IKEA Goes All-In on Matter for Apple HomeKit Compatibility

IKEA plans to overhaul its smart home lineup with full Matter support, making its budget-friendly products compatible with Apple Home and other ecosystems without requiring the company’s own hub, reports The Verge.

Starting in January 2026, the Swedish furniture giant will release more than 20 new Matter-over-Thread smart lights, sensors, and remotes. The products will work directly with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings through native Matter compatibility. Pricing will remain comparable to current products, which start under $10.

To recap, Thread is a low-power wireless mesh protocol that runs on the 2.4GHz band and is designed for devices such as sensors, bulbs, plugs, and shades. It’s IP-based, so devices can talk directly to each other over the internet, and on other networks via a Thread Border Router (such as a HomePod mini or Apple TV 4K).

Meanwhile, Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity software layer for smart home devices that was co-developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and others. It works over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread.

IKEA also recently rolled out a beta update for its Dirigera smart home hub that activates its built-in Thread radio and adds support for Matter. With this update, Dirigera now works as both a Matter Controller and a Thread Border Router, so it can connect to and control any compatible Matter device – including those from other brands – as well as IKEA’s upcoming Matter-based product line, which is set to replace its current Zigbee offerings.

“We want to remove barriers to complexity, we want it to be simple to use, and we just want it to work,” David Granath of IKEA of Sweden told The Verge. “If you’re an Apple user, take our bulb and onboard it to your Apple Home.”

The news should be a welcome development for HomeKit users, who previously faced limited affordable options. IKEA’s existing smart home products required workarounds or lengthy waits for HomeKit support. With Matter, any compatible device automatically works with Apple Home without additional certification.

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