ZBBridge-U Major Updates: Beta Program, New Tool, and What's Coming Next

Bridge Series
,
1

Over the past few months, we’ve received a lot of valuable feedback and feature requests from the community.

The topics users are most interested in include:

  • Earlier access to new features
  • Faster support for new devices
  • Expanded local capabilities
  • Deeper integration with Home Assistant and Matter-enabled platforms

Based on the feedback, starting with v1.21.0, ZBBridge-U officially introduces the Beta Program and the new Bridge Firmware Recovery tool.

We’re also sharing a preview of the ZBBridge-U roadmap at the end of this post, covering the features and improvements planned for the coming quarters. Let’s dive in!

1. Beta Program: Get Early Access to New Features

What the Beta Program Offers

  • Earlier Access to New Features
    Beta versions are released monthly, giving you earlier access to new features and improvements. Stable versions will continue to include device compatibility improvements and bug fixes, while major new features will arrive later after they’ve been fully validated.
  • Expanded Compatibility
    Beta gives you earlier access to newly added device support as we continue improving compatibility with third-party brands and more device types.
  • Explore Experimental Features
    Some advanced or experimental features may be available in Beta first, giving enrolled users a chance to try them and share feedback before they move to Stable.

How to Enroll

  • Option 1: Via the eWeLink App
    Open the eWeLink App, and navigate to ZBBridge-U > Settings > Beta Program.

image
image499×927 65 KB

  • Option 2: Via the Local Web Portal
    Open ZBBrideg-U’s Local Web Portal, then go to Settings > Beta Program.

image
image2524×1230 242 KB

Things to Know

  • After enrolling in the Beta Program, you will receive notifications when new Beta firmware versions become available. (The latest Beta version is currently v3.5.0)
  • Users who stay on Stable firmware will continue receiving validated firmware updates, including device compatibility improvements, bug fixes, and selected features after Beta verification.
  • To switch from Beta back to Stable firmware, keep your ZBBridge-U online and run a factory reset.

Please note: Factory reset will erase all current settings and configurations of the bridge. Make sure to back up important information before proceeding.

2. Bridge Firmware Recovery: Easier Troubleshooting and Recovery

A dedicated recovery tool helps users diagnose their bridge’s startup issues, collect logs, and restore Stable firmware when needed.

Key Features

  • Quickly Identify Boot Issues
    The tool provides visibility into the bridge boot process. If issues occur, it helps identify the stage where the process stops, making troubleshooting easier.

  • Download Logs with One Click
    Download system logs with a simple click and share them with our development team when troubleshooting is required.

  • Restore Stable Firmware When Needed
    If the bridge cannot start normally, you can use Bridge Firmware Recovery to reflash the latest Stable firmware and bring the bridge back to a working state.

How to Access

Open your browser and visit:

No additional software installation is required.

image
image1041×1091 116 KB

3. Product Roadmap: What’s Coming Next

To give everyone a clearer picture of where ZBBridge-U is headed, here’s a preview of the features currently planned for the coming quarters.

Upcoming features will generally be introduced in Beta first, then considered for Stable after further testing and optimization.

A More Powerful and Flexible Matter Bridge

  • Continued expansion of supported Matter Device Types
    We’re planning to expand the range of Matter device types supported by Matter Bridge, so more bridged devices can work with Matter-enabled platforms.

  • Bridge more devices to Matter
    We’re also exploring support for exposing eligible devices to Matter-enabled platforms via Matter Bridge, including:

    • eWeLink cameras
    • Tasmota devices

  • Smarter mapping for complex devices
    We’re improving how multi-function devices are exposed through Matter Bridge.

For complex multi-function devices, we’re improving how their capabilities are exposed through Matter Bridge. For example, a presence sensor with both illuminance sensing and human presence detection may be exposed as separate device entries: an illuminance sensor and a presence sensor. Each entry can be named separately, assigned to a room, and used in automations.

Introduce Zigbee2MQTT Web Interface

  • We’re planning to add a Zigbee2MQTT-based web interface, providing users a more powerful way to view device status, adjust supported parameters, and manage supported Zigbee settings.

A Stronger Local Ecosystem

  • We’re continuing to expand local capabilities, including support for creating and managing local automation scenes directly from the Local Web Portal.

Note: Agile roadmaps evolve as development progresses and we collect more community feedback. We’ll continue prioritizing the updates that bring the most value to ZBBridge-U users.

4. We’d Love to Hear From You

Share Your Thoughts on the Beta Program?

