Smart home devices are gaining traction, but compatibility issues between brands are causing headaches for consumers. The Meter Protocol (introduced by the Communications Standards Alliance) aims to make it easier to control a smart home consisting of devices from different manufacturers. A major step toward that goal was announced today when Samsung and Google agreed to build a bridge between SmartThings and Google Home devices.
That bridge is built on Matter’s multi-admin feature, which allows different apps to connect to and control one or more devices. This means that the device configured in Google Home will also appear in the SmartThings app and vice versa, so you don’t have to remember which app controls the lights and which controls the smart speakers.
This frees you up to buy the smart device you need instead of looking for the same app/ecosystem as the rest of your smart home (pulling multiple apps in bulk). As long as a device supports the Matter protocol, you can control and automate it with Samsung’s SmartThings or Google’s Home with whatever app you want.
Google and Samsung aren’t the only supporters of Matter – here’s a list of members. Includes Amazon, Ikea, LG, Midea, Tuya and more. Several smartphone makers are also on the list: Oppo, Huawei and (surprisingly) Apple.
“Both SmartThings and Google empower user choice and consumers to control their own devices. This collaboration furthers our commitment to enhancing the user experience and promoting transparency between ecosystems.” According to Jayeon Jung, Corporate Vice President and Head of SmartThings.
Support for Matter’s multi-manager feature will be rolled out by Samsung and Google in the coming weeks.
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