There’s lastly some excellent news for anybody battling a number of Thread networks whereas utilizing Matter units of their good dwelling — so long as you’re the affected person sort. In keeping with Matter Alpha, the tvOS 26 beta introduced at WWDC this week provides Thread 1.4 to Apple TVs. And, as Apple’s good audio system use a fork of tvOS, it’s seemingly that the upcoming HomePod OS 26 will embrace 1.4 as effectively.
Thread 1.4 brings a typical manner for Thread border routers, akin to Apple TVs and HomePods, to affix an current Thread community, fixing the issue the place border routers from totally different producers arrange separate networks after they be a part of your good dwelling. “We’re seeing an excellent shift towards Thread 1.4 amongst some main system, platform, and border router distributors,” Thread Group VP of promoting Ann Olivo advised The Verge.
However, with tvOS 26 not arriving till the autumn, and Google and Amazon’s adoption of Thread 1.4 coming subsequent yr on the earliest, these of us who like to combine and match our good dwelling {hardware} — possibly you have got an Apple TV, an Eero router, and a Google Nest Hub — should wait till a minimum of 2026 for a extra secure and speedier good dwelling.
Launched in September 2024, Thread 1.4 is the newest specification of the good dwelling protocol that Matter runs on. Thread presents a low-power, low-bandwidth mesh networking protocol designed particularly for IoT units like lights, locks, sensors, and extra. The 1.4 spec dictates that when a border router is added, it will join the existing Thread network versus creating a new one — no matter model or platform. So, for instance, your new Echo Present 8 would be a part of the community already created by your Apple TV.
Thread-powered units require a Thread border router to hook up with the web. Right this moment, there are a number of choices for border routers, together with the most recent Apple TVs and HomePods, higher-end Echo and Google Nest good audio system, and a few Wi-Fi routers, together with Eeros. You probably have just a few of those units, they could arrange separate Thread networks, which might trigger points. The most important being that you just lose the prolonged vary and reliability advantages of a unified mesh community.
I presently have 9 Thread networks operating in my dwelling. Samsung SmartThings has created three. My Nest community contains most of my HomePods and my Google TV streamer; my Apple community has a more moderen Apple TV and a Nanoleaf border router in it. I’ve three separate Eero networks, one with Eero units in it and the opposite two with Echo units in them. Whereas my setup just isn’t typical (I take a look at good dwelling units for a residing), it does display what a large number this may create.
Older variations of Thread are being sunsetted to hurry up the transition. “Thread 1.3 certification functions for Thread Border Routers will shut December 31, 2025,” Olivo confirmed. “As of Jan. 1, 2026, Thread 1.4 would be the solely specification out there for Thread Border Router certification.”
With Apple poised to implement Thread 1.4 this fall with tvOS 26, I checked in with Google, Amazon, and Samsung to see the place they have been at. All are nonetheless on 1.3. Nonetheless, Mark Benson, head of SmartThings US, stated Samsung’s border routers can be on 1.4 “later this yr.” Amazon spokesperson Melanie Garvey stated they’ll convey help for 1.4 “throughout suitable units subsequent yr.” Alex Sakhartchouk, a software program engineer at Google House, confirmed that they’re actively working towards including help for Thread 1.4 “sooner or later.”
“As of Jan. 1, 2026, Thread 1.4 would be the solely specification out there for Thread Border Router certification.”
Sakhartchouk added that Google Nest Thread border routers already “do our greatest” to affix current networks by integrating with cellular Thread credential storage APIs on Android and iOS. Which means, whenever you set them up along with your smartphone, they need to share credentials with an current border router utilizing the telephone. “We share our credentials by way of these similar cellular APIs to permit others to affix our networks,” he stated. This labored for me — after I arrange the Google TV streamer, it joined my current Apple Thread community.
Whereas cellular credential sharing helps at this time, and the Wi-Fi router-based resolution put in place by the Connectivity Requirements Alliance in Matter 1.4 may assist sooner or later, probably the most simple repair is border routers speaking with one another. This could have been the method from day one — however it appears to be like like we’ll should be affected person some time longer.