Matter 1.3 Update: The Smart Home Standard Finally Matures

The smart home industry has promised a unified experience for years, and the Matter 1.3 update brings us much closer to that reality. Released by the Connectivity Standards Alliance in May 2024, this update expands compatibility far beyond basic light bulbs. It finally brings electric vehicle chargers and major kitchen appliances into a single, seamless ecosystem.

Bridging the Gap in the Smart Home

For years, building a smart home meant juggling a dozen different apps. You had one app for your Philips Hue lights, another for your Ecobee thermostat, and yet another for your Samsung oven. The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) created the Matter standard to fix this exact problem. Backed by tech giants like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung, Matter ensures that smart home devices can communicate locally and securely, regardless of the brand you buy.

While earlier versions of Matter focused on simple devices like smart plugs and light strips, the May 2024 release of Matter 1.3 targets the heavy hitters. This update introduces support for energy management and major home appliances. This transforms the standard from a fun tech novelty into a highly practical tool for managing your daily household routines.

Electric Vehicle Chargers Join the Ecosystem

The most significant addition in Matter 1.3 is support for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). As electric vehicles from brands like Tesla, Ford, and Hyundai become more popular, managing how and when they charge is a priority for homeowners. Before this update, EV owners had to rely on proprietary apps from charger manufacturers like ChargePoint or Wallbox to monitor their charging sessions.

With Matter 1.3, your EV charger can talk directly to your preferred smart home platform, like Apple HomeKit or Google Home. This integration allows for several specific, highly useful features:

Manual Control: You can manually start or stop the charging process directly from your smartphone or smart display.
Charge Rate Adjustments: You can specify exactly how fast the vehicle charges to avoid overloading your home electrical panel.
Milestone Notifications: You can set your system to alert you when your car reaches a specific battery percentage, such as an 80 percent charge for daily driving.
Cost Optimization: You can tell the charger to only draw power during off-peak hours when electricity from your utility company is cheapest.

This means you can plug in your car when you get home from work at 5:30 PM, but the system will wait until 11:00 PM to start drawing power, saving you money on your monthly energy bill.

The Smart Kitchen Gets an Upgrade

Matter 1.2 introduced support for refrigerators and dishwashers in late 2023. Now, Matter 1.3 finishes outfitting the kitchen. The update adds direct support for a wide range of cooking and cleaning appliances. You no longer need a dedicated manufacturer app to control these devices.

Microwaves and Ovens

Smart ovens and microwaves are now fully integrated. Through your central smart home app, you can control the cooking time, adjust power levels, and monitor the operational state of the appliance. If you are baking a casserole, your smart speaker can announce when the preheating phase is complete. You can also receive a notification on your phone when the cooking cycle finishes.

Cooktops and Extractor Hoods

Safety and convenience are the main focus for cooktops. While remote activation is restricted for obvious safety reasons, Matter 1.3 allows you to monitor the status of your cooktop. You can check your Apple Home app to see if you accidentally left a burner on before leaving the house. Extractor hoods also gain smart functionality. You can set them to turn on automatically when the cooktop is in use, and you can control the fan speed and built-in lighting through voice commands to Alexa or Google Assistant.

Laundry Dryers

While washing machines were included in a previous update, Matter 1.3 officially adds laundry dryers to the ecosystem. You can monitor the drying cycle, check the remaining time, and receive alerts when your clothes are dry. This is incredibly helpful for keeping laundry moving, especially if your dryer is located in a basement or garage where you cannot hear the buzzer.

Advanced Water Management

Beyond appliances and energy, Matter 1.3 introduces comprehensive water management tools. Water damage is one of the most expensive home repairs, and early detection is critical. This update brings support for several new water-sensing devices.

Leak and Freeze Detectors: These sensors can be placed under sinks, near water heaters, or in basements. If they detect moisture or freezing temperatures, they send an immediate alert to your smart home hub.
Smart Water Valves: If a leak is detected by a sensor, a Matter-compatible smart valve can automatically shut off the main water supply to your home, preventing thousands of dollars in flooding damage.
Rain Sensors: These sensors can measure rainfall and communicate with your smart irrigation system. If it recently rained, the system can skip a watering cycle to conserve water and reduce your utility bill.

What This Means for Consumers

The Matter 1.3 update proves that the standard is actively growing to meet the needs of modern homeowners. You no longer have to worry about whether a new appliance will work with your specific smart speaker. As long as you see the Matter logo on the box, you know the device will integrate smoothly with your existing setup.

While the standard was published in May 2024, it will take a few months for manufacturers like LG, Whirlpool, and GE to push firmware updates to their existing appliances or release new Matter-certified hardware. However, the foundation is now set. The dream of a fully connected, easily managed home is finally arriving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Matter smart home standard? Matter is an open-source connectivity standard created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance. It allows smart home devices from different manufacturers to communicate securely and operate on a single platform, such as Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa.

Do I need to buy new appliances to use Matter 1.3? It depends on the manufacturer. Some newer smart appliances have the internal hardware required for Matter and will receive a firmware update over the internet. Older appliances without built-in Wi-Fi or Thread radios will not be compatible, meaning you will need to purchase new Matter-certified devices.

Can I control my EV charger with voice commands using Matter 1.3? Yes. Once your compatible EV charger is linked to your Matter ecosystem, you can use voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant to start charging, stop charging, or check the current battery level of your vehicle.

When will Matter 1.3 devices be available to buy? The standard was officially released to developers in May 2024. Consumers can expect to see new appliances and EV chargers featuring the Matter 1.3 certification in stores by late 2024 and early 2025 as brands update their product lines.