Control infrared devices via Matter with Homey
Infrared devices don’t support Matter directly. Most infrared-controlled devices, such as TVs, air conditioners, or audio systems, are not smart by themselves and can’t communicate with Matter.
To control infrared devices in Matter-based platforms, you need a smart home hub that can send infrared commands and translate those actions into Matter-compatible controls.
Homey acts as that bridge, exposing infrared actions to Matter. Homey is one of the few smart home hubs that combines built-in infrared control with Matter bridging. This combination is rare. Most Matter-focused platforms only support modern, IP-based devices, while infrared is often ignored or handled by separate, stand-alone remotes.
Homey bridges that gap by allowing legacy infrared-controlled devices — such as TVs, air conditioners, and AV equipment — to coexist with modern Matter devices in the same smart home, using one automation system and one control layer.
Homey stays in control of sending infrared commands. Matter platforms gain access to those actions in a simplified, standardised way.
What you need
To control infrared devices via Matter, you need:
- A Homey Pro with built-in Infrared support or a Homey Bridge, in combination with Homey Pro mini, Homey Cloud or Homey Self-Hosted Server.
- One or more infrared devices configured in Homey
- A Matter-compatible platform (such as Apple Home or Google Home with Matter support)
Infrared devices are set up in Homey by learning or selecting the correct infrared signals.
What “exposing devices” means for infrared and Matter
When Homey exposes an infrared device to Matter, it does not expose a real device with live feedback.
Instead, Homey exposes infrared actions as Matter-compatible controls.
This means:
- Homey sends infrared commands on your behalf
- The infrared device does not report its status
- Matter platforms cannot verify whether a command succeeded
Matter sends a command to Homey, and Homey sends the infrared signal.
A simple way to think about it is that Homey turns infrared actions into basic Matter devices.
How to expose infrared devices to Matter with Homey
Exposing infrared 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:
1. Set up the infrared device in Homey
Install the appropriate infrared app and configure the device so Homey can send the correct IR commands.
2. Open the Matter Bridge settings in Homey
After installing the Matter Bridge app:
- In the Homey app: More → Settings → Matter Bridge
- In the Web App: Settings → Matter Bridge → Configure
3. Add Homey as a Matter Bridge
From your Matter controller’s app (such as Apple Home or Google Home), add a new Matter device (bridge) and scan the QR code shown in Homey.
4. Choose which devices to bridge
Select which infrared devices you want to expose via Matter.
After this, the selected devices appear in your Matter platform. They remain configured only in Homey.
How the connection works
Behind the scenes, the setup works like this:
- A Matter platform sends a command
This can be a tap in an app or a voice command through a Matter-connected assistant. - Homey receives the command
Homey interprets the request as an infrared action and executes it. - Homey sends an infrared signal
The infrared device receives the command but does not send feedback.
What you can do via Matter
Infrared devices are exposed as standard Matter device types, depending on how they are modeled in Homey and what Matter device types are supported.
- On/Off Light or Switch (for TVs or AV equipment)
- Window Covering
- Fan
- Window Covering
- Thermostat (for air conditioners)
- Media or TV-type controls (depending on implementation)
Availability depends on how the infrared app models the device.
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:
- Infrared devices do not report their current state
- Matter cannot confirm whether an infrared command worked
- If someone uses the original remote, Homey won’t know
- Matter exposes a simplified control model
- Advanced logic and assumed state handling stay in Homey
Use Matter for cross-platform access and Homey to manage logic and consistency.
In short
Infrared devices don’t support Matter and don’t report their status.
Homey exposes infrared actions by translating them into Matter-compatible controls, while keeping all infrared communication and logic inside Homey.
Homey stays in control of the infrared signals and Matter becomes a universal way to trigger them across platforms.
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.
