Supported devices

Many Matter device types are supported in the Google Home ecosystem, though not all are fully supported.

Device type and control support

Matter-enabled devices in the Google Home ecosystem can be controlled by a few different methods:

1. Google Assistant — Use voice to control the Matter device from any Assistant device.
2. Google Home app (GHA) — Use the UI of the GHA to control the Matter device.
3. Smart Display UI — Use the UI of a Smart Display to control the Matter device.

For more information about clusters, refer to the Matter code repository (connectedhomeip).

Bridges

All devices behind a Matter bridge appear as normal for a user in the Google Home ecosystem. The bridge itself appears as an inert Control Bridge device type in the GHA.

On/Off Light Switches

The On/Off Light Switch is unique among Matter device types in that it is a Matter controller, like GHA, Assistant, or a Google Hub such as the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen).

In other words, an On/Off Light Switch is a Node that can control other Nodes. However, an On/Off Light Switch can't be controlled by another Matter controller. See Node roles in the Matter Primer for more on controllers and controlees.

Because the Google Home ecosystem does not expose the Matter Binding cluster to its controllers, end users cannot configure an On/Off Light Switch to control other Matter devices using the GHA. They can commission a Matter On/Off Light Switch, but they won't be able to do anything with it afterwards, other than delete it from the home.

An end user commissioning an On/Off Light Switch on the Google fabric naturally will want to configure it to control another device. At this time, there is no way for the user to do this in the Google Home ecosystem. The GHA can't bind an On/Off Light Switch to another device's endpoint(s), because the Google Home ecosystem does not expose the Matter Binding cluster.

In order for an On/Off Light Switch to be usable in the Google Matter fabric, the partner needs to implement a Matter director, which is a remote client that can create entries in the Binding cluster. The app would then allow the On/Off Light Switch to control another Matter device or group of devices.

On/Off Light Switch with On/Off Light

There is a special use-case involving an On/Off Light Switch in combination with an On/Off Light in the same device.

When Endpoint 1 is the On/Off Light and Endpoint 2 is the On/Off Light Switch, only the On/Off Light Switch is visible in the GHA.

However, when Endpoint 1 is the On/Off Light Switch and Endpoint 2 is the On/Off Light, both devices are visible in the GHA.

When designing a device like this, to ensure that both devices are represented in the GHA, make Endpoint 1 the On/Off Light Switch and Endpoint 2 the On/Off Light.

On/Off Plug-In Units

The On/Off Plug-In Unit device type can be configured to appear as a different device type, just like Plugs and Switches integrated with the Google Local Home SDK. When the user commissions the device, they can configure it to appear in the home as any type of device (ostensibly, the type of device that is plugged into it). The support article Customize smart plug or smart switch voice commands with device type outlines the procedure that the user would follow. A typical use case is when the user has a fan plugged into the Plug-In Unit. If the user has configured the device type of the Plug-In Unit as device type Fan, Assistant knows not to turn off the Plug-In Unit when the user says "Hey Google, turn off the lights."

Choosing a device type

Partners who develop a device that isn't a traditional AC electrical outlet, but has an On/Off endpoint that controls power to another device, have to decide whether to assign the product the On/Off Plug-In Unit device type, or another device type. In this case, we recommend that:

• If the device can control power for different types of load devices, like a fan or a light, the partner should assign it the On/Off Plug-In Unit device type. The user will then be able to assign the device a different device type when onboarding it in their home.

• If the device can only control a light, the partner should assign it the On/Off Light device type.

For instance, Acme Lighting Corporation makes a device that has a proprietary power connector that only Acme Lighting lights can plug into. The device can turn the lights on or off. In this case, it makes the most sense for Acme to assign their device the On/Off Light device type.

Conversely, Mega Plugin Corporation makes a device that has a standard AC power socket, allowing an end user to plug in anything from a TV to a lamp. In this case, it makes sense to implement the device as an On/Off Plug-In Unit.

Hubs

The following Google Nest devices function as Matter hubs in the Google Home ecosystem.

Table: Google Nest devices with Matter hub support

Device	Thread Border Router support	Google Store
Google Home
Google Home Mini
Google Nest Audio		shopping_cart
Google Nest Hub
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)		shopping_cart
Google Nest Hub Max		shopping_cart
Google Nest Mini		shopping_cart
Nest WiFi Pro		shopping_cart

For more information, see the Nest devices with Matter support article.

Build a device

If you don't have a Matter-enabled device already built, you can use a vendor-supported example as a starting point. See the following vendor example guides to get started:

Table: Matter examples from silicon vendors

Vendor	Platform	Guides	Thread Support
Bouffalo Lab	BL602	Quick Start
	BL702	Quick Start
Espressif	ESP32	Quick Start OTA Testing
Nordic Semiconductor	nRF52840 DK	Quick Start OTA Testing
NXP	IOTZTB-DK006 development kit	Quick Start
Realtek	Ameba D Series	Quick Start
Silicon Labs	EFR32MG24 Dev Kit	Quick Start
	EFR32MG Zigbee and Thread Starter Kit	Quick Start
Telink	TLSR9518	Quick Start
Texas Instruments	CC2652R7 LaunchPad development kit	Quick Start

Development tools

Google recommends using the Google Home Extension for Visual Studio Code and our Matter Virtual Device (MVD) when building a device with Matter support.

The Google Home Extension features the Google Assistant Simulator, Google Cloud Logging, and other tools to simplify the development process, while the MVD provides a way to test a Matter device in the Google Home ecosystem prior to building a physical device.