The Matter Protocol was born out of a frustration familiar to anyone who has ever tried connecting a smart device to a home network: a dedicated app from the manufacturer, compatibility issues, and endless troubleshooting. On top of that, making devices communicate with each other meant they all had to come from the same brand.
At some point, the biggest IoT manufacturers decided to tackle this problem together. In December 2019, Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung SmartThings, and the Zigbee Alliance announced the formation of the Project Connected Home over IP working group. The objective was to make smart home product development easier for manufacturers and brands while improving compatibility for consumers. On 4th October 2022, Matter 1.0 was published and launched.
Four years later, the Matter Protocol is no longer just a technological novelty. It became a true game-changer, effectively reducing Time-to-Market for new products and simplifying integration with previously closed ecosystems.
The Matter protocol stack: a layer-by-layer breakdown
In order to understand how Matter works, we need to take a closer look at what lies beneath the surface. The thing is, Matter is not a brand-new wireless technology, but an application layer sitting above other networking technologies. It is similar to a universal translator that uses existing highways to deliver its messages. This layered architecture is precisely what makes Matter IoT integration so straightforward compared to the fragmented ecosystems that came before it.
Here is how the Matter protocol stack breaks down from top to bottom:
Application Layer and Data Model: This is where the “business logic” of a smart device lives. This layer defines what a device actually is and what it can do. Matter uses a standardised Data Model where devices are represented as collections of “Clusters” (attributes, commands, and events). For example, a smart bulb will always expose an “On/Off” cluster and a “Level Control” (brightness) cluster. Because this language is identical whether the bulb is made by Philips Hue or a budget brand, any Matter controller can understand it instantly.
Interaction Model and Action Framing: Once the application layer knows what it wants to do (e.g., turn on a light), the Interaction Model defines how that action is executed. It manages the transactions between devices, such as reading attributes, writing states, or subscribing to sensor updates. The Action Framing layer then takes these interactions and packages them into security-wrapped, serializable packets.
Security and Message Layer: Matter treats security as a non-negotiable priority. This layer handles end-to-end encryption and authentication. Every Matter-certified device gets a unique cryptographic identity during manufacturing. When you add a device to your home, this layer ensures that all control messages are encrypted and that unauthorised devices cannot eavesdrop or hijack your smart home network.
Transport and Routing Layer: This layer is responsible for the actual delivery of messages across the network. Matter relies heavily on UDP (User Datagram Protocol) for fast, low-overhead communication (ideal for quick commands like flipping a switch), but it also supports TCP for heavy lifting, like software updates. It also includes its own Message Reliability Protocol (MRP) to ensure no commands are lost in transit.
IP Layer (IPv6): This is the secret sauce of Matter’s interoperability. Unlike older protocols (like Zigbee or Z-Wave) that required specialised translation bridges, Matter is strictly based on IPv6. Every single Matter device receives its own IP address. This allows devices to communicate with each other directly across different physical networks (like Wi-Fi and Thread) without needing a translator — a foundational design choice that makes broad Matter IoT integration across heterogeneous environments genuinely achievable.
Network and Physical Layers (The Transport Mechanics): At the very bottom of the stack are the physical technologies that actually move the bits through the air or wires. Matter does not reinvent the wheel here; it runs on top of three core technologies: Ethernet / Wi-Fi, Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
Wi-Fi vs. Thread at the transport layer
Matter doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to physical communication; it relies strictly on established, IP-bearing networks. This IP-first approach ensures that devices can communicate seamlessly without the need for proprietary translation hubs. The standard leans on three core transport pillars:
Ethernet / Wi-Fi: Used for high-bandwidth devices or devices plugged into constant power (cameras, smart TVs, main hubs). It is worth noting that the Matter 1.5 update significantly expanded Wi-Fi’s role in the standard by formally bringing video streaming devices — cameras and doorbells — into the Matter ecosystem for the first time, making high-bandwidth transport more central to the architecture than ever before.
Thread: For low-power, battery-operated devices (like contact sensors or smart locks), Thread is the ultimate solution. It is a self-healing, IPv6-based wireless mesh network (based on IEEE 802.15.4). Unlike Wi-Fi, Thread devices can route data for each other, extending the network’s range and reliability. To bridge this mesh network to your standard home Wi-Fi, a Thread Border Router (like a HomePod or Nest Hub) is used, operating entirely locally without cloud reliance.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): BLE is not used for daily operation or controlling devices. It is strictly used for the commissioning process (onboarding) — making it incredibly easy to scan a QR code and connect a new device to your network in seconds.
The Matter data model & interaction model
To build a Matter device, engineers must structure its software according to a strict hierarchy that any ecosystem can understand. Here is how a Matter device is viewed by the network:
Nodes: The physical or logical device itself on the network.
Endpoints: Virtual feature sets within a node. For example, a smart power strip might be a single Node, but each individual socket is a separate Endpoint (e.g., Endpoint 1 = Socket A, Endpoint 2 =power meter).
