Google Home and IKEA are suffering from Matter’s disastrous implementation
Source: Android Authority
TL;DR
- Many users are discovering that IKEA’s new line of Matter smart home products is buggy and unreliable.
- Matter’s multi‑admin feature is a disaster and causes issues when controlling these lights with Google, Alexa, or Apple.
- A video shows all the possible issues and some potential fixes, but you’re on your own to fix them.
Background
I’ve been following IKEA’s new cheap Matter‑powered smart home products since they were announced in November. They were marketed as an affordable way to outfit a home with sensors, buttons, and automations that feed directly into Google Home. However, early user reports haven’t been positive. Support forums, Reddit threads, and IKEA’s own review sections are filled with complaints about connectivity problems.
YouTuber A Smarter Home compiled extensive research into a single video that explains everything that is going wrong with IKEA’s devices over Matter, including Google Home pairing troubles and potential solutions. If you want a 20‑minute guaranteed headache, please watch.
Core Issue: Matter’s Multi‑Admin Feature
Matter’s flagship “multi‑admin” capability—allowing a device to be controlled by multiple platforms—has proven to be unreliable:
- A device may work fine with one platform, but pairing it with another can cause it to disappear from the network or stop responding.
- Devices often fail to show a pairing code when you try to add them to a second controller.
- Troubleshooting is hampered by a lack of error codes or clear diagnostics.
Typical requirements that are rarely documented include:
- A dedicated 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi network for Matter devices.
- IPv6 enabled by default.
- Specific firmware versions.
- Random button presses to re‑initiate pairing.
These opaque requirements lead to a “just works” illusion that quickly crumbles, leaving users to scour forums or watch lengthy videos for answers.
Personal Experiences with Matter
Tado X Thermostats
My first Matter experience was with Tado X thermostats. They wouldn’t pair to my Google Nest Hub until I:
- Disabled 5 GHz on my router.
- Rebooted the router.
- Used an iPhone to finalize pairing.
- Shared the new Matter code with the Nest Hub.
Even after these steps, the thermostats paired once and then dropped off the network. I eventually returned them and switched to non‑Matter models, which have been rock‑solid for over a year.
Meross Power Strip
My second Matter experience involved a Meross power strip. I could not keep it paired with my Home Assistant hub, and adding it to Google Home caused it to disappear from both controllers.
These issues mirror the complaints emerging from IKEA users, but IKEA’s larger market presence brings more attention to the underlying problems with Matter.
What Can You Do?
If you’ve purchased IKEA Matter devices and they aren’t working correctly, you have a few options:
- Return the devices if possible.
- Try troubleshooting steps outlined by A Smarter Home in the video, tailored to your specific setup.
- Wait for firmware and hub updates that may stabilize the ecosystem.
References