Many new [Matter](https://developers.home.google.com/matter/overview.md.txt) devices will use
Thread---an IP-based wireless mesh networking
technology, designed for smart home devices.

Thread has the following key benefits:

- IPv6 based: Thread devices can join the same network as your other devices, and talk directly to each other and the cloud.
- Low-powered mesh: Built for IoT, Thread supports battery operated devices, with a mesh that delivers range and reliability.
- Speed: Low overhead, local connectivity, and mesh makes Thread devices extremely responsive.

Thread is developed in the Thread Group, which Google founded with other member companies in 2014.

Thread devices join users' existing home networks through a
Thread Border Router (TBR). Just like a Wi-Fi router can bridge
Wi-Fi and Ethernet devices into a single network, a TBR
allows Thread devices to become part of
users' networks.

Google devices like the Nest WiFi, Google Nest Hub Max
and Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) have Thread radios built-into
them and act as TBRs.

## An Interoperable Mesh

Thread devices and TBRs
are built by a variety of device makers. We want to enable users to have
an open, interoperable and strong Thread mesh in the home,
regardless of the manufacturer.

As part of our Mobile SDK, we've included Thread APIs
in Google Play services that Android developers can use
to join their devices to users' Thread networks. To join a
Thread network, a joining Thread
device needs credentials. Using the Thread APIs, an
Android app can obtain the credentials from
Play services and share them with the joining device.

Our [Matter APIs](https://developers.home.google.com/matter/apis/home.md.txt) in
Play services use these APIs as part of the setup process.
Matter commissioners share the credentials with
joining devices when
[provisioning](https://developers.home.google.com/matter/primer/commissioning.md.txt#network-provisioning)
them to the Thread network.

The Thread APIs can be directly accessed by
Android developers who want to customize their
Thread setup, or have other
non-Matter use cases that utilize
Thread.

One non-Matter use case to highlight is the setup
process for TBRs.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Border routers are not commissioned in Matter.

![Thread and Matter](https://developers.home.google.com/static/matter/images/thread-matter.png)

## Setup process for border routers

When a new border router is set up in a home it either creates a new
Thread network or joins an existing
Thread network.

If the border router is creating a Thread
network, then the border router needs to share the credentials for
that network with Play services so that the credentials may be used
by our Matter APIs and by other
Android apps to join Thread devices
to it.

If the border router is joining an existing
Thread network, the border router needs to obtain
credentials from Play services to be able to join.

The Thread APIs are available to border router
developers to help accomplish this. Border router
developers can implement their setup process in an Android
app. The app would mediate between
Play services and the border router, and would use the
Thread APIs directly.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Security is a top priority for Matter and Thread. The interface that the Android app uses to communicate with the border router needs to be secure. Though this interface is not specified by a standard and is left to the discretion of the border router developer to define, it is under the jurisdiction of the Thread Group and may require a Security Review.

[Google Thread Border Router (gTBR)s](https://developers.home.google.com/matter/supported-devices.md.txt#hubs), such as the
Nest Hub (2nd gen), are [set up](https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/7029485)
in the home using Google Home app (GHA).

## Get started

To start using the Thread Network SDK in your
Android apps, refer to our Thread
Network SDK usage guide.

[Use the Thread Network SDK](https://developers.home.google.com/thread.md.txt)