What do Matter smart switches do?

One of the key additions to any smart home is to upgrade light switches for smart alternatives. While smart lamp bulbs are an option, they don’t last forever. Installing smart switches to control resilient lamps is a more affordable, long-term solution.

On the face of things, Matter-compatible smart switches just do what other smart home light switches do. But there is more to switching lights off and on remotely using Matter.

What Is a Smart Switch?

Smart switches are wireless-enabled light switches, designed to replace existing switches.

They should not be confused with smart plugs. While the basic principle is shared – remotely controlling the power to a non-smart device – smart switches are specifically for lights (and a couple of other things, like ceiling fans, although a dedicated controller is better here).

Installing a smart switch is no more difficult than installing a standard light switch. Having said that, older houses often have a shallower cavity than a smart switch requires. The only solution here would be to make the hole deep enough for the smart switch. As with any home upgrade, check everything before committing to buy.

With a smart switch installed and connected to your network and compatible app, you gain remote control over your lights. Where dimmer lamps are in use, you can also control how they dim. Similarly, lamps that support a range of colors can be set to the required hue.

Relying on a compatible app is the key failing of smart switches. After all, when you're setting up a smart home, you typically end up with a lot of apps on your phone. What you really need is a smart switch that works with just one app.

What Is Matter?

This is where Matter comes in. If you don’t already know, Matter is a smart home standard from the CSA (Connectivity Standards Alliance, formerly the Zigbee Alliance). It is backed by some of the biggest names in tech, such as Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon, Huawei, and many others.

The aim of Matter is to simplify smart homes, improving reliability and future proofing hardware. Matter uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread, a low energy networking protocol that is key to Matter’s success. (To be clear, Thread is distinct from Matter).

Our guide explaining the Matter smart home standard explores it in more depth.

So, Matter Smart Switches Are More Secure?

An important thing to note about Matter is that it is considerably more secure than existing smart home protocols. For example, only the Matter hub – the heart of the Matter smart home – requires your Wi-Fi network password. Other compatible devices then connect to the hub, over Bluetooth, ad hoc Wi-Fi, or Thread.

(Note that setting up and using Matter-compatible hardware beyond the Matter hub circumvents this layer of security.)

Because Matter is more secure – all traffic is encrypted, with strong security protocols employed – so everything connected to your Matter smart home is resilient to intrusion.

This is important for all smart home equipment, but lights are particularly crucial. Losing control over your lights at night could cause problems. Reliable control over lighting when you are away from home is also useful, something that is enhanced with a secure network.

What Can You Do With a Matter Smart Switch?

Smart switches that are compatible with Matter don’t only boast improved security. The interoperability that is a byword of Matter means that devices connected to a smart switch can be controlled in several ways. Beyond the switch’s companion app and physical contact, a Matter smart switch can:

• Remotely control the on/off state of connected lights

• Adjust a lamp’s fade and hue, where supported

• Respond to automated routines

• React to energy saving scheduling and automation

• Respond and react to voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, etc.

These features are all controlled using your Matter hub’s controller app.

Thanks to the forward-looking update specifications of successive Matter releases, these capabilities can only be enhanced and added to over time. Enhanced functionality is possible, too, with the potential for other Matter-enabled devices to work in tandem for automated scenes (that is, entire rooms reacting to one or more triggers).

Matter Smart Switches: a Key Smart Home Upgrade

If you’re planning – or have already commenced – a Matter-compatible smart home upgrade, smart switches are a key aspect of this. They’re relatively affordable, more permanent than Matter remotes and buttons, and can straightforward to install.

A series of smart switches controlling your home’s lighting is a crucial enhancement, one that can contribute to reducing energy bills and improving your quality of life.