Smart home technology has had an interoperability problem for years. A bulb that works with Alexa might not work with Google Home. A lock that integrates with Apple’s HomeKit might not communicate with your thermostat. The result, for many households, has been a fragmented collection of devices that each require their own app and refuse to talk to each other intelligently.
Matter 2.0 is the latest version of the open connectivity standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung, among others. It extends the original Matter specification with improved device category support and more reliable multi-controller operation — meaning one device can be managed by multiple smart home platforms simultaneously. This guide walks you through migrating your existing setup to Matter 2.0 without starting from scratch.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Devices
Before you migrate anything, take an inventory of every smart device in your home. For each one, note the manufacturer, model, and current firmware version. Then check whether it supports Matter 2.0 natively or through a firmware update.
The easiest way to check is through the manufacturer’s support page or the Matter compatibility list maintained by the Connectivity Standards Alliance. Most devices manufactured from 2024 onward support Matter in some form, and many have received or are scheduled to receive Matter 2.0 firmware updates. Older devices — particularly those purchased before 2022 — may not be upgradeable to Matter and may need to be replaced if you want a fully integrated setup.
Do not assume compatibility based on brand. Even within a single manufacturer’s lineup, some models support Matter and others do not. Check each device individually.
Step 2: Set Up a Thread Border Router
Matter uses two underlying communication protocols: Wi-Fi for devices that plug into power outlets, and Thread for battery-powered devices like sensors and locks. Thread is a low-power mesh networking protocol that requires a Thread Border Router to connect Thread devices to your broader home network and the internet.
Several current smart home hubs serve as Thread Border Routers. Apple TV 4K (third generation and later), Eero routers (select models), and Google Nest Hub (second generation) all include Thread Border Router functionality. If you already own one of these devices, you may already have a Thread Border Router in place.
If you do not, choose a hub that aligns with the primary ecosystem you use most. For households that use both Apple and Google products, having border routers from both ecosystems can improve coverage and redundancy, since Thread devices will connect to whichever router offers the strongest signal.
Step 3: Update All Device Firmware
This step is non-negotiable. Matter 2.0 requires devices to be running the latest security patches and compatibility updates to bridge correctly across platforms. A device with outdated firmware may appear to support Matter but fail to commission properly or behave unreliably in a multi-controller environment.
Update every smart device in your home — not just the ones you plan to commission under Matter — before beginning the migration. Most updates can be pushed through each device’s native app. For hub-connected devices, updates often happen automatically, but verify rather than assume.
Pay particular attention to smart locks and security cameras. These device categories received specific security requirement updates in Matter 2.0, and older firmware versions may not meet the new standard even on hardware that is otherwise Matter-compatible.
Step 4: Commission Devices Using Multi-Admin
One of Matter 2.0’s most practical features is multi-admin commissioning — the ability to add a single physical device to multiple smart home ecosystems simultaneously. A lock, for example, can be added to both your Apple Home and Amazon Alexa setup, with each platform able to control it independently.
Commissioning a Matter device typically involves scanning a QR code on the device or in its packaging using your smart home app. The process is designed to be straightforward, but the order of operations matters. Commission devices into your primary ecosystem first, then use the add-to-additional-ecosystem option to register them with secondary platforms.
Keep records of which devices are registered in which ecosystems. As you add more devices, this becomes important for troubleshooting — if a device behaves unexpectedly in one platform but not another, knowing its commissioning history helps isolate the issue.
Step 5: Enable Local Control
One of the advantages of a properly configured Matter setup is the ability to run your smart home locally — without an active internet connection. When local control is enabled, your devices communicate directly with your hub over your home network rather than routing commands through the manufacturer’s cloud servers.
This has two practical benefits: it makes your smart home more reliable (no more lights that stop responding when your internet is down), and it reduces the amount of data your devices send to external servers.
Enable local control in your hub’s settings. The exact option name varies by platform — look for terms like “local processing,” “offline mode,” or “cloud relay.” Not all devices support full local operation, particularly those that require remote access features, but for everyday control of lights, locks, thermostats, and sensors, local processing is both feasible and preferable.
Step 6: Test, Then Automate
Once your devices are commissioned and firmware is current, spend a week using them manually through your various apps before setting up automations. This gives you time to identify any devices that did not migrate cleanly, notice responsiveness issues, and verify that multi-admin control is working as expected across platforms.
Only after that verification period should you begin rebuilding or creating automations. If you had existing automations in a pre-Matter setup, do not simply re-import them — review each one and reconfigure it deliberately for the new Matter environment. Automations that relied on proprietary protocol features from your old setup may need to be restructured to work correctly with Matter’s standardized device model.
