > Thread to confirm the Border Router is recognized.
• QR code won’t scan: Use the numeric setup code instead. Some printed QR codes are too small or low-contrast for phone cameras.
• “Already commissioned” error: The device is locked to another ecosystem. Use multi-admin (open pairing mode in the existing controller) or factory reset the device first.
• Device added but unresponsive: Check logs at Settings > System > Logs, filter for “matter”. Often a Thread routing issue, restarting the Border Router fixes it.
• Slow response times: Make sure HA is running a recent version, restart the Matter integration, check for firmware updates on the device itself.

Conclusion

Matter integration in Home Assistant has matured from experimental to genuinely production-ready over the last two years. The combination of universal device support, full local control, and multi-admin sharing means you can finally build a smart home that’s not locked into any single brand’s ecosystem. New device types arrive with nearly every HA release, and the Thread mesh keeps getting more reliable as more devices join the network. If you’ve been holding off on Matter, the current state is solid enough to commit to.