Aqara adds Matter support for 50+ smart home device categories and debuts Advanced Bridging
Matter enhances smart home connectivity by enabling devices from different brands to communicate. Unfortunately, its adoption hasn't been as rapid as some in the industry expected. Aqara is speeding up the process with Matter upgrades, enabling compatibility with more than 50 product categories. Also, the new Advanced Matter Bridging brings Aqara exclusive features to third-party smart home devices.
Aqara products are already compatible with popular ecosystems like Apple Home, Google, and Alexa. However, one issue with Matter is when smart home devices are reduced to basic functionality. To address this drawback, Aqara is introducing Advanced Matter Bridging. Aqara gives the example of its G4 Smart Video Doorbell detecting a homeowner and triggering a Nanoleaf light to display a specific scene. This type of automation was either previously unavailable or required additional apps.
The new bridging capabilities are available in many Aqara Matter controllers. These include the brand's first Matter controller, the Hub M3, as well as doorbell and camera hubs. Buyers must update their gear to the latest 4.3.4 firmware and use the latest version of the Aqara Home app.
Aqara is praising its Matter interoperability with an endless selection of smart home devices. The functionality goes well beyond toggling on and off smart plugs and light bulbs. Its hubs now communicate with robot vacuums, refrigerators, and air conditioners without compromises. With enhanced Matter connectivity, Aqara's energy-saving features also apply to more appliances throughout homes.
If past experiences repeat, setting up Matter equipment is often more complex than anticipated. Still, Aqara's upgrades are a step toward having all smart home devices remain in perfect sync.
Source(s)
Press release via Aqara PR
Aqara Enhances User Experience with Expanded Matter Device Integration and Advanced Bridging Capabilities
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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aqara, a global leader and pioneer in IoT, announced a significant advancement of Matter standard adoption across the Aqara ecosystem. The Aqara Home platform is poised to integrate over 50 unique types of Matter-enabled devices, making it easier than ever for users to manage and automate their connected home devices in one centralized platform. Additionally, the Advanced Matter Bridging feature, initially introduced with the Hub M3, is now available on all Aqara Matter Controllers and bridges. This feature enables users to seamlessly bridge Aqara devices’ advanced functionalities to third-party Matter platforms.
“Aqara is fully committed to embracing cross-platform interoperability with Matter,” said Eugene You, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Aqara. “We believe an open ecosystem is essential for the widespread adoption of smart home technology. By advancing Matter support, we offer users more flexibility, customization, and enhanced experiences across platforms, while providing even more value to our customers regardless of the platform they prefer.”
“We’ve seen tremendous growth and momentum for Matter, thanks in part to leading brands like Aqara, who are simplifying the consumer experience,” shared Tobin Richardson, President & CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. “Aqara’s expansion of Matter support across their hub and bridge products, along with the broadening of Matter device compatibility on their platform, is a testament to our shared vision of a simple, interoperable, and powerful smart home future. We applaud the team at Aqara for achieving this impressive milestone.”
Advanced Matter Bridging across Platforms
Interoperability has always been a priority in Aqara’s product design. For years, Aqara has partnered with major platforms like Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Home Assistant, Homey, and SmartThings, to ensure seamless compatibility and an optimized user experience for Aqara devices.
As an early advocate of the industry-unifying Matter standard, Aqara has integrated Matter compatibility across its comprehensive portfolio, including its classic Zigbee device lineup. To further enhance connectivity among Thread-enabled devices, Aqara has optimized its Thread Border Routers to support Thread network sharing, allowing them to join existing Thread networks from other ecosystems. Additionally, Aqara Thread Border Routers will be enhanced with the capability to communicate across different local area networks (LANs)*. This approach significantly improves the robustness and reliability of the smart home experience.
To provide users with even more flexibility, the Company has introduced an innovative feature — Advanced Matter Bridging — with its Hub M3. This feature is designed to bridge Aqara’s unique features and functionalities to third-party Matter platforms. It allows users to convert customized Scenes and Signals — created within the Aqara Home app — into virtual plugs and occupancy sensors, which can then be synchronized to other platforms via Matter. With this feature, users can bridge advanced device functionalities — previously exclusive to the Aqara ecosystem — such as on-device AI detection in Aqara cameras and fall detection in the FP2. Additionally, users can bridge advanced capabilities of Aqara’s automation engine, like power automation, which can trigger different automations based on a device's real-time power consumption.
The Advanced Matter Bridging feature is available across all existing and upcoming Aqara Matter Controllers, including the Hub M3, Camera Hub G5 Pro, Hub M100 and Doorbell Camera Hub G410, as well as older Matter bridges like the Hub M2, Hub M1S/M1S Gen 2, Hub E1 and Camera Hub G3. This allows more users to maximize the capabilities of their smart homes, regardless of the Matter platform they choose.
The Advanced Matter Bridging feature is available across Aqara’s current lineup of Matter Controllers and bridges through firmware version 4.3.4. To access this feature, Aqara Home version 5.1.4 or newer is required.
Expanded Matter Device Integration
With the release of its first Matter Controller, the Hub M3, Aqara opened up the Aqara Home platform and its user-friendly automation engine to integrate third-party Matter devices, enabling sophisticated home automation.
With support for over 50 different types of Matter-enabled devices, Aqara offers one of the broadest levels of Matter interoperability today. This new update makes it easy for consumers to connect and control the smart devices they already own, while also ensuring that Aqara Home is future-proof, with ongoing support for both current and emerging products.
New Matter device types that are supported by Aqara Home include:
Robotic Vacuums
Dimmable Plugs
Smoke and CO Alarms
Air Quality Sensors
Leak, Freeze, and Rain Sensors
Curtains and Shades
Fans and Air Purifiers
Air Conditions and Heat Pumps
Water Valves and Pumps
Pressure Sensors
Solar Panels and Battery Storage
Vehicle Chargers
Laundry Washers and Dryers
Refrigerators
Cooktops, Hoods, and Surfaces
Ovens and Stoves
Water Heaters
Video Players and Speakers
Support for additional Matter device types is included in Aqara Home version 5.1.9 and firmware version 4.3.5 for the Matter Controllers, with these updates expected to be rolled out later this month.
For more information on the new updates, please visit our website.
* Aqara Thread Border Routers may not be able to join some existing Thread networks due to limitation of certain Matter ecosystems. Thread communication across LANs is under development, and its availability is expected in Q2 2025.
