Android and iOS take significant steps toward launching Matter intelligent home compatibility. The Matter is a new intelligent home interoperability standard both Apple and Google enabled to create.
It’s getting more consolidated. With the drop of the iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 developer betas today, we have validation that “Matter Accessories” are on their route to Apple iPhones and iPads.
Google’s Google Home Developer Console, which allows developers to add Matter devices to its innovative home platform, also drove live today. The Matter is new intelligent home connectivity standard guarantees to unify all your connected devices. For example, it makes it more comfortable for your smart thermostat to talk to your corresponding door lock and for you to speak to either one using any voice assistant or smart home app you choose.
At WWDC this year, Apple revealed that iOS 16 would support Matter, and now we are seeing the first implementations.
A new alternative menu has appeared in Settings > General on both iPads and iPhones running the beta. Spotted by Aaron Zollo, it lists “Matter Accessories” and, when you tap it, takes you to a list of Matter accessories that have been added to “a connected service.”
There are no Matter-compatible accessories yet, as the Matter standard hasn’t been finalized. But this is an infallible sign that developers and manufacturers are testing prerelease software ahead of the anticipated launch of Matter this fall.
Apple has been involved with Matter since it first began as one of its founding members, along with Google, Samsung, and Amazon. All three smartphone manufacturers have publicly stated that their smartphone and tablet devices will be Matter controllers, meaning they can onboard Matter devices to your innovative home network.
Earlier this month, you can also see some beta Matter devices in action at the IFA tech conference. For example, Eve Systems showed off its smart plug controlled by Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.
The demo highlighted one of Matter’s core features — multi-admin control — which is hinted at in the iOS and iPadOS betas. It allows devices to have multiple masters, so you can ask Siri to turn down your Nest thermostat or have a Google Nest Hub control your Amazon smart plug. All this activity makes it seem increasingly likely that Matter will hit its goal of a fall launch, despite multiple previous delays.
Some screenshots that surfaced indicate Google is well on its way to adding a Matter Accessories section to its operating system. In addition, Matter Devices & Services section has appeared in the Google account settings for some users, with a prompt to connect a new Matter device and the option to show a notification when Matter devices are nearby automatically. It hints at another critical feature of Matter: a streamlined, more unified setup for smart home devices.