Control Z-Wave devices via Matter with Homey
Z-Wave devices don’t support Matter directly. To control Z-Wave lights, switches, or sensors in Matter-based platforms, you need a smart home hub that can translate between Z-Wave and Matter.
Homey acts as that bridge, exposing Z-Wave devices to Matter. Homey stays in control of the Z-Wave devices and Matter-based platforms gain access to them through Homey.
What you need
To control Z-Wave devices via Matter, you need:
- A Homey Pro with built-in Z-Wave support, or a Homey Bridge to enable Z-Wave for Homey Pro mini, Homey Cloud, or Homey Self-Hosted Server.
- One or more Z-Wave devices paired with Homey
- A Matter-compatible platform (such as Apple Home or Google Home with Matter support)
Z-Wave devices must always be paired with Homey first, before that can be controlled via Matter.
What “exposing devices” means
When Homey exposes a Z-Wave device to Matter, it means Homey shares that device with Matter in a standardised form.
The device:
- stays paired with Homey
- is still controlled by Homey
- becomes available to Matter-based platforms
Matter does not communicate with Z-Wave devices directly. The Matter controller communicates with Homey (as a Matter Bridge) and Homey then controls Z-Wave locally.
A simple way to think about it is that Homey translates Z-Wave devices into Matter-compatible devices.
How to expose Z-Wave devices to Matter with Homey
Exposing devices to Matter is done from within Homey. You don’t need to re-pair devices or change how they’re connected.
The process works like this:
- Pair Z-Wave devices with Homey
Make sure the Z-Wave 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 (bridge) and scan the QR code shown in Homey. Homey will then expose the selected devices to the Matter platform. - 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:
- Z-Wave devices connect to Homey
Homey acts as the Z-Wave hub and controls the devices locally. - Matter platforms connect to Homey
A Matter controller (such as Apple Home or Google Home) communicates with Homey acting as a Matter Bridge. - Homey forwards commands
When you control a device via Matter, Homey translates the command and sends it to the Z-Wave device.
What you can do via Matter
Once exposed, Z-Wave devices appear in Matter-based platforms as standard Matter device types, such as:
- 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 Matter-compatible apps
- Use voice assistants connected through Matter
- Include devices in Matter-based automations
What to keep in mind
A few important points:
- Z-Wave devices must stay paired with Homey
- Matter exposes a standardised feature set, not every Z-Wave capability
- 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
Z-Wave devices don’t support Matter directly.
Homey exposes them by translating Z-Wave devices into Matter-compatible devices, while keeping all Z-Wave communication and 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.
