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Homebridge, the popular software solution that allows you to integrate non-HomeKit devices like Ring cameras into Apple Home, is adding support for the Matter smart home standard.
Today, May 4th, Homebridge 2.0, which has been in beta for over three years, officially launches. Along with other improvements, the update brings the “initial groundwork for Matter support,” according to a post on the r/homebridge subreddit from NorthernMan5, one of the GitHub core maintainers.
The update enables Homebridge to act as a Matter bridge in addition to a HomeKit bridge, allowing Matter devices to appear in Apple Home through Homebridge. It will also allow Homebridge to bridge Matter devices into other Matter platforms, such as Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, Samsung’s SmartThings, and Home Assistant, significantly expanding its capabilities.
“There are two use cases we’re targeting:
Use case 1 — Filling gaps in HomeKit device support: Apple has started using Matter for new device types rather than adding them to HomeKit directly. Vacuums are a recent example — Apple added vacuum support to the Home app, but via Matter, not HomeKit. Our goal is to bridge that gap so Homebridge plugins can deliver full functionality for these device types. We think this is very achievable and the more immediate target.
Use case 2 — Using other Matter controllers with Homebridge plugins: This would allow your Homebridge plugins to be accessible from other Matter controllers, like the Aqara app for example. This one is more of a longer-term effort — it will require individual plugin updates to support, so expect this to roll out gradually over time.
Our goal remains a single platform that supports both HomeKit and Matter, backed by our existing ecosystem of 4000+ plugins.”
Homebridge is a free, open-source Node.js server, originally created by Nick Farina and now maintained by a team of contributors on GitHub. It can run on your computer, a Raspberry Pi, or a dedicated device like HOOBS. The software emulates the HomeKit accessory protocol, and its plugins support thousands of devices. It’s very popular for bringing devices like Ring security cameras and Nest thermostats into Apple’s Home app.
While initially Matter looked like it might replace the need for Homebridge, the slow rollout of support for Matter device types by Apple Home, slow adoption by manufacturers in some categories, and the limited number of existing devices that have been updated to the standard, have meant Homebridge still has a place. For example, camera support arrived in Matter last year, but Apple Home doesn’t yet support the device type.
With support for Matter, Homebridge can work toward adding these categories, potentially before Apple gets around to it, which is the whole point of Homebridge: Its tagline is “HomeKit support for the impatient.” Additionally, as Apple has shifted to using Matter instead of HomeKit for new devices — robot vacuums are only supported through Matter — Homebridge needs to add Matter to continue offering full support.
Today, a robot vacuum in Homebridge has to masquerade as a switch or a light in the Home app. With Matter support, the vacuum can appear as a real vacuum. Matter support will also enable access to any devices you’ve connected to Homebridge on other platforms. However, each plugin will need to be updated individually, so support won’t be available for everything from day one. But the team says its goal is a single platform that supports both Apple HomeKit and Matter.
Of course, you can use Matter to add your robot vacuum directly to Apple Home without using Homebridge, and also pair it with other ecosystems from there. But, as with HomeKit, Homebridge plugins can surface extra controls in Apple Home – such as switches to clean specific rooms. If you plan to update (it’s not mandatory), then May the 4th be with you.
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