Buying smart home devices can be confusing due to multiple standards and smart assistants. A consortium of tech giants has formed a new protocol, called Matter, to help make things work regardless of the platform.

On Thursday, Google announced that Matter will come to the Android operating system and Nest products. This means that any device using the Matter protocol will now connect to Google Home via Android, including devices such as Nest Thermostat.

"All Nest displays and speakers, such as Nest Hub and Nest Mini, will be automatically updated to control Matter devices," says Google. This could allow Google smart screens to control HomeKit devices that are Matter certified.

In addition, Google is specifically committed to updating its latest Nest entry-level thermostat to support Matter. Unfortunately, Google has remained the mother of other smart home products, including Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cams, Nest Protect and Nest Hello. Future versions of these products may include support for Matter, or Google may not intend to add Matter to those products.

The Nest thermostat is a notable addition to the Matter, as it has not been compatible with other smart home solutions, such as the Apple HomeKit since its launch. After the full implementation of the protocol immediately after the end of 2021, users will be able to buy a device and use it with any assistant on any platform that supports Matter.

This means that once Apple adds Matter support to the HomeKit, users will be able to add things like Nest Thermostat to their Apple Home app for the first time. Apple belongs to the group that develops Matter, but has not made official announcements about the addition of the protocol.

Google also says it will introduce a new smart home directory to help customers find Google Assistant-compatible products. This hub will allow customers to filter products based on compatible software and protocols.

Google also provides WebRTC support for its smart home product. This means that smart sounds will be able to use the low-bandwidth video format to stream videos without delay. Google expects companies like Arlo, Logitech, Netatmo and Wyze to add WebRTC in the coming weeks.

Apple is expected to announce updates to its HomeKit platform during WWDC in June. It is not known if Matter will be added in an update to iOS 14 or if it will come in iOS 15 or a later update of the points.

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