Control Zigbee devices via Matter with Homey
Zigbee devices don’t support Matter directly. To control Zigbee lights, plugs, or sensors on Matter-based platforms, you need a smart home hub that can translate between Zigbee and Matter.
Homey acts as that bridge, exposing Zigbee devices to other ecosystems over Matter. Homey stays in control of the Zigbee devices and Matter-based platforms gain access to them through Homey.
What you need
To control Zigbee devices via Matter, you need:
- A Homey Pro, Homey Pro mini or Homey Self-Hosted Server. Note that Homey Self-Hosted Server requires Homey Bridge to add Zigbee support
- One or more Zigbee devices paired with Homey
- A Matter-compatible platform (such as Apple Home or Google Home with Matter support)
Zigbee devices must always be paired with Homey first, before they can connect with Matter.
What “exposing devices” means
When Homey exposes a Zigbee device to Matter, it means Homey shares that device with Matter in a simplified, standardised form.
The device:
- stays paired with Homey
- is still controlled by Homey
- becomes available to Matter-based platforms
Matter controllers communicate with Homey (as a Matter Bridge), and Homey controls Zigbee devices locally. A simple way to think about it is that Homey translates Zigbee devices into Matter-compatible devices.
How to expose Zigbee devices to Matter with Homey
Exposing devices to Matter is managed from within Homey. You don’t need to re-pair devices or change how they’re connected.
The process works like this:
- Pair Zigbee devices with Homey
Make sure the Zigbee devices you want to use are already added to Homey and working correctly. - Open the Matter Bridge settings in Homey
After installing the Matter Bridge app, open its settings:- In the Homey app (iOS / Android): go to More (⋯) → Settings → Matter Bridge
- In the Homey Web App: go to Settings (⚙︎) → Matter Bridge → Configure
- Add Homey as a Matter Bridge
From your Matter controller’s app (such as Apple Home or Google Home), add a new Matter device and scan the QR code shown in Homey. - Choose which devices to bridge
During setup, select which Homey devices you want to expose via Matter. Only the devices you choose will be shared.
After this, the selected devices appear in your Matter platform. They remain paired with Homey, and no additional pairing steps are required.
How the connection works
Behind the scenes, the setup works in three steps:
- Zigbee devices connect to Homey
Homey acts as the Zigbee hub and controls the devices locally. - Matter platforms connect to Homey
The Matter platform communicates with Homey, not with Zigbee devices directly. - Homey forwards commands
When you control a device through Matter, Homey translates the command and sends it to the Zigbee device.
What you can do via Matter
Once exposed, Zigbee devices appear in Matter-based platforms as standard Matter device types, depending on how the device is mapped in Homey and supported by the Matter Bridge.
- On/Off Lights, Dimmable Lights, Color Lights & Temperature Lights
- Plug-in Sockets
- Thermostats
- Locks
- Blinds, Curtains, Roller Shutters
- Door/Window Sensors
- Temperature & Humidity Sensors
- Motion & Occupancy Sensors
- Air Quality Sensors
- CO2 & Smoke Alarms
You can:
- Control devices in your Matter platform app
- Use voice assistants connected to Matter
- Include devices in Matter-based automations
What to keep in mind
A few important points:
- Zigbee devices must stay paired with Homey
- Matter exposes a standardised feature set, not every Zigbee capability is available
- Advanced automation and logic stay in Homey
- Removing a device from Homey also removes it from Matter
Use Matter for cross-platform control and compatibility and Homey for automation and device logic.
In short
Zigbee devices don’t support Matter directly.
Homey exposes them by translating Zigbee devices into Matter-compatible devices, while keeping all Zigbee communication and advanced automation inside Homey.
Matter becomes a universal way to access your devices across platforms and Homey stays in control.
Discover more about Homey by connecting additional devices through the Homey App Store. Control them with the Homey App and create your own automations with Flows and Advanced Flows. Monitor your smart home using Dashboards, and gain deeper understanding with Homey Energy and Insights.
Smart home technologies and platforms supported by Homey
Smart homes often use multiple wireless technologies and platforms. As a powerful smart home hub, Homey supports a wide range of communication standards, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread, KNX, 433 MHz, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Infrared.
Homey also integrates with popular smart home platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home. By combining multiple technologies and platforms in one system, Homey allows devices from different ecosystems to work together in one flexible smart home setup.
