Since the Matter standard has taken off and incorporated all major smart home ecosystems, it has become easier to use devices without being tied to one system. The latest update aims to improve that experience with group-based QR codes for smart home packs and an easier legal experience with terms and conditions.
Matter has been essential to a better user experience in the smart home industry, but it hasn’t been the smoothest sail. The CSA wants to make using and configuring devices easier, but there are a lot of roadblocks to that process. For instance, even if a device has a QR code that users can use to set the device up, they may be required to download a proprietary app to complete some steps.
Individual apps hinder the idea of a unified ecosystem for smart home devices, and when users buy several different brands because they have realistic needs across the home, that can be unwelcoming.
Matter’s newest update to version 1.4.1 means a few changes are coming to that initial setup process. The goal of the update is to simplify how devices are onboarded into the user’s home.
The first change is what Matter calls an “Enhanced Setup Flow.” This update aims at the commissioning process for devices. In essence, it aims at how users are presented with the terms and conditions for each item they set up. Every device is required to display T&C. While it can be annoying, it’s necessary.
The updated ESF will allow devices to push T&C details directly through the commissioner app, which seems to read as the ecosystem app. Doing so will circumvent the current process, which requires users to download a dedicated app from the manufacturer prior to accepting the terms.
This is a small change, but it will remove one of the roadblocks that prevent buyers from downloading an app for every switch and bulb they bring home.
Matter is also expanding compatibility for QR codes. Most Matter-compatible devices will have a QR code attached somewhere to certify the device. This is how users initiate setup and attach them to their preferred ecosystem.
Multi-device QR codes are being added to packs that have more than one device within them. This goes for packs of lightbulbs or switches that require setup for each individual unit. The multi-device QR code will allow the user to scan one code to set up each unit in the pack.
This is another change that will streamline how devices are set up in the home, and it’s a welcome one.
The last change Matter outlines in its post comes in addition to QR codes. For devices that can’t often be moved once installed or in situations where the QR code can be lost or hidden, manufacturers can add an NFC tag to accomplish the setup process. This is in conjunction with QR codes, but it adds a further way to configure devices after the initial setup, if needed.
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