Clusters: Standardised blocks of functionality grouped within Endpoints. Every capability, from an On/Off cluster to a Level Control (brightness) cluster, is strictly defined.
The interaction model in practice: When a smart switch commands a lightbulb, it uses stateless or stateful interactions (Read, Write, Invoke, or Subscribe) to interact with these clusters directly over the local network. No central cloud server is required to tell the lightbulb to turn on.
Security by design: cryptography, DACs, and Zero-Trust Topology
Matter is built on a Zero-Trust Topology. It assumes that the local network is insecure and inherently protects itself from the hardware level up.
During manufacturing, every certified Matter product is injected with Device Attestation Certificates (DACs). During the BLE commissioning process, the ecosystem challenges the device to prove its identity using these certificates. If it is a knock-off, it won’t join the network.
The Multi-Admin feature
One of the most disruptive features driving Matter IoT integration at scale is Multi-Admin. Historically, users were locked into a single ecosystem — buy into Apple Home, and your devices stayed there. With Multi-Admin, a single Matter device can be controlled simultaneously by multiple ecosystems without compromise.
But how does it work technically? Rather than sharing a single access point, the device generates independent “fabrics” for each ecosystem. It exchanges secure tokens locally, allowing your Apple HomePod and your partner’s Google Nest Hub to control the same smart lock at the same time — without the two ecosystems ever sharing cloud data or credentials.
For manufacturers, the commercial implications are just as significant. You no longer need to develop, package, and support separate “Works with Alexa” and “Works with Apple Home” product variants. One SKU, built around a single Matter IoT integration path, covers the entire addressable market from day one.
Hardware and firmware engineering challenges
Building a Matter-compliant device is not just a software update – it requires a strategic approach from the silicon up.
Silicon Selection: The Matter SDK needs considerable flash and RAM usage relative to older technologies. Selecting the appropriate silicon (from Nordic Semiconductor, Espressif, NXP, or Silicon Labs) SoC/MCU is an essential initial choice.
Power Management: Building end-devices for Thread with very low power consumption involves careful firmware management. Activating the device to talk to it while maximising its coin-cell battery life involves embedded knowledge.
Certification Process: Negotiating the CSA testing and certification process may prove difficult. A mistake in the implementation process could result in having to redo your hardware design and delay your product launch.
What's new in Matter 1.5
Matter is not a static specification — the CSA has kept a steady release cadence since 2022, and the latest major update, Matter 1.5, landed just weeks before this article, in June 2026. It’s the most significant functional expansion since the original launch, and it opens up entirely new categories of devices for manufacturers to target.
Cameras join the standard
For years, security cameras and video doorbells sat outside Matter’s scope. Matter 1.5 changes that, defining a standardised way for cameras to stream live video and audio using WebRTC, complete with two-way audio, pan-tilt-zoom control, and both local and remote access. Manufacturers can now build a camera that plugs into any Matter ecosystem, instead of maintaining a separate SDK integration for every platform.
“Closures” — motorised blinds, awnings, and garage doors
A new unified device category brings anything that opens, closes, or tilts under one standardised control model. Many of these devices are battery-powered by nature, making Thread — with its low-power mesh architecture — the natural transport layer for this category.
Smarter energy management
Building on foundations laid in Matter 1.3, the new Electrical Energy Tariff device type lets utilities and grid operators share real-time, forecasted pricing and carbon-intensity data with the home. Devices — including EV chargers, with new state-of-charge and bi-directional charging support — can use this data to shift consumption automatically to cheaper or greener periods.
Soil sensors
A small but notable addition for garden and irrigation automation, extend Matter’s reach beyond the four walls of the house. These are precisely the kind of low-power, intermittently connected devices that benefit most from Thread’s self-healing mesh, which can extend coverage into gardens and outbuildings without additional wiring.
For hardware teams, this matters practically: a product roadmap built around “Matter-ready” silicon in 2022 already needs re-evaluating in 2026, since camera and energy-tariff support bring new RAM/flash and connectivity requirements, while the expansion of battery-powered device categories puts renewed pressure on Thread Border Router availability and mesh network planning.
And as with every past release, ecosystem support (Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings) will lag the specification by several months — so time your certification and go-to-market planning accordingly.
Engineering Matter-compliant hardware
By 2026, Matter is not just the future of the smart home but the new norm for IoT customers. Designing a reliable Matter-capable device requires the integration of embedded electronics and network protocol expertise with a scalable software architecture — from silicon selection and
Thread mesh planning to the nuances of BLE commissioning that determine how smoothly end users onboard your product from day one. Getting these layers right together is what separates a device that passes certification from one that earns long-term ecosystem trust. Adopting Matter helps cut down Time-to-Market and increases the addressable market space for your product, but realising those benefits fully depends on working with partners who understand the standard from the ground up.
Interested in migrating your smart device to Matter? Contact Us!
