It has been more than 10 months since the Open Home Foundation and Matter.JS main contributor Ingo Fischer planed to move the project under the foundation and make it more sustainable for the future.
That work has now reached all Home Assistant OS users. Open Home Foundation has officially released a new Matter Server built on Matter.JS, replacing the legacy C++ Matter SDK that previously powered Home Assistant’s Matter integration. The new server brings Matter 1.5.1 support, a reworked codebase, and a new set of tools for managing and troubleshooting Matter networks.
Matter 1.5.1 support
The new Matter Server now runs on Matter 1.5.1 spec, covering most Matter device types currently available. There were no new certifiable device types introduced in Matter 1.6, so the update should provide support for most devices currently available in the ecosystem.
One of the most important additions is Matter camera support. While Home Assistant’s frontend and automation systems still require additional work before users can fully utilize the feature, the Matter Server itself can already view, stream, and control Matter cameras and doorbells.
Features like TCP support has also been added. TCP will be prioritized when a Matter device supports both TCP and UDP, which should provide better performance in supported deployments.
The Home Assistant blog post and related GitHub discussions also indicate that Matter 1.6 support is already on the way. Initial Matter 1.6 support has already been merged into a separate branch of core Matter.JS. Once development is complete, Home Assistant users will likely see Matter 1.6 support arrive quickly in beta releases.
Faster startup and improved stability
The new Matter Server includes a large amount of work behind the scenes aimed at improving performance, responsiveness, and stability.
During an Open Home Foundation Matter Sync-Up event, the new server was shown bringing hundreds of Matter devices back online much faster than previous implementations.
The team has also optimized the server for responsive Matter network operation and improved overall stability. As the project continues to mature, additional tuning options may become available, allowing users to further customize behavior for their own Matter setups.
New tools for Matter management
One of the most noticeable additions is the new web-based management console.
The Matter Server allows users to inspect every Matter device connected to Home Assistant and review all Matter features exposed by those devices. From the same interface, users can perform advanced operations such as ACL modifications and Matter Binding.
For example, users can bind compatible Matter devices directly from the console, such as linking an Eve Thermo controller with an IR-controlled air conditioner exposed through a SwitchBot Hub Matter bridge.
The server also provides a visual topology view for both Thread and Wi-Fi networks. Users can clearly see how their Matter network is structured, identify which devices are acting as routers, and determine which Thread devices are connected to which border routers.
The interface also exposes signal information, neighbor tables, and other network data that can be used for troubleshooting. For example, users can identify a problematic router and reboot it to help nearby sensors reconnect.
Perhaps the most useful aspect of the new toolkit is that it combines information from Matter devices and Thread border routers in a single interface. Instead of presenting users with raw identifiers and diagnostic codes from native OpenThread tools, devices are labeled and displayed in a way that is easier to understand and act upon.
How to upgrade
Users running Home Assistant Supervised should see an update notification for Matter Server, which was previously known as the Matter add-on. Updating to Matter Server 9.x installs the latest release along with Matter 1.5.1 support.
After installation, Home Assistant will perform a migration process to move existing Matter device data to the new server. Depending on host performance and the number of connected Matter devices, the process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several dozen minutes.
Once migration is complete, the new dashboard can be accessed through the Web UI option on the Matter Server page.
Developers who work with test-net OTA firmware and uncertified Matter devices should also enable the corresponding option in the Matter Server configuration page. Otherwise, Home Assistant will refuse to commission those devices due to security restrictions.
(Source: Home Assistant)
