The smart home was once a far-flung pipe dream, but it is now a reality. Wherever you live, your home is ground zero for some of the most interesting tech available right now, and tech that’s yet to come. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get your home up and running with smart hardware and services.
Home security and monitoring solutions can alert you to a burglary, smoke, fire, or just simple motion activity. There are plenty of options with a range of capabilities, from smart doorbells and smart locks to indoor and outdoor cameras that can see in the dark.
Smart speakers, like the Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod each play a big role in helping you out, too. In the kitchen, they can read out recipes, or if you’re cleaning, you can call out to them to change the song on the fly. If you buy smart light bulbs, for instance, you can turn them on and off by using your voice.
The Google Home Speaker is designed for Gemini for Home and its more conversational smart home assistant.
Navigating the maze of platforms, ecosystems, protocols, and gadgets on your way to a smarter home is a full-time job. (I should know; it’s mine.)
Thread Group and the Broadband Forum are teaming up to help IoT devices and home internet work better together. The Broadband Forum — the organization that develops the standards ISPs use to manage gateways and routers — is adding support for connecting to Thread networks, giving ISPs visibility into both networks.
The group behind Matter has released the next version of its Product Security Certification Program, a cybersecurity standard designed to provide a single security label for consumer IoT devices.
The update extends certification beyond devices to include apps, gateways, and remote processes, allowing companies to certify entire ecosystems. It also adds independent validation through physical test labs and is now integrated into the Matter spec, with companies seeking Matter certification encouraged to complete the security certification as well.
Testing Govee’s over-the-top RGB lineup convinced me there might actually be room in my garden for a horse-race light show this summer.
A Thursday email to Google Home users says there are over 3.5 million Gemini for Home early access testers, and that people should “keep a very close eye on your inbox next week” for news about “a certain speaker.” That sounds like the Google Home speaker we previewed in October, which was projected to launch in spring 2026.
First announced at CES 2026, the three new Matter-compatible smart locks are now available from Home Depot first, and then eventually Amazon. The $139.99 FamiLock E32 is an entry-level model with fingerprint recognition while the $299.99 E40 and E35 feature facial recognition or palm vein identification, respectively.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Ikea stopped selling its smart blinds last October, so Eve is introducing a new version of its MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit with a motor that’s now compatible with roller blinds featuring small tube diameters, including Ikea’s popular Fridans blinds. The new upgrade kit is now available for $169.95 and supports Matter-over-Thread smart home setups.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
The headline feature is the camera upgrades, but the smart home app is getting more new features, including energy monitoring.
As spotted by Matter Alpha, the first iOS 27 dev beta introduces a dedicated Power tab that displays the total energy consumption of compatible devices. There’s also an improved onboarding flow for new devices and support for Thread 1.4.
The robot vacuum company just launched its first robot lawnmower designed for US yards. The RockNeo Q110H combines RTK and VSLAM navigation and costs $1,299. It’s designed for small- to medium-sized yards and handles 45% slopes.
I’m currently testing models from Mammotion and Dreame for a robot lawnmower battle royale take-two, and I’ve been impressed by the improved mobility and navigation of these new bots.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
7
Verge Score
The Bridge Pro is Hue’s most compelling update in years, as long as you’re deeply invested in the smart lighting ecosystem
Using the wrong screws when attaching the camera to its solar panel could accidentally puncture the battery’s metal casing, according to the USCPSC. To date there have been 13 reports of batteries overheating while six exploded and caught fire. Wyze is offering full refunds, replacements, or gift cards to its online store.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
The company’s new agentic developer tools are giving the discontinued smart displays a second life as a smart home controller, family message board, art display, or anything you can dream up. The move comes shortly after Microsoft announced Project Solara. Meta says the tools are hardware-agnostic and work with many existing devices. Still, anything that breathes new life into a defunct gadget is a good thing.
6
Verge Score
Skylight’s kid-centric Buddy is an adorable — if pricey — way to keep young ones on task.
You all know how much we here at The Verge love market consolidation. SwitchBot’s acquisition of Nanoleaf offers all that, plus a sprinkling of something extra.
ScootyScoot:
Excellent - more market consolidation and more AI. That’s definitely two things consumers need more of these days!
Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
Pricing details weren’t specified when the Weather Station was announced in January, but you can now buy one through SwitchBot’s online store and Amazon for $109.99. Battery life is estimated to be up to a full year thanks to its low-power 7.5-inch E Ink screen that displays indoor and outdoor conditions or synced calendar data.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Its PowerDetect UV Reveal now comes in four colors — brown, green, blue, and ivory. The earthy neutral palettes feature metallic accents and look surprisingly good — for a robot. I’ve been testing the blue one, and I like how it blends in with my kitchen cabinets.
As robot vacuums become more capable, they are also getting bigger, so it’s encouraging to see manufacturers putting more thought into how they fit in with your decor.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
The new feature in Google Home lets you add your pets’ faces to your indoor cameras, so you get alerts that tell you which cat is walking on the counter rather than just that a cat is traversing the kitchen. To enable it, type your pet’s name and species into the Ask Home search box in the Home app; you need Google Home Premium Advanced ($20/month).
The smart lighting company best known for its modular RGB lighting panels has been acquired by OneRobotics, the parent company of Switchbot. According to a filing on the Hong Kong stock exchange, the purchase will take two years to complete.
Nanoleaf just announced a pivot to robotics and AI, an area in which the smart home company Switchbot is heavily involved, launching its first humanoid household robot at CES this year.
Alongside a $35 outdoor camera, $23 plug-in indoor cam, and $45 wired video doorbell launched last week, the retailer has leaked a floodlight camera at the end of a promo video. Question is, will it or the rumored Onn speaker launch first?
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
The Aqara U500 lineup includes three separate models. There’s a “Rim Lock” for standard entrance and interior doors that doesn’t require a mortise, a “Gate Lock” for metal grille-style doors, and even a lock that’s designed for glass doors. They’re only available in Europe for now though.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
9to5Google reported Friday morning that a Nest support page had been updated to say that nearly all Chromecast devices except for the most recent one that was released in 2022 were no longer receiving critical security updates. Later, the page changed back and once again shows all Chromecasts except the 1st gen version are still getting critical updates.
Now, Google Home senior product manager Sahana Mysore tells The Verge that “A support article update incorrectly indicated deprecation of software support for legacy Chromecast devices,” and the current version is accurate.
Update: Added response from Google.
It’s combining Google Home APIs with Gemini smart home features, so ISPs, security companies, and carriers can “build monetizable, proactive services” for your homes. In other words, Google wants other companies to put Google Home’s AI in their products — and charge you a Google Home Premium subscription. With manufacturers now able to build Gemini-powered speakers and cameras, it seems entirely possible that Google may never make another Nest device again.
