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Matter Protocol : 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6.1 Differences

By RF Wireless Expert Team

Matter, spearheaded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), is designed to be the unifying language for smart home gadgets. Following section outlines major features/changes from matter version 1.0 to 1.6.1 and key difference between them.

Matter 1.0 (Foundation)

  • Released: October 2022

  • First official Matter specification.

  • Established the core architecture, security, commissioning, and interoperability framework.

  • Supported core devices such as lights, plugs, locks, thermostats, blinds, sensors, and media devices.

  • Supported Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread, with BLE for commissioning.

Matter 1.1 (Stability & Refinement)

  • Released: May 2023

  • Improved specification and SDK stability.

  • Enhanced developer tools, testing, and certification support.

  • Improved support for Intermittently Connected Devices (ICDs) such as battery-powered sensors, switches, and locks.

  • Addressed issues identified from early Matter deployments.

Matter 1.2 (Device Ecosystem Expansion)

  • Released: October 2023

  • Added nine new device types.

  • Expanded support to appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwashers, washing machines, robotic vacuums, air purifiers, and fans.

  • Introduced the Standard Namespace specification.

  • Improved existing clusters, device capabilities, and interoperability.

Matter 1.3 (Energy, Water & Appliances)

  • Released: May 2024

  • Expanded energy measurement and management capabilities.

  • Added EV charging/EVSE support.

  • Added water-management capabilities.

  • Added support for dryers, ovens, cooktops, and extractor hoods.

  • Improved TV/media interaction and energy-related device capabilities.

Matter 1.4 (Home Infrastructure & Energy Management)

  • Released: November 2024

  • Introduced Enhanced Multi-Admin.

  • Added certifiable Home Routers and Access Points (HRAP).

  • Expanded support for solar, battery storage, heat pumps, and water heaters.

  • Improved EV charging and thermostat energy management.

  • Introduced LIT and Check-In mechanisms for low-power/battery devices.

  • Further improved occupancy sensing and energy-management capabilities.

Matter 1.4.1 (Commissioning Improvements)

  • Released: May 2025

  • Improved the commissioning experience.

  • Enhanced Setup Flow.

  • Improved NFC onboarding.

  • Added support for multi-device QR-code commissioning.

  • Primarily focused on simplifying setup and improving interoperability.

Matter 1.4.2 (Security & Scalability Refinement)

  • Released: August 2025

  • Security and specification corrections.

  • Improvements related to scalability and commissioning.

  • Additional certification and interoperability refinements.

  • Primarily a maintenance/refinement release.

Matter 1.5 (Cameras, Closures & Large Data)

  • Released: November 2025

  • Major expansion with camera and video-doorbell support.

  • Added video/audio, WebRTC, PTZ, recording, detection and privacy-zone capabilities.

  • Expanded closure support for blinds, shades, gates, garage doors, etc.

  • Added soil moisture/temperature sensing.

  • Added energy tariff and carbon-intensity information.

  • Enhanced EV charging, including state-of-charge and bidirectional charging capabilities.

  • Introduced TCP and large-message transport, important for cameras and other high-bandwidth applications.

Matter 1.5.1 (Camera & Media Refinement)

  • Released: March 2026

  • Improved camera and media functionality.

  • Enhanced multi-stream video/audio.

  • Added improvements around snapshots and streaming.

  • Improved PTZ, doorbell, chime, and intercom functionality.

  • Included specification corrections and interoperability improvements.

Matter 1.6 (Smarter Commissioning & Multi-Ecosystem Control)

  • Released: June 2026

  • Added full NFC-based commissioning.

  • Introduced Joint Fabric for shared administration across multiple controllers/ecosystems.

  • Added standardized device capability and operational-limit reporting.

  • Added security sensor event history.

  • Added smoke/CO alarm unmounted-state reporting.

  • Introduced Thermostat Suggestions for more contextual device control.

Matter 1.6.1 (Latest Refinement)

  • Current latest specification: Matter 1.6.1

  • Primarily a maintenance/refinement release of Matter 1.6.

  • Includes updated Core, Application Clusters, Device Type Library, and Namespace specifications.

  • Focuses on corrections, clarifications, interoperability, and specification quality rather than introducing another major feature generation.

Comparison between Matter 1.4 vs 1.5 vs 1.6.1

Feature / CategoryMatter 1.4Matter 1.5Matter 1.6.1
Release TimelineNovember 2024November 2025September 2026
Group CommunicationUses the legacy Groups cluster for multicast and group management.Legacy Groups cluster continues to be the standard.Introduces the Groupcast Cluster as the certifiable, recommended mechanism for group management; deprecates the old Groups cluster.
Commissioning TransportsPrimarily relies on BLE, IP (DNS-SD), and manual PIN/QR code.Introduces Wi-Fi PAFTP and NFC Transport Layer (NTL) for out-of-band secure onboarding.Adds provisional support for native Thread Commissioning Protocol.
Network RecoveryDevice requires a full factory reset or manual re-pairing if network credentials change/fail.Similar to 1.4; requires manual intervention if the network is lost.Introduces a provisional Network Recovery flow allowing offline nodes to broadcast a recovery ID to receive new network credentials.
User Setup / OnboardingStandard Custom Flows; minimal native support for complex legal agreements during setup.Introduces Enhanced Setup Flow (ESF) allowing devices to enforce Terms & Conditions acceptance before commissioning completes.ESF matures; added support for coordinated Passcode prompts between commissioner and commissionee.
Multi-Admin & InfrastructureIntroduces Enhanced Multi-Admin and Thread Border Router / Wi-Fi AP management.Refines bridging capabilities, specifically how endpoints on bridges disambiguate device types.Defines explicit “Cache and Sync” policies for the Message Counter Synchronization Protocol (MCSP) to handle sleepy/ICD devices.
Core Ecosystem FocusEnergy Management & Infrastructure routing.Commissioning flexibility & Manufacturer legal/setup control.Protocol efficiency, group scaling (Groupcast), and resiliency (Network recovery).

References

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