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How do the Nanoleaf app and Smart Home Ecosystems connect with your Essentials (Matter) lights?Updated 10 months ago

TL;DR: Nanoleaf app: Bluetooth and Thread. Smart Home Ecosystems: Thread only.

Nanoleaf app

The Nanoleaf app uses a proprietary protocol separate from Matter to communicate with Essentials devices. Using this protocol, we are able to support pairing and control via both Bluetooth and Thread. Even in the unlikely scenario where your Thread network goes down, you’ll still be able to rely on the Nanoleaf app to control your lights within Bluetooth range. The Nanoleaf app will always prioritize Thread over Bluetooth as long as a border router is online and your light is detected on the Thread network.

Smart Home Ecosystems

Smart Home ecosystems (Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings) all connect with Essentials devices using Matter (surprise!). Matter uses Bluetooth during the pairing process but only supports control over Thread (and Wi-Fi for Matter-over-WiFi devices), which means that a compatible Thread border router is required to use Matter with Essentials. Smart Home Ecosystems will not let you pair Matter-over-Thread devices without a border router. All of these ecosystems also require a smart home hub to function with Matter, ensuring that automations/routines can execute reliably as well as providing remote control of your devices when away from home. It's important to note that not all smart home hubs are Thread border routers.

This page provides information about Nanoleaf devices that are also Thread border routers, and can be used alongside a smart home hub without Thread border router capabilities to give you access to Matter through the ecosystems.

The following Matter-compatible smart home hubs (Matter controllers) also double as Thread Border Routers:

Apple: Apple HomePod mini, Apple HomePod (2nd generation), Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and 3rd generation WiFi + Ethernet 128GB model)

Google: Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max (learn more)

Amazon: Echo (4th Gen). The following eero devices are Thread border routers but not Matter controllers: eero Pro 6E, eero Pro 6, eero 6+, eero 6, eero PoE 6, eero PoE gateway, eero Pro, and eero Beacon (learn more)

Samsung: Samsung Station, SmartThings 2018 Hub (IM6001-V3P01) and Aeotec Smart Home Hub (learn more)

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