  • Are you planning to enroll in the Beta Program?
  • What would make the Beta experience useful for you?

Which Planned Feature Excites You the Most?

Which planned features are you most interested in, such as:

  • Zigbee2MQTT web interface
  • Local automation configuration
  • Or anything else on the roadmap

Let us know why you’d like to see it.

What Should We Explore Next?

For future Matter Bridge expansion, which ecosystems, device categories, or Matter device types should we prioritize? Would you like Matter Bridge to support, for example:

  • BLE Mesh devices?
  • Z-Wave devices?

Or perhaps you’d like to see additional Matter Device Types, such as:

  • Lighting:

    • On/Off Light

  • Smart Plugs/Outlets and Other Actuators:

    • Dimmable Plug-In Unit
    • Mounted On/Off Control
    • Mounted Dimmable Load Control

  • Switches and Controls:

    • On/Off Light Switch
    • Dimmer Switch
    • Pump Controller

  • Sensors:

    • Pressure Sensor

  • Closures:

    • Controller

  • Robotic Devices:

    • Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

  • Energy Devices:

    • Water Heater

These are just a few ideas to get the conversation started. If there’s a feature you’d love to have, even if it’s not listed here, we’d love to hear about it. Drop your ideas in the comments.

Your feedback helps shape the future of ZBBridge-U!

Upcoming Updates

We’re continuing to expand ZBBridge-U with new features and broader device compatibility. Check out the latest updates:

  • Zigbee2MQTT Web interface — More control, advanced settings, and network visibility for your Zigbee devices.
  • Expanded Matter Bridge Compatibility — Four new Zigbee device types are now supported: Flow Sensor, Rain Sensor, Soil Sensor, and Air Purifier.
  • eWeLink Cameras to Matter — Bring cameras from your eWeLink account into Matter-enabled platforms and view supported video feeds.

More updates are on the way. Stay tuned!

7

Version 3.7.0 (2026/08/10)

New Features:

Added access to the Zigbee2MQTT web interface for monitoring Zigbee devices, adjusting parameters, and accessing advanced settings.
Added support for the following Zigbee device types:
Siren
Water Valve
Flow Sensor
Rain Sensor
Soil Sensor
Air Purifier
Expanded the range of Zigbee device types that can be synced to Matter-enabled platforms via Matter Bridge:
Siren
Flow Sensor
Rain Sensor
Soil Sensor
Air Purifier
Matter Bridge Update: eWeLink-linked cameras on the same local network as ZBBridge-U can now be bridged to Matter-enabled platforms for live video viewing.
Expanded Device Compatibility:Added support for the following Zigbee devices:
SONOFF S61SZBTPB US-type Zigbee smart plug
SONOFF MINI-ZB1GS single-channel Zigbee smart switch
Bridge Firmware Recovery Authentication: Access now requires the Local Web Portal password.
Optimizations:

SONOFF SNZB-02UL can now serve as an external sensor for SONOFF SNZB-02DR2 or SONOFF TRVZB, providing more accurate room temperature measurements.

Bug Fixes:

Fixed an issue that prevented the following SONOFF Zigbee/Bluetooth dual-mode devices from being added through the Local Web Portal when no eWeLink account was linked:
Smart Water Valves: SWV-ZNU / SWV-ZNE / SWV-ZF2U / SWV-ZF2E
Thermostatic Radiator Valve: TRV-ZBT
Smart Switches: MINI-ZB1GS / MINI-ZB1GSP
Power Meter: MINI-ZB1GP
Fixed an issue where Bridge Firmware Recovery could incorrectly report that the Zigbee module had failed to start.
Fixed an issue where some channels were missing from the Zigbee channel list.
Fixed an issue that could cause OTA updates for SONOFF MINI-ZB1GSP to fail.
Fixed an incorrect device-type mapping that identified Third Reality soil moisture sensors as temperature sensors, preventing soil moisture readings from being reported.
Fixed an issue where room assignments, accessory names, scenes, and automations for SONOFF TRVs in Apple Home could be lost after a ZBBridge-U restart.
Fixed an issue where color controls were unavailable on Matter-enabled platforms for GLEDOPTO GL-C_202P controllers that support color control but not color temperature control.

8

Might be an odd question or phisical limitations, but would the Bridge Ultra be able to act as a local wifi AP for IoT devices with reasonable limitations on bandwidth?

For example: basement, or industrial area where we got PoE / ETH and 220V but Wifi is imposible for smart tech. ZB sensors are great but maybe wifi plugs and/or Cam-s gen camera for direct visual feed would be great to have.

