Matter Overview

Q1: What is Matter?

A1: Matter is a new industry standard for smart home appliances, derived by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), aimed at creating interoperability and a consistent set-up process. It’s an open-source, royalty-free IP-based protocol focused on making it easier for smart home device manufacturers and mobile app/cloud solution developers to build products that communicate and work together.

TP-Link has been committed to promoting the implementation of the Matter protocol. It is one of the first companies to obtain the Matter 1.0 certification and one of the few to receive the root certificate issued by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).

You could refer to the link for more information about Matter protocol: https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/

Q2: What are the advantages of Matter?

A2: Here are 4 main advantages of Matter:

Multi-Admin Control:

Matter allows you to control devices via multiple smart home systems at the same time through its Multi-Admin feature.

For example, you could turn on P125M via Google Home and turn off P125M via Alexa.

Device-to-Device communications:

All Matter-supported devices could work together no matter which brand makes them.

Therefore, you can create a string of multi-device actions, what some smart ecosystem may call "Automations", "Routines" that include heretofore incompatible devices.

Easy Set up:

Matter bridges the gap between ecosystems and standardizes the setup process. Fire up any standard-compliant app and scan the provided QR code, and the configuration is nearly complete.

Local Control:

With Matter, all home devices do not need to be connected to the internet, as long as there is a Matter hub/Matter controller.

That means interactions with your smart home devices, such as turning plug on or off, should happen much faster and keep working in the midst of an internet outage.

Q3: What TP-Link device types are supported by Matter?

A3: The first Matter-certified rollout of TP-Link includes smart plug, smart power strips, smart switches, smart bulbs, and smart hubs that enable Tapo sensors (not Matter-compatible) to communicate with Matter devices. Additionally, the Tapo and Kasa apps will upgrade to be Matter-compatible, further opening the ecosystem to improve compatibility for users.

Q4: Is any TP-Link Matter-certified device on sale now?

A4: Yes, Tapo P125M is TP-Link’s first Matter-certified smart plug that has launched in US market.

The unveiling of Tapo P125M signifies TP-Link is making the long-anticipated vision of a seamless smart home a reality, lifting the curtain of the Matter era.

More TP-Link Matter-certified devices are coming soon, please click here or reach out to sales.usa@tp-link.com for more information about our product.

Q5: Will You Need a Smart Home Hub to set up Matter-certified device with Matter?

A5: Yes, Matter hub—or called Matter controller is required for providing ecosystem that could be paired with Matter-certified device. The main advantage of hardware-based Matter controllers over software-based controller apps is that they allow you to control your smart home when you’re away from home. Matter hub can be built into other devices, or even simply be a smartphone app (such as the LG ThinQ app).

Most major manufacturers have or have plans to launch their own device be Matter hub via software upgrade. Please ask the corresponding manufacturer for the firmware version of your Matter Hub.

Here we take Google, Alexa, Apple, Samsung for examples:

Google ——Device list that can be a Matter Hub (Click here for more information):

Minimum Version Required for Google Home App：2.62.1.15 or later.

Device Type	Device Name
Wi-Fi Routers	Nest Wi-Fi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E)
Speakers	Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio
Displays	Nest Hub (1st gen), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max

Alexa——Device list that can be a Matter Hub (Click here for more information):

Minimum Version Required for Alexa App：2.2.491118.0 or later.

Type	Device Name
Echo/Echo Dot	5th Gen：Echo Dot，Echo Dot (Gen 5 with Clock) 4th Gen：Echo、Echo Dot、Echo Dot (Gen 4 with Clock) 3th Gen：Echo、Echo Dot、Echo Dot (Gen 3 with Clock)
Echo Show	3th Gen：Echo Show 10、Echo Show 15 2nd Gen：Echo Show 8、Echo Show 5 1st Gen：Echo Show、Echo Show 8
Echo Studio	/
Echo Input	/
Echo Flex	/

Apple (Click here for more information):

Minimum OS Required for IOS device: iOS16.2 or later.

Apple support to set up HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, or iPad as a Matter Hub.

Samsung (Click here for more information):

Samsung is building its SmartThings hub software into 2022 Samsung Smart TVs, Smart Monitors, and Family Hub refrigerators, allowing them to control Matter smart home devices.

Q6: What ‘s ecosystem and how many ecosystems can be paired with Matter-certified device at the same time?

A6: Generally, an ecosystem can be described as a fabric, such as Google Fabric, Alexa Fabric, Apple Fabric. A Matter-certified device can join multiple fabrics at the same time, that is, it can be integrated into multiple ecosystems at the same time. Hardware and firmware of the Matter-certified device determine the maximum different ecosystems’/fabrics’ number that device can be added, this important function is defined as Multi-admin.

Note:

1. Different ecosystems/fabrics can be ecosystems of different platforms or different accounts of the same platform.

2. Alexa and Google occupy 1 Matter fabric of Matter-certified device. While Apple occupy 2 Matter fabric of Matter-certified device due to Apple’s design. For example, if some matter-certified device supports up to 3 fabrics, you can add this device to Google and Alexa fabric at the same time. But you can’t add it to Apple fabric because only 1 matter fabric left and Apple fabric requires 2 of it.

