Matter is now available on Google Nest and Android devices. And Google plans to add iOS support to the Google Home app next year.

This should mean setting up and customising smart home devices with Google Home will be easier thanks to Matter, a standard for smart home platforms, apps and devices.

Announced this month, Google Nest and Android devices are now Matter-enabled, so users can quickly and consistently set up Matter-enabled devices and customise their smart homes to best suit their needs.

As a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organisation that develops Matter, Google worked alongside 300 companies for nearly three years to help make it easier to connect smart home devices across hundreds of brands. With Matter, everything from smart lighting, thermostats, window shades and door locks will work together with less time and effort.

Matter-enabled Google devices are ready to connect to Matter devices from other brands. These Google Nest and Android devices have been automatically updated, so users don’t need to do anything.

With Matter, they will need a hub to control their smart devices. If they want to control their smart home with Google Home, they will need a Google Home or Nest device that can double as a hub for Matter. These devices include the original Google Home speaker, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max and the Nest Wifi Pro.

Matter-enabled devices can connect to a home network over wifi or Thread. Google has also updated Nest Wifi Pro, Nest Hub Max and the second-generation Nest Hub to work as Thread border routers, so users can connect Thread devices to their network too.

This update adds Matter support for Fast Pair on Android. Fast Pair makes it simple to connect Matter-enabled devices to a home network, Google Home and other smart home apps, as quickly as a user can pair a set of headphones. And once set up, it should be easy to connect Matter devices with other apps and ecosystems.

Google is working with partners from across the industry, including Eve, Meross, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue and Tuya, to make sure more smart home devices work with Matter.

Matter’s built-in Multi-Admin feature is what simplifies cross-platform control, and Google has been working to make this easier. It has partnered with Samsung to build a smoother Multi-Admin experience, with an enhanced experience coming in 2023.

When a user opens the Google Home app, they will see Matter devices that have been set up with Samsung SmartThings and have the option to add those devices to Google Home and vice-versa.

Next year, Google says it plans to enable more Google devices with Matter and bring iOS support to the Google Home app.