Matter | The Verge The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts. 2026-04-27T12:18:29+00:00 https://www.theverge.com/rss/matter/index.xml https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1 Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[Govee’s multicolor ceiling light doubles as a low-res screen]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=918165 2026-04-27T08:18:29-04:00 2026-04-27T08:00:00-04:00

The smart lighting company is having a busy month. After releasing its first solar-powered lights, a cordless table lamp, and an updated LED light wall over the past few weeks, Govee has announced a new multicolor ceiling light. Available starting today through the company's online store and Amazon for $249.99, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra is larger than previous versions and for the first time uses its array of color-changing LEDs to display images.

At 21-inches in diameter, the new Ultra version of Govee's ceiling lights will potentially be better at illuminating larger rooms up to 30 square meters. While the cheaper 12- and 15-inch vers …

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]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[Ikea’s smart donut lamp is a sweet treat]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=911809 2026-04-15T14:30:55-04:00 2026-04-15T14:30:50-04:00
The Varmblixt is a smart donut-shaped light fixture that can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Ikea's popular Varmblixt lamp just got a smart home glow-up. The delightfully bulbous light now features color-changing, dimming, and smart home control. I tested the new smart lamp in my daughter's room and found it made a great bedside lamp and added a fun touch of ambiance to her space. While she's rarely a fan of me adding smart tech to her room, she did give this an "It's nice" accolade - high praise from my 15-year-old.

The donut lamp, as it's known for its distinctive shape resembling everyone's favorite sweet treat, can be wall-mounted or set flat on a table. It comes with a long power cable, which helps with placement, and differs …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[Walmart is updating its 4K streaming box with Gemini and Matter support]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=912334 2026-04-15T10:01:13-04:00 2026-04-15T09:49:28-04:00 The Walmart Onn 4K Pro streaming box in black and gray finishes.
The Onn 4K Pro’s remote looks identical to its predecessor but can now be located using your voice. | Image: Walmart

It hasn't been officially announced, but Walmart's website now has a listing (you may need to set your location to Ventura, California) for an updated version of its budget-friendly Onn 4K Pro streaming box that originally debuted in May 2024. Following technical illustrations that leaked less than a month ago, the listing was discovered after a Reddit user shared images of the 2026 version of the Onn 4K Pro they purchased at a Walmart in California yesterday, as spotted by Android Authority.

At $59.88, the new Onn 4K Pro is $10 more expensive than the previous version and now features a larger design that looks similar to the $99.99 Googl …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[The latest Matter update improves camera streaming]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=904361 2026-03-31T13:01:45-04:00 2026-03-31T13:01:45-04:00 The Aqara G350 camera next to an Android smartphone.
The Aqara G350 is the first camera you can buy that supports Matter. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) released Matter 1.5.1 today, building upon the camera and video doorbell support added as part of the Matter 1.5 update last November. Although 1.5.1 is a minor update, it brings several improvements that will benefit both end users and companies making these types of devices.

The most notable update is more efficient camera streaming that will help reduce bandwidth demands when multiple people or systems are accessing the same feed. With Matter 1.5.1, cameras can simultaneously deliver multiple video streams with quality settings tailored to what it's being used for. A video recorder would get a hi …

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]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[Nuki adds Apple Home Key to its smart lock]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=899330 2026-03-24T11:47:18-04:00 2026-03-24T09:00:00-04:00

This week, my top pick for a retrofit smart lock launched the first Aliro-compatible keypad. The Nuki Keypad 2 NFC ($179) brings tap-to-unlock via Apple's Home Key and Samsung's Digital Home Key to the Nuki smart lock, allowing you to tap your phone or smartwatch to unlock your door, just like you tap to pay.

Aliro is a new smart lock standard supported by all major platforms and handset manufacturers. It is designed to allow any smart lock to be securely unlocked by any smartphone, regardless of manufacturer, without requiring proprietary apps.

An open standard, Aliro stores a digital key in your phone's wallet that you can tap to a com …

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]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[My favorite robot vacuum now supports Matter]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=896775 2026-03-19T06:07:41-04:00 2026-03-18T13:30:07-04:00
The Matic robot vacuum finally adds smart home control. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Matic, my current top pick for the best robot vacuum, just got a big update. The unique-looking floor bot now works with Google Home and Apple Home, with support coming through the smart home standard Matter.