Q7: What types of ecosystems does TP-Link Matter-certified device support?

A7: TP-Link Matter-certified device support works with nearly all certified smart home ecosystems, such as Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. Apart from that, one Matter-certified device can interact with numerous certified smart devices from other manufacturers, meeting users' needs for more personalized and unified smart home experiences. It is advisable to check up with corresponding manufacturer whether your hub controller could provide Matter-supported ecosystem and its future compatibility. Additionally, the Tapo and Kasa apps will upgrade to be Matter-compatible, further offering the ecosystem to all Matter-certified devices (no matter which brand) to integrate into.

Q8: How do I know if a smart device is Matter-compatible?

A8: As the following picture showing, all new Matter-compatible products’ packaging or device body will bear the new Matter "mark" – three arc-tipped arrows pointing inward – and a brand logo, just the word "matter" in a sans serif font. To find out if your existing smart home device is Matter compatible, you can search the CSA Certified Product Search web page. First, scroll down to "Program Type" and check the "Matter" box. You can then search by keyword or filter results by device type or company.

Q9: How secure is Matter?

A9: In summary, matter promises a high level of security and privacy protection – especially when it comes to communication between devices and the server infrastructure.

Primarily, Matter uses block chain – the same secure system used by bank and smartphone payment systems such as Apple Pay when you bank or pay wirelessly – to securely validate devices when you pair them to your control app. And each Matter device is required to generate its own secure digital identification ‘certificate’.

All Matter commands and control code transmissions are confined to your presumably secure local Wi-Fi network. Additionally, all Matter command and control systems transmitted by, to, and from your smartphone or device are encrypted. Since every communication between the devices is authenticated and encrypted, hackers will ideally find no points of attack at all.

Q&A for TP-Link Matter-certified device

Q10: How to set up TP-Link Matter-certified device with Matter for the first time

Refer to the FAQ How to set up TP-Link Matter-certified device with Matter for the first time

Q11: How to integrate your Matter-certified device into multiple ecosystems

Refer to the FAQ How to integrate your Matter-certified device into multiple ecosystems

Q12: Why I failed to set up the Matter-certified device with Matter？

Refer to the FAQ Why I failed to set up the Matter-certified device with Matter？

Q13: How to reset the TP-Link Matter-certified device?

A13: Take Tapo P125M for an example.

Factory Reset: To restore P125M to factory default settings and re-enable Matter/Tapo onboarding mode, please press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds until the LED blinks green and orange slowly.

Wi-Fi Reset: To reset Wi-Fi while keeping previous settings, please press and hold the Power button for 5 seconds until the LED blinks green and orange rapidly.

Note: Wi-Fi Reset is only applicable to Tapo/Kasa App.

Q14: Can I continue to add Matter-certified device to Tapo/Kasa App after it is successfully paired with Matter?

A14:Yes,let the smartphone and Matter-certified device in the same local network, the main page of Tapo/Kasa App will pop up a window to inform you that a new device has been discovered, you could also manually click‘+’ on the upper right of the main page for adding the device.

Q15: Why Matter-certified device cannot be added to Alexa ecosystem after it is already in other ecosystems?

A15: It is temporarily limited by Alexa setting(Alexa is solving the problem), Alexa ecosystem needs to be paired with Matter-certified device as the first ecosystem.

So please unbind Matter-certified device from other ecosystems, then pair it with Alexa ecosystem first.

Q16: Why can't I reopen the pairing window after accidentally closing pairing window in Matter pairing mode of the Home App?

A16: It is limited by Home App setting. After the pairing window is closed during the pairing process, you need to wait for 5 minutes before pairing again.

Q17: What if the Matter Hub paired with Matter-certified device is Offline/Unbind from local network?

A17: If the Control Hub is Offline from local network, Matter-certified device will not be controlled. But the problem would be solved after Control Hub reconnects to the local network.

If the Control Hub unbinds from local network, Matter-certified device will be unbound to corresponding ecosystem, but it will not affect the use of device in other ecosystems.

Q18: What if Matter-certified device unbinds from the paired ecosystem?

A18：If Matter-certified device unbinds from single ecosystem, Matter-certified device could still be controlled in other paired ecosystems.

If Matter-certified device unbinds from all the ecosystems, you need to reset the device to make it in Matter onboarding mode.

Q19: What if Matter-certified device is removed from Tapo/Kasa App?

A19：Matter-certified device would be factory reset and shows unresponsive in all the paired ecosystems.

Q20: Why I can't find device on Alexa App after pairing Matter-certified device with Alexa ecosystem successfully?

A20: Alexa will generate the default name according to device type, take Tapo P125M for an example, the first P125M paired with Alexa will be automatically named first plug and so on.

For detailed Matter setup guidance, please refer to the FAQ:

Matter Setup Guides for Alexa, Google and Apple