Homey Launches Device Updates Across Matter, Z-Wave and Zigbee; Eve Devices Now Work With Homey via Matter

With Device Updates, users can update a Matter light, install a security patch for a Z-Wave lock or improve a Zigbee sensor's reliability without opening a manufacturer's app. Homey handles delivery, progress tracking and a notification when the update is complete. The feature can be found in More > Settings > Device Updates or in each device's Maintenance settings.

For Z-Wave and Zigbee gear, updates are delivered through their respective Homey apps, so availability depends on the developer and manufacturer. The launch list of supported vendors includes IKEA, Aeotec, INNR, Niko, Inovelli, Zooz, frient, ThirdReality, EcoDim, HeatIt, Namron, amina, CTM Lyng and Nous, with more to come soon, according to the report.

Stefan Witkamp, CEO at Athom, said: "Device firmware rarely gets updated because the process is cumbersome. By handling device updates inside Homey, we make it practical for both users and developers. That makes the whole smart home more dependable."

For Matter devices, Homey checks the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Distributed Compliance Ledger for available firmware updates. The DCL provides the firmware version, download URL, file size, checksum and applicability information. Homey then retrieves the firmware from the manufacturer-provided URL and delivers it to the device using Matter's standardized OTA update mechanism. The DCL is a trusted public registry for Matter products run by the same organization that certifies them and is behind the Matter standard. Manufacturers publish firmware update metadata to the ledger, allowing Homey to discover and obtain available updates. This means the Matter update path is not tied to any one company's app or cloud service; it is part of the Matter standard itself, verified by the certification body, and any Matter controller could implement it.

If an expected update does not appear, it is usually because the device's Homey app does not offer it yet or the manufacturer has not published one. Device Updates is available on Homey Cloud, Homey Pro (2023 through 2026), Homey Pro mini and Homey Self-Hosted Server, and requires v13.2.0 or later of the Homey Mobile App.

The same report noted that Matter-enabled Eve devices now work with Homey, with Homey Pro and Homey Pro mini acting as Matter Controllers and Thread Border Routers. Supported devices include Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, Eve Motion, Eve Thermo, Eve Weather and Eve MotionBlinds, among others. Eve has no cloud service, no registration and no tracking, and it has deep Apple Home integration. For users running Eve gear in Apple Home, nothing changes. What changes is that the same Thread and Matter foundation makes those devices portable across other platforms.

The article described the Homey news as an example of Matter's long-term benefits, with firmware updates going through the standard body itself. Matter has drawn criticism for moving slowly, but 9to5Mac argued that features like this show why the standard matters. For years, the smart home industry has promised interoperability but delivered walled gardens with extra steps; simply working with the major platforms is not enough, according to the report.