9

I apologize—I may not have fully understood your question. To help you more accurately, could you please provide a bit more detail about your use case?

Are you hoping to have the Bridge Ultra create its own Wi‑Fi hotspot, allowing other Wi‑Fi devices (like cameras or smart plugs) to connect directly to it, so you can achieve local control even without an external Wi‑Fi network? Is that what you meant?

Or do you have a different, more specific idea or requirement? Please feel free to describe it further—I’ll do my best to address your actual needs. Thank you for your understanding!

10

Sorry, yes, like a ETH → Wifi solution. The Bridge would act as a wifi hotspot for wifi IoT devices.

Imagine you got a big vine cellar, no need for an expensive wifi router, but you want to use the ZB sensors and some Wifi devices underground(smart plugs, 1080p camera feed around 300-500kb/s maybe).

11

So, should we scrap all the NSPPs because ZBB-U will have local scenes? I can’t deploy yours anywhere because they don’t meet customer requirementt.

12

finally the map and other functions I’m just worried that Sonoff wants to replace the Ultra model with the M model. In most stores in my country the Ultra model is unavailable or its price has doubled this also applies to the official Sonoff store and Asian markets.

13

The Ultra has expensive RAM, which is why it doesn’t sell.

14

well I hope not when after so many updates it finally became a usable and so far reliable tool and that it lasted. I would be disappointed if the RAM track stopped selling it when there is now a really usable successor to the Pro version. and now we have the M model where the price is lower but the hardware is lacking and I’m afraid we will have to wait another 2-3 years for it to be usable.

15

In my opinion, neither NSPP nor ZBB P/U are ready for normal operation yet. Their features lag behind the competition significantly so much so that every clever user preferred switching to Homer Assistant.

The same thing awaits me since they cannot provide what my customers require.

16

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We truly appreciate your honesty and completely understand both your concerns and those of your customers regarding the current capabilities of our products.

Please know that we take every user experience very seriously. Our team is continuously working on product planning and iterative improvements, and we are committed to closing the gap wherever we can.

To help us better evaluate your needs and incorporate them into our future roadmap, would you be willing to share with us the specific areas where you feel the NSPP or ZBBridge‑U currently falls short—whether in functionality, use cases, or performance? For example:

  • Local automation capabilities (scenes, timers, device‑to‑device triggers)

  • Device compatibility (specific brands or models)

  • User interface experience

  • Stability or latency issues

Any additional details you can provide would be extremely valuable.

We will carefully review every suggestion and use them as important reference points for our future version planning.

We truly look forward to hearing your thoughts and sincerely hope to continue improving your experience with our products.

Thank you again for your time and support.

17

Hi, I’ll reply as soon as possible right away. Yes, I am being critical because I want to point out the shortcomings. I’ll write down what my customers require from me.

18

Thank you for taking the time to compile your customers’ requirements – this is extremely valuable for our upcoming version planning. I will carefully review every item you list and push them forward into our evaluation and scheduling pipeline.

I look forward to your reply, and please feel free to add any further thoughts or details at any time. Your feedback is very important to us!

19
  • A thermostat for CubeOS that allows comfortable target temperature settings so the user doesn’t have to switch scenes.
  • The option to upload custom backgrounds directly into CubeOS instead of using shady storage sites.
  • The option to play camera recordings directly (Sonoff cameras and SD card only).
  • Cross-device synchronization for NSPanel Pro (NSPP): backgrounds, scene layouts, and icon arrangements.
  • Better notifications in NSPP, especially for the alarm.
  • TRVZB: option to synchronize settings from the primary TRVZB to the rest of them.
  • Floor heating mode for TRVZB.
  • Fine-tuning for TRVZB calibration.
  • A finally functional scheduler for TRVZB.
  • You have no idea how annoying it is to set up every NSPP in every room so they all look the same let alone setting up/calibrating 48 units of TRVZB in a floor heating manifold so they all share the exact same settings.

If you stick to the roadmap for the zbb ultra ,I have nothing to criticize.

20

That is related to CubeOS. The Hub doesn’t use CubeOS, so I imagine this won’t be part of the plans. The concept behind the Hub is different from the iHost; the idea is for it to act as a hub while another platform—such as HomeKit, SmartThings, etc.—handles the actual operations. That’s actually how I use it, and I have no issues whatsoever with multiple NSPanel Pros, TRVs, and so on, because the platform receiving the devices is the one managing everything, not the Hub itself.