Matic has announced compatibility with Apple Home and Google Home using the Matter smart home standard. This update brings voice control and smart home integration capabilities that were previously unavailable. Users can now create automations like starting or stopping Matic based on their home presence. Although the Matter integration isn’t fully certified yet and doesn’t work across all platforms, it’s a promising beginning. According to a Reddit post by Matic, Google Home and Home Assistant integrations perform well, but Apple Home and Siri are not as smooth, and Alexa support will come with future certification.
Matic, developed by a US-based company founded by ex-Google Nest engineers, is known for its reliability, excellent cleaning ability, and full local operation without needing an internet connection. The delay in smart home integration was due to ensuring that all operations remained on-device, maintaining privacy. The feature only shares minimal data like room names and operational states with platforms.
Setup for the smart home feature is easy, requiring users to access a new option in the Matic app’s settings and follow prompts to pair with Apple Home or Google Home. My setup experience with Apple Home was smooth, and I could control the device using Siri. In addition to app and button controls, voice control now offers an alternative way to operate the vacuum, although specific room cleaning commands are still being refined.
Previously satisfied with Matic without these features, I’m pleased to find that these enhancements make it even more user-friendly while retaining its local operation benefits.