Can Matter finally fulfill its original potential?
Matter, the smart home interoperability standard, is finally gearing up to introduce a feature that many have been waiting for: a unified Matter network that can be managed by multiple ecosystems. This feature, known as Joint Fabric, will allow smart devices added to the network to be controlled by any authorized platform—think Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and others. No more juggling between apps to control your smart lights; set them up once and manage them from anywhere. It’s like having a shared bank account for your smart home, where all your preferred platforms have access.
Joint Fabric is part of the newly announced Matter 1.6 specification, revealed at the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s inaugural conference in Austin, Texas. While there aren’t any new device types introduced, there are several quality-of-life improvements.
One of the standout features is full NFC setup support, which eliminates the need to scan QR codes—just tap to pair. This also allows you to pair devices before powering them on, which is particularly handy for smart bulbs or wired smart switches.
Another addition is Thermostat Suggestions, a standardized method for thermostats to communicate across different ecosystems. This feature enables an ecosystem to send time-based recommendations that the thermostat can choose to follow or ignore based on input from other platforms. For instance, if you manually adjust the temperature on one platform, the thermostat will disregard any automated requests that come in shortly after. Plus, your Apple Home automations won’t override any utility savings programs you’ve signed up for, and preferences like air quality optimization will be recognized across services.
Now, back to Joint Fabric. Despite its name sounding more like a retro road-trip movie than a smart home standard, it aims to enhance one of Matter’s core features: multi-admin. This allows you to set up a device in one smart home app and use it across any other Matter-compatible platform.
Currently, each ecosystem creates and manages its own network (or fabric) and can share devices in a somewhat clunky manner. Joint Fabric aims to create a single Matter network that platforms like Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings can all access. You add a device once, and it becomes available across all authorized ecosystems. You can also revoke access at any time without losing control of your devices.
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What is Matter?
Matter is a smart home interoperability standard designed to provide a common language for connected devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection. It is built to be secure and private, easy to set up, and widely compatible.
Developed by major tech players, Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity software layer for smart home devices. It operates over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and the low-power mesh networking protocol Thread. Matter currently supports most of the main device types in the home, including security cameras, lighting, thermostats, locks, robot vacuums, refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, ovens, smoke alarms, air quality monitors, EV chargers, and more.
A smart home gadget with the Matter logo can be set up and used with any Matter-compatible ecosystem via a Matter controller and controlled by multiple platforms through a feature called multi-admin. Major smart home platforms supporting Matter include Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple Home, along with hundreds of device manufacturers.
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This development opens up a world of possibilities for unifying your smart home, aligning with Matter’s original vision. It’s part of an ongoing effort to enhance multi-admin functionality, making it easier to use devices across various ecosystems.
Interoperability issues have been a significant hurdle for Matter, which is ironic for an interoperability standard. While the Connectivity Standards Alliance has made efforts to address these challenges, platforms have been slow to fully embrace new specifications, leading to compatibility issues.
The idea of seamlessly setting up and managing a device once, with automatic accessibility across platforms, was something I expected from Matter’s launch in 2022. When the first spec was released, I was disappointed to find that this wasn’t the case. Back then, I was informed that platform developers were resistant to this approach. Four years later, has that mindset shifted?
There was a previous attempt in Matter 1.4 in 2024 called Fabric Sync, which allowed devices set up in one ecosystem to be shared with another through a single authorization. However, each platform still operated its own separate network. At that time, the CSA indicated that all major players were actively working on this solution, with expectations for implementation within the following year. Now, in 2026, we’re still waiting.
Joint Fabric seems to be a more ambitious initiative than Fabric Sync, effectively shifting control from the platforms back to the users. However, I’m not overly optimistic about rapid adoption. I’ll be attending the CSA’s Unify conference in Austin this week and plan to inquire about the timelines for implementing Joint Fabric across ecosystems.
