Is Google Home speaker a hub for Matter?

[ventrebleu]

Hello,

I have installed TAPO smart witches (Matter compatible) in my house and paired them with no issue with iOS Homekit.

I wanted to add them to my Google Home app, and when I did, the app told me that I needed a hub to control this device, although I do have a Google Home speaker (firmware 2.58.384934).

When I tried to reach out to Google Nest support, their only solution was to install the Tapo app so I could link my Tapo account in Google Home, but to me, this workaround makes the whole point of Matter useless.

Is the Google Home speaker a hub for Matter or not?

[BikerAsh749]

Allegedly according to Google,  but I can’t find a way to confirm any of my minis either have the enabled or are communicating with matter.

These Google devices have received software updates so that they can work as a hub for Matter:

• Speakers: Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio
• Displays: Nest Hub (1st gen), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max
• Wi-Fi routers: Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E)

[Alex_S]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the input, BikerAsh749.

ventrebleu, just to add, the devices mentioned above are the devices that have received software updates so they can work as a hub for Matter. Here are the devices that have a Thread border:

• Displays: Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max
• Wi-Fi routers: Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E), Nest Wifi

You can check out the article about Google devices with Matter for more information. Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

Regards,
Alex

[ventrebleu]

Thanks for your reply.
I still don't know how to pair my Tapo switch with my Google Home speaker through Matter (and not through the Tapo service)

[freedogshampoo]

I too have a Google Home and Nest mini and have read that these should now be Matter compatible and work a hubs, but have no idea how to activate this feature. 

[SteveScotland]

Did anyone find a solution to this? I can’t get any matter devices from any manufacturer to work via my Google home speaker. Anyone else had better luck?

[BikerAsh749]

Are your devices Matter over WiFi or Matter over Thread as far as I know Google Speakers cannot talk Thread.

I have been talking the Thread/Matter end points via Hue Hub / AppleTV from Nest Minis for several months.

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/12391458 

Devices that work as a hub for Google Home

Hubs for Google Home (Wi-Fi only)

If the Matter-enabled smart devices in your home only use Wi-Fi to communicate, the hub devices below support Matter over Wi-Fi:

• Speakers: Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio

• Displays: Nest Hub (1st gen), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max

• Wi-Fi routers: Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E)

• Streamers: Google TV Streamer (4K)

Hubs for Google Home (Wi-Fi and Thread)

If the Matter-enabled smart devices in your home use a mix of Thread and Wi-Fi to communicate over your home wireless network, you need a hub device that also works as a Thread border router. A Thread border router is a device that works as a special hub to connect all of your Thread devices together by creating a wireless Thread network.

Many of the hubs for Google Home have a Thread border router built-in to avoid the need for an additional hub device. The following hubs support Matter over both Wi-Fi and Thread:

• Displays: Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max

• Wi-Fi routers: Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E)

• Streamers: Google TV Streamer (4K)