Upcoming Update for Matter Bridge Add-on — Entity-Based Sync for Improved Compatibility
We’d like to share with the community a major upcoming update to the Matter Bridge Add-on for HA over iHost, planned for release later this June. This change aims to improve how local devices are synced to Matter ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings.
We’re sharing this early to gather your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns before the update goes live.
What’s Changing?
In the upcoming version, the Matter Bridge will no longer sync devices based on device type ID.
Instead, it will sync individual entities based on their entity type ID.
Why This Change?
Through internal testing and user feedback, we’ve identified a key limitation:
Syncing by device type often fails for complex or multi-entity devices — especially when there’s no clear one-to-one match between the device and a Matter category.
By switching to entity-based syncing, we’re aiming for:
- Better flexibility across a wider variety of device architectures
- Improved Matter compatibility for more brands and use cases
- More accurate mapping between Home Assistant and Matter capabilities
What This Might Mean for You
If you are currently using the Matter Bridge Add-on, here’s what to expect once this update released:
- Devices already synced to your Matter apps (Apple Home, Alexa, etc.) will likely be removed
- They will be replaced with newly synced entities based on the new logic
- Because device IDs and entity IDs are different, any existing automations or scenes in your Matter apps will likely stop working — you’ll need to reconfigure them manually
- Entities related to diagnostics or internal configurations will not be synced.
- A known issue with XY five-color light control is also planned to be fixed in this version
We Need Your Feedback
Since this is a significant change, we want to hear from you before we finalize it.
- Do you foresee issues with this change?
- Are there specific use cases we should test?
- Any other suggestions for improving Matter compatibility?
Please share your thoughts — we’re listening.
Final Thoughts
This upcoming update marks a strategic shift in how we approach Matter bridging on iHost.
While full Matter ecosystem compatibility takes time and iteration, moving to entity-based syncing is a key step toward long-term reliability, flexibility, and broad device support.
We truly appreciate your support and look forward to evolving this add-on with the help of the community.
Matter Bridge Now Available on iHost
Matter Bridge Now Available on iHost
We’ve seen the rapid rise of the Matter standard in smart home ecosystems—and noticed that many Home Assistant devices can’t yet present themselves as native Matter endpoints for platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
To bridge this gap, in “HA over iHost” version 15.2.1. we’re excited to introduce the Matter Bridge add‑on. It transforms your Home Assistant devices into fully compliant Matter-enabled endpoints, allowing seamless integration with all major Matter platforms. Built on the iHost Matter Bridge framework and officially Matter-certified, this add‑on guarantees protocol compatibility and long‑term support.
The Matter Bridge add‑on is now live in our official repository and has been rigorously tested for stable performance on 32‑bit iHost systems.
Looking ahead, we’ll prioritize additional device types and expanded feature sets according to community feedback. As always, we welcome your suggestions, compatibility reports, and use‑case requests—help us refine and grow Matter support on iHost, one add‑on at a time.
Supported devices
- Switch
- Plug
- Light
- Sensor
- curtain
- Thermostat
| Device Type | Description | Matter Device Type | HA Entity Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plug | Single-channel Plug | On/Off Plug-in Unit | Switch |
| Multi-channel Plug | Bridge Node On/Off Plug-in Unit | Switch | |
| Switch | Single-channel Switch | On/Off Plug-in Unit | Switch |
| Multi-channel Switch | Bridge Node On/Off Plug-in Unit | Switch | |
| Sensor | Motion Sensor | Occupancy Sensor | Binary sensor |
| Contact Sensor | Contact Sensor | Binary sensor | |
| Temperature and Humidity Sensor | Bridge Node Temperature Sensor Humidity Sensor | Climate Sensor | |
| Temperature Sensor | Temperature Sensor | Climate Sensor | |
| Air Quality and Humidity Sensor | Bridge Node Temperature Sensor Humidity Sensor | Climate Sensor | |
| Light | Dimmable Light | Dimmable Light | Light |
| Tunable White Light | Color Temperature Light | Light | |
| Tunable Color Light | Color Temperature Light | Light | |
| Button | Wireless Button | Generic Switch | EVENT |
| Multi-channel Wireless Button | Bridge Node Generic Switch | EVENT | |
| Curtain | Curtain | Window Covering | Cover |
| Thermostat | Thermostat | Thermostat | Climate |
