Home Assistant Rebuilds Matter on matter.js: What Changes for You
The Home Assistant team just dropped one of the biggest infrastructure changes in years: the entire Matter Server has been rebuilt from scratch on matter.js. I’ve been running the beta for two months now, and this is the update that finally makes me confident recommending Matter devices alongside my beloved Zigbee setup.
Why This Matters (Pun Intended)
Let me be blunt. The old Matter Server worked, but it had rough edges. Devices would occasionally go unresponsive after network hiccups, reconnection times were sluggish, and debugging Thread mesh issues was basically guesswork. The Home Assistant team knew this, and instead of patching the old Python + C++ SDK implementation, they went nuclear: a complete rewrite using matter.js, a TypeScript-based Matter implementation donated to the Open Home Foundation by developer Ingo Fischer.
Ingo is now the Lead Developer of Matter at Home Assistant. That’s a big deal. The person who built the library from the ground up is now steering the official integration. This isn’t some random dependency swap. It’s a strategic move that gives the HA team full control over the Matter stack.
The result ships as Matter Server app 9.0. It’s a drop-in replacement that auto-migrates your existing data on first start. No manual steps, no re-pairing devices. I updated my system yesterday morning and every single one of my Matter devices (three Eve sensors, two Nanoleaf bulbs, and a Meross smart plug) came back online within seconds.
The Five Big Improvements
1. Faster Device Reconnection and Network Recovery
This was my number one frustration with the old server. If my router rebooted or my mini PC woke from a brief network blip, Matter devices would sometimes take minutes to reconnect. Some needed a manual ping from the dashboard.
The new matter.js server handles network recovery dramatically faster. In my testing, devices reconnect in under 10 seconds after a network interruption. The old server? Sometimes 2-3 minutes, sometimes not at all until I restarted the add-on.
2. Thread and WiFi Network Visualization
This is the feature that made me grin. The new Matter Server includes a built-in network visualization in the web UI. You can actually see your Thread mesh topology: which devices are routers, which are end devices, where your border routers sit, and how strong each connection is.
Connection quality shows as colors: green means solid, orange means degraded, red means problematic, and gray means the device is offline. For someone like me who runs a Thread border router and has spent hours trying to figure out why one sensor in the garage keeps dropping, this is incredibly useful. No more guessing. You can see exactly where your mesh is weak and move a router device to fix it.
3. Better Security
The new server blocks uncertified devices that use test certificates. It also checks certificate revocation during commissioning. This means you won’t accidentally pair a device that’s been flagged by the CSA. Home Assistant and the Matter Server have been CSA-certified since 2025, so this is them taking that certification seriously.
For most users, this is invisible. Your legitimate Matter-compatible devices will pair just fine. But it closes a real security gap that existed in the old implementation.
4. More Reliable OTA Updates
Firmware updates over Matter were flaky on the old server. They’d stall, fail silently, or require retries. The new implementation handles OTA much more reliably. I pushed a firmware update to my Eve Motion sensor yesterday and it completed on the first try, no babysitting required.
5. Updated OpenThread Border Router (Thread 1.4)
The bundled OpenThread Border Router now supports Thread 1.4. This brings better multicast support, improved network recovery at the mesh level, and lays groundwork for Matter 1.6 features coming later this year. The server already supports Matter 1.5.1, and there’s a PR open for 1.6 support.
Comparison Table: Old vs. New Matter Server
| Feature | Old Server (Python/C++ SDK) | New Server (matter.js) | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device reconnection | 1-3 minutes after network loss | Under 10 seconds | ~90% faster recovery |
| Matter spec version | 1.3 | 1.5.1 (1.6 coming) | Two spec versions ahead |
| Network visualization | None | Full Thread/WiFi topology map | Entirely new capability |
| Security checks | Basic certificate validation | Blocks test certs, checks revocation | Significant hardening |
| OTA firmware updates | Unreliable, frequent stalls | Reliable, single-attempt completion | Much more dependable |
| Thread version | 1.3 | 1.4 | Better mesh recovery |
| Codebase | Python + compiled C++ SDK | TypeScript (matter.js) | Easier to contribute, debug |
| Migration | N/A | Automatic on first start | Zero manual effort |
How to Update
If you’re running Home Assistant OS or Supervised, this is straightforward:
- Go to Settings > Add-ons and find the Matter Server add-on
- Click Update (it should show version 9.0 available)
- Wait for the restart. The first boot takes slightly longer as it migrates your data
- Check your Matter devices in the dashboard. They should all come back online
That’s it. No re-pairing, no configuration changes. If you’re new to Home Assistant entirely, check out our beginner guide first.
Should You Update Immediately?
Yes. Without hesitation. This has been beta tested by the community for four months. I ran it for two months myself with zero issues. The migration is automatic and reversible (you can roll back to a backup if something goes wrong, though I haven’t seen anyone need to).
The fact that Matter already runs in 38% of all Home Assistant instances (ranking 12th among all integrations) tells you this isn’t a niche feature. A lot of people depend on it, and it’s getting the engineering attention it deserves.
My Take as a Zigbee User
Look, I’m a Zigbee2MQTT person at heart. My ConBee III with 47 Zigbee devices is the backbone of my smart home. But I’ve been adding Matter devices where they make sense, especially Thread sensors that don’t need a proprietary hub.
This update changes my recommendation. Before, I’d tell people “Matter works but has quirks.” Now I’ll say “Matter is solid.” The network visualization alone saves hours of troubleshooting. The faster reconnections mean you can actually rely on Matter devices for automations that need to be responsive.
If you’re choosing a smart home hub right now, Home Assistant’s Matter support just became a genuine selling point rather than a checkbox feature.
What’s Coming Next
The team has a PR open for Matter 1.6 support. Once that lands, you’ll get access to new device types and capabilities outlined in the Matter 1.6 spec. The matter.js codebase also makes it significantly easier for community developers to contribute fixes and features, since TypeScript is far more accessible than the old C++ SDK.
Check the 2026.6 release notes for the full changelog and other improvements that shipped alongside this Matter overhaul.
FAQ
Do I need to re-pair my Matter devices after updating?
No. The Matter Server 9.0 automatically migrates all your existing device data on first start. Every device I had paired (six in total) came back online without any manual intervention. Your automations and dashboards stay intact.
Will this break my Thread network?
No. The update actually improves your Thread network by upgrading the OpenThread Border Router to Thread 1.4. Your existing Thread devices will continue working and benefit from better mesh recovery. The new visualization lets you verify everything is healthy after the update.
Can I roll back if something goes wrong?
Yes. Take a Home Assistant backup before updating (always a good practice). If you encounter issues, you can restore the backup and you’ll be back on the old server. That said, after four months of community beta testing, problems are extremely rare.
Does this affect other integrations like Zigbee or Z-Wave?
Not at all. The Matter Server is completely independent from other protocol integrations. Your Zigbee2MQTT setup, Z-Wave JS, or any other integration won’t be touched by this update. They run in separate containers/processes.
What happens with uncertified or DIY Matter devices?
The new server blocks devices using test certificates by default. If you’re running DIY Matter devices (like ESP32-based projects with development certificates), you may need to update their certificates or check the Matter Server settings for a developer mode option. Legitimate consumer devices from the best Matter devices list will work perfectly fine.