There’s lastly some excellent news for anybody battling a number of Thread networks whereas utilizing Matter units of their sensible residence — so long as you’re the affected person kind. In response to Matter Alpha, the tvOS 26 beta introduced at WWDC this week provides Thread 1.4 to Apple TVs. And, as Apple’s sensible audio system use a fork of tvOS, it’s seemingly that the upcoming HomePod OS 26 will embrace 1.4 as properly.
Thread 1.4 brings an ordinary manner for Thread border routers, resembling Apple TVs and HomePods, to hitch an current Thread community, fixing the issue the place border routers from different manufacturers set up separate networks once they be part of your sensible residence. “We’re seeing an awesome shift towards Thread 1.4 amongst some main machine, platform, and border router distributors,” Thread Group VP of selling 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 12 months on the earliest, these of us who like to combine and match our sensible residence {hardware} — possibly you’ve gotten an Apple TV, an Eero router, and a Google Nest Hub — must wait till a minimum of 2026 for a extra secure and speedier sensible residence.
Launched in September 2024, Thread 1.4 is the newest specification of the smart home 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 part of the community already created by your Apple TV.
Thread-powered units require a Thread border router to connect with the web. Right this moment, there are a number of choices for border routers, together with the latest Apple TVs and HomePods, higher-end Echo and Google Nest sensible audio system, and a few Wi-Fi routers, together with Eeros. You probably have a couple of of those units, they might arrange separate Thread networks, which might trigger points. The largest being that you simply lose the prolonged vary and reliability advantages of a unified mesh community.
I at present have 9 Thread networks working in my residence. 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 shouldn’t be typical (I take a look at sensible residence units for a residing), it does reveal what a multitude this will create.
Older versions 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 obtainable 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 had been at. All are nonetheless on 1.3. Nevertheless, Mark Benson, head of SmartThings US, stated Samsung’s border routers shall be on 1.4 “later this 12 months.” Amazon spokesperson Melanie Garvey stated they’ll deliver help for 1.4 “throughout suitable units subsequent 12 months.” Alex Sakhartchouk, a software program engineer at Google Residence, 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 obtainable for Thread Border Router certification.”
Sakhartchouk added that Google Nest Thread border routers already “do our greatest” to hitch current networks by integrating with cell Thread credential storage APIs on Android and iOS. That means, once you set them up together 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 cell APIs to permit others to hitch our networks,” he stated. This labored for me — once I arrange the Google TV streamer, it joined my current Apple Thread community.
Whereas cell credential sharing helps at this time, and the Wi-Fi router-based solution put in place by the Connectivity Requirements Alliance in Matter 1.4 might assist in some unspecified time in the future, essentially the most easy repair is border routers speaking with one another. This could have been the strategy from day one — however it appears like we’ll should be affected person some time longer.