This enables voice control and smart home integrations, features that have been missing from the robot since launch. Now you can set up automations such as "Run Matic when everyone leaves home," "Dock the robot when I arrive home," or "Stop Matic when the door unlocks."

The Matter integration isn't yet certified and doesn't work with all the platforms, but it's a good start. However, as it's still unofficial, there are some rough edg …

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]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[Ikea tried to build a smart home for everyone — here’s why it’s not working yet]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=896006 2026-03-17T14:55:19-04:00 2026-03-17T14:45:14-04:00
Ikea’s new smart bulbs, sensors, and remotes use Matter-over-Thread to connect to any compatible ecosystem — including Apple Home and Amazon Alexa. In theory. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Ikea's new Matter-over-Thread products were supposed to prove that the smart home could be cheap, accessible, and reliable. The highly anticipated line - which includes sensors, remotes, smart plugs, air-quality monitors, and smart bulbs - has most everything you need to build a smart home, with prices starting at $6. It's an exciting idea, but it's still not ready for primetime.

When I first got the Ikea devices in January, I had a lot of problems connecting them to my main platform, Apple Home. And it turned out I was not alone. Reddit forums and user reviews were full of reports of onboarding and connectivity issues. Many people were str …

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]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[Hands on with Aqara’s new Matter-compatible camera]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=895326 2026-03-17T04:04:22-04:00 2026-03-17T04:00:00-04:00
The Aqara G350 is the first camera you can buy that has support for Matter.

The first Matter camera is here - sort of. Camera support came to the smart home standard last year, and Aqara's Camera Hub G350 is the first to support it. The G350, which was announced at CES, launched this week and is a pan-and-tilt indoor security camera with up to 4K video resolution.

Today, the G350 only supports Matter on Samsung SmartThings, as none of the other platforms have added Matter 1.5 yet. I've only had the camera setup for a day, and it took several firmware updates before I could connect it as a Matter camera. So far, all it can do is stream a live feed, which is far less than what Samsung promises Matter cameras in Smar …

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]]> Andrew Liszewski <![CDATA[Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart bulbs are now available in the US]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=889820 2026-03-05T09:34:50-05:00 2026-03-05T09:17:58-05:00 A person uses a small remote to control a lamp featuring an Ikea smart bulb.
Ikea’s new smart bulbs are hitting the US a month early. | Image: Ikea

After being announced last November, Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart home collection has been slowly trickling into its stores around the world over the past few months. Despite some early connectivity issues, one of the most anticipated items in that collection is Ikea’s new Matter-over-Thread smart bulbs. The company originally said they’d hit the US sometime in April 2026, but they’re now available through Ikea’s online store, and many of its retail locations around the country.

Amongst the smart home products it’s been selling for years, smart bulbs have been one of Ikea’s most popular, offering a cheaper but similarly functional alternative to products from companies like Philips Hue. Its new Matter-compatible smart bulbs are equally affordable, and come in optional bundles that include a wireless remote.

While Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart home collection has been highly anticipated, its rollout has been a bumpy one. Early adopters, including The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, have had issues connecting them to both Ikea’s own Dirigera hub, and other smart home platforms including Apple Home and Amazon Alexa. Ikea is aware of the problem and is working to address issues. Earlier this week it released an update for its hub that includes fixes to improve “Matter onboarding stability,” but it’s not yet known if it resolves these widespread issues being experienced with Ikea’s Matter-over-Thread devices.

]]> Jennifer Pattison Tuohy <![CDATA[Ikea’s cheap new smart home gear is struggling to get connected]]> https://www.theverge.com/?p=873973 2026-02-04T14:35:19-05:00 2026-02-04T14:35:19-05:00 Ikea smart home products on a table in front of Ikea boxes.
Some users are having trouble onboarding Ikea’s new Matter-compatible smart home products. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

I've spent the last couple of weeks trying - and mostly failing - to test Ikea's new Matter-over-Thread gear. These highly anticipated smart home devices include programmable buttons, smart bulbs, plugs, and temperature and motion sensors - all of which should work with any smart home platform and start at just $6.

But I've hit several walls trying to connect them to any smart home platform, and I'm not alone. The Tradfri subreddit is filled with Ikea customers sharing similar frustrations, reviews on Ikea's website point to issues, and colleagues at The Verge have also been having problems.

Of the six devices I've tried to connect, I've …

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