Matter is here: New smart home standard appears on Android and iOS
After several postponements, the Matter smart home standard seems to be on track for a fall launch this year. A Matter service and devices section was first seen in Google's account setting that appeared for some users. And just yesterday, Apple released the iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 betas which included a dedicated Matter control section.
TL;DR
- The Matter section was added on iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 betas.
- Google also introduced a Matter option on Android.
- Matter is scheduled to arrive later this year.
With Matter, major manufacturers including Apple, Amazon, Google, Ikea, and Samsung want to widen the compatibility of smart home devices and IoT gadgets (Internet of Things) to many different smart home platforms. The new standard will ensure interoperability and multi-administration support for the hardware regardless of the ecosystem available at your home. For instance, Siri on iPhone would be able to control a Nest-branded thermostat if the latter is compatible with Matter.
Our colleague prepared a short editorial detailing why Matter ... matters and how the upcoming smart home standard will benefit everyone. Read NextPit's Matter 101 guide here.
Matter on Android and iOS 16
The iOS 16.1 pre-release update shows the Matter Accessories feature in the settings itself. A user with a developer profile can pair a Matter accessory or manage an entire array of paired devices right from an Apple iPhone or iPad running on the latest software. As AndroidPolice noted, this is still in an early stage with expected changes and improvements to happen in the interface over the coming weeks and months.
On an Android smartphone, the Matter service is accessible by additional taps in the Google account settings. It also enables a user to add unpaired Matter devices nearby. It remains unclear if Google will introduce a whole new section for Matter or if there will be a separate mobile app by the end of 2022.
Are you in favor of a cross-platform smart home standard and technology like Matter and Thread? Let us know your thoughts.
Via: Android Police
On an Android smartphone, the Matter service is accessible by additional taps in the Google account settings. It also enables a user to add unpaired Matter devices nearby. It remains unclear if Google will introduce a whole new section for Matter or if there will be a separate mobile app by the end of 2022.
I think you mean, Pixel, not Android - my Galaxy S22 Ultra has no such Setting.