The Matter update to version 1.4.2 was announced by the Connectivity Standards Alliance on August 11, 2025 and brings significant improvements for smart home devices. It enables more flexible use, simplifies updates and potentially reduces hardware costs.
Highlights
- Can be set up via WLAN instead of Bluetooth Low Energy
- WLAN devices without Bluetooth chip can be retrofitted via firmware
- Scene control optimized with daytime-dependent adjustment
- Device status and new functions are automatically reported to hubs
- Improved vacuum robot integration thanks to new protocol
More flexibility through WLAN setup
The central feature of Matter 1.4.2 is the ability to set up devices not only via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), but also via Wi-Fi. For manufacturers, this means that the Bluetooth chip – previously only required for setup – can be dispensed with in future.
This reduces production costs and makes Matter devices potentially more affordable. At the same time, older smart home devices with Wi-Fi but without BLE will benefit: they can be made Matter-enabled via a firmware update without the need for a new hardware revision. This is a big step towards sustainability and cost efficiency for consumers and manufacturers.
Smarter vacuum robot handling
Matter 1.4.2 introduces a standardization of smart home scenes and enables them to be adapted to the time of day – for example, automatically adjusting the brightness and colour temperature of lamps depending on the time of day. Such time-dependent scenes open up new convenience and automation options. There are also network optimizations that improve the battery life of battery-operated devices in particular. For example, the timer status is queried less frequently, which reduces energy consumption.
Another new feature is the automatic communication of devices with the hub in the event of function updates: as soon as a device receives new features, it can inform the hub about them – there is no need to set them up again. The new version offers a revised protocol for robotic vacuum cleaners. A big plus: tasks such as cleaning cycles no longer have to be canceled manually before new commands can be issued – this provides more controllability and flexibility in use.
Conclusion
Matter 1.4.2 marks significant progress in the smart home sector: Wi-Fi-based setup reduces costs and expands compatibility, firmware updates enable sustainability, scene automation and energy efficiency are optimized, and robotic vacuum cleaners can be controlled more intelligently. The price for end customers could fall – depending on future product implementations – and availability depends on the roll-out by manufacturers.
