Apple and Google update streaming devices with Thread 1.4 support – here's what it means for your smart home
Building a Matter smart home is about to get a lot less complicated
QUICK SUMMARY
Apple and Google have both updated their latest streaming devices with Thread 1.4 support, introducing a standardised way for Thread Border Routers to share network credentials with one another.
Some of the headline features are still being implemented, but the update contributes to the interoperable smart home that Matter has been promising all along.
Apple and Google have both taken another step towards making smart homes work more seamlessly, rolling out Thread 1.4 support to their latest streaming devices. The update introduces a standardised way for Thread Border Routers to share network credentials with one another – something earlier versions of the protocol promised but never fully delivered.
If you're unfamiliar with the term, a Thread Border Router acts as the bridge between your Thread smart home devices and your home's Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Therefore, rather than each ecosystem creating its own isolated Thread network, compatible border routers will eventually be able to securely share network information with one another.
The news comes after Matter Alpha reported that Thread 1.4 first arrived on compatible Apple TV models through the tvOS 27 developer beta, whilst the Google TV Streamer received the same specification via a separate software update, according to 9to5Google.
That said, whilst both devices now support the Thread 1.4 specification, some of its headline features are still being implemented. For example, the Google TV Streamer's QR code credential-sharing feature isn't working reliably just yet, whilst Apple's tvOS 27 developer beta currently doesn't include a user-facing interface for credential sharing.
We'll keep you updated as and when we know more, but until then, it's clear we're one step further towards the interoperable smart home that Matter has been promising all along.
