Understand Smart Home Matter Support
You can connect your smart home device to Alexa with the Matter connectivity protocol. Matter is a local IPv6 wireless connectivity technology designed to enable interoperability between devices made by different manufacturers. With Matter, smart home devices can connect to Alexa without a separate hub or smart home skill. Also, you can add another connection to Alexa from your skill-enabled devices with Matter.
With Matter, Alexa can control your device locally, which can reduce latency and improve reliability. For more details about Matter, see Matter.
Matter-enabled Amazon Echo devices have built-in software to connect and control Matter smart home devices seamlessly. After a customer sets up an Echo, they can connect their devices by saying, "Alexa, discover my devices", or by adding the device in the Alexa app. The Echo device acts as a Matter administrator to discover and connect Matter devices to Alexa locally.
Connection options
Alexa supports the following connection options for Matter devices:
- You can connect your device directly to Alexa with Matter over Wi-Fi or Matter over Thread.
- You can connect Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) devices to Alexa with the ACK SDK for Matter. The SDK supports Matter over Wi-Fi.
- You can add another connection to Alexa from your skill-connected devices with Matter. This option enables Alexa to control your device locally during Internet outages or when your skill isn't available.
These connection options apply to native Matter devices that connect directly to the Matter fabric and non-Matter devices exposed as Bridged devices through a Matter Bridge.
Specifications
Matter-enabled Echo devices support the Matter 1.0 protocol, defined by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). For details, see the Matter 1.0 specifications. At this time, Echo devices support Matter over Wi-Fi and Matter over Thread.
Thread is an IPv6 wireless-mesh-networking technology designed for security, reliability, and scalability. The IP-based open-standard mesh network broadens network coverage to keep smart home devices working even if one device goes offline. Thread-enabled Amazon Echo devices act as border routers to provision and secure Thread networks.
Supported device categories and clusters
Alexa supports the following Matter device categories: lighting, plugs, switches, door locks, thermostats, and sensors. For details about devices in these categories, see Matter Device Library Specification, Version 1.0. Matter-enabled Echo devices support Matter clusters based on the device category.
Climate control
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the climate control category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thermostat |
Set temperature, query current temperature |
Thermostat |
Home security
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the home security category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Door lock |
Set lock, unlock |
Door Lock |
Lighting and power
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the lighting and power category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter cluster | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dimmer |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Light bulb |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Power strip |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off | |
|
Switch |
Turn on power, turn off power |
On/Off |
The following table shows the optional Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the lighting and power category.
| Example device | Optional feature | Matter cluster name | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dimmer |
Control the power level of the device |
Level Control | |
|
Dimmer |
Control device settings with a minimum and maximum range |
Level Control | |
|
Lamp |
Control the mode settings of the device |
Mode Select | |
|
Lamp |
Control the brightness of the device |
Level Control | |
|
Light bulb |
Change the color of the device |
Color Control | |
|
Light bulb |
Activate or deactivate multiple smart home devices that are grouped together into a scene |
On/Off | |
|
Light strip |
Change the color temperature of the device |
Color Control | |
|
Power strip |
Toggle one and off settings of the device |
On/Off |
Sensors
The following table shows the required Matter clusters and associated Alexa capabilities for devices in the sensors category.
| Example device | Required feature | Required Matter clusters | Corresponding Alexa capability interface |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Contact sensor |
Detect and report contact |
Identify, Boolean State |
Get started with Matter
To get started with Matter, your product must be in one of the supported device categories and implement the Matter 1.0 specification. In addition, your product must implement the Matter clusters for your device category. For details, see Supported device categories and cluster types.
Test your Matter integration with a Matter-enabled Amazon Echo device. Verify that Alexa can discover and control your device over the local Wi-Fi or Thread network.
Obtain the Works with Alexa badge
Works with Alexa (WWA) is a certification program that establishes your product's compatibility with Alexa. This certification makes sure that your customers have a better smart home experience. For details about the WWA program, see Works with Alexa Overview.
Before you apply for WWA certification for your Matter device, your product must implement the Matter clusters for your device category. When you register for WWA certification, select the Alexa capability interfaces that correspond to these clusters as a supported capability. Also, if your product supports any of the optional features and implements the associated Matter clusters, specify the corresponding Alexa capability interfaces when you register your product. For details, see Supported device categories and clusters. In addition, make sure that your Matter-enabled device meets the Matter requirements for WWA certification.
After you have thoroughly tested your device with the Echo, you can submit your product for WWA certification. For details, see Apply for Works with Alexa Certification.
Related topics
- WWA Certification Requirements
- Understand Smart Home Bluetooth® Mesh Support
- Understand Smart Home Zigbee Support
Last updated: May 26, 2023