Which Matter device types does Apple Home support in 2026?
Apple publishes two different lists. The support article on pairing Matter accessories, published 7 May 2026, names air conditioners, bridges, lights, locks, outlets, switches, thermostats, blinds and shades, and sensors. Apple's Works with Apple Home badge guidelines instead name air purifiers, blinds/shades, bridges, fans, lights, locks, outlets, robot vacuum cleaners, sensors, switches and thermostats — adding fans, air purifiers and robot vacuums, and omitting air conditioners.
Last checked: against Apple Support article 102135 (published 2026-05-07) and Apple Developer, Works with Apple Home badge guidelines
The two lists, side by side
Apple documents its supported Matter accessory categories in two places, and the two do not agree. Both were readable on 23 September 2026.
| Category | Support article 102135 | Works with Apple Home badge guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioners | listed | not listed |
| Air purifiers | not listed | listed |
| Blinds and shades | listed | listed |
| Bridges | listed | listed |
| Fans | not listed | listed |
| Lights | listed | listed |
| Locks | listed | listed |
| Outlets | listed | listed |
| Robot vacuum cleaners | not listed | listed |
| Sensors | listed | listed |
| Switches | listed | listed |
| Thermostats | listed | listed |
The support article names the sensor sub-types explicitly: motion, ambient light, contact, temperature and humidity.
Which list is closer to shipped behaviour
On the one category that can be checked against a shipped feature, the badge guidelines win. Apple Home controls Matter robot vacuums, and robot vacuum cleaners appear in the badge guidelines but not in the support article. That is a documented divergence inside Apple's own documentation set, not a disagreement between Apple and a third party.
The badge guidelines list also matters commercially: it defines the categories in which a manufacturer is permitted to apply the Works with Apple Home badge at all. A device type absent from that list cannot carry the badge even if it is Matter certified.
What neither list includes
- Cameras. Added to the standard in Matter 1.5 on 20 November 2025. Absent from both Apple lists.
- Dishwashers and laundry washers. Absent from both, though Alexa lists dishwasher and Google Home lists both dishwasher and laundry washer.
- Air quality, smoke-CO and water leak sensors. The support article names five sensor sub-types and none of these three are among them. Alexa lists all three.
Hubs and Thread
Apple lists Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini as home hubs. Since iOS 18 a Matter accessory can be added without a hub, and Apple notes that an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max on iOS 18 can control Thread accessories without one. Apple still recommends a hub for the full experience. Which Apple devices act as Thread border routers is a narrower question — see how to tell whether you already have a Thread border router.
Related questions
Which of the two Apple lists should a buyer trust?
The badge guidelines list matches shipped behaviour more closely on at least one point: robot vacuums appear in the badge guidelines and Apple Home does control Matter robot vacuums, while the support article omits them. Neither list is dated as superseding the other.
Does Apple Home support Matter cameras?
Neither Apple list includes cameras. Matter 1.5 added camera device types on 2025-11-20, and Apple has not announced Matter camera support in the Home app.
Is a home hub required?
Apple's support article states that iOS 18 or later permits adding Matter accessories without a home hub, while recommending one for the best experience with supported Matter and Thread accessories. Apple lists Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation) and HomePod mini as home hubs.