Google Home is receiving a massive upgrade this year, as Google announced at CES that the smart home devices are receiving Matter support.
Previously, the devices relied solely on the cloud to interact with other smart home devices, which led to significant issues when connectivity problems occurred. With the support for Matter, these devices can run locally and bypass using the cloud for simple interactions.
To summarize it, Matter is a way for smart home devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other using the same language. Essentially, if consumers buy a smart light bulb compatible with Matter, they can set it up to work with any Matter-compatible software (Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, etc.).
To make the devices more compatible, Google also announced that it is opening up the Google Home API to developers. This allows developers to integrate Home devices and automation into their own programs, allowing Google to focus on the devices rather than the integration between devices.
Developers can access the Android version now, with the iOS version to be released in the coming months.
So far, Eve, Nanoleaf, and LG have become the first of Google’s partners to launch new experiences built on their Home APIs in the Google Play Store. According to Google, LG integrated devices directly into customers’ TV viewing experience, and Eve added an autonomous heating schedule for their Eve Thermo. Also, Nanoleaf could add simple voice commands to turn on their 4D light strip.
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