Matter seems to be the big new thing in the field of smart homes. Still, Philips Hue users will have to be patient for a while. The lamps won’t work with the new standard for iPhone and Android, among others, for now, and there’s a reason.
Matter must become the new standard for smart home products. For this, devices from different brands must be able to communicate with each other without using the cloud. Big brands like Apple, Amazon, Google, Philips Hue and Android are working together for this. So that means an end to frustrations on iPhone and Android.
A Matter of time for Philips Hue
To do this, Matter uses wireless Wi-Fi and Thread protocols. So when you see Matter’s logo on a box, it means you can easily add the product to the platform. More and more devices are arriving that support the new standard.
Still, all is not as easy as you think. Delays are unfortunately now a big part of the Matter project. So it should really come as no surprise that Philips Hue is delaying its arrival on the platform.
The update is very welcome to many Philips Hue users. It would support all the smart bulbs the company has ever launched. Moreover, it also makes it possible to use multiple Bridges via Google Home and Amazon Alexa on your iPhone or Android in the future.
Delay but not yet a reprieve for iPhone and Android
In early November, the company had still promised that it would start supporting Matter with its Bridge in Q1 of 2023 (which is now). So it doesn’t. Philips Hue says it can’t deliver on expectations at this time, so it is opting to postpone. Fortunately, it is not yet as bad as Belkin. That company has chosen not to do anything at all with the new standard.
The TV in action. (Image: Signify)
That delay is for a reason. Many of the other partners Philips Hue is working with for Matter do not yet support the new standard. For example, Google and Amazon’s smart home apps on the iPhone do not yet work with Matter. Of course, that can make for frustrating users who don’t have an Android device.
Still, you can test it out, but whether it’s useful?
Probably now you want to know when Philips does start supporting Hue Matter. The company isn’t making any statements about it yet. Still, there is an opportunity to connect your Bridge to the new standard. To do so, sign yourself up for a developer account that allows you to test the beta version.
Still, it’s probably better to wait a bit longer with your Philips Hue set because besides the fact that Matter is not supported everywhere, not everything works as it should yet. It can lead to a frustrating experience.
Moreover, Philips Hue already works with the biggest smart home platforms such as Google Home and Apple’s Home app. So while Matter does start to make things easier, for now it is mostly considerably more difficult.
