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Home Assistant’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta upgrades to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine and adds a dedicated WebRTC camera API with two-way audio. It also lays groundwork for Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast and adds custom-cluster support for Aqara’s FP400 sensor and IKEA radiator thermostats; stable release timing and Home Assistant Core integration remain unclear.
Home Assistant’s Matter Server 1.5.0 beta adds a dedicated camera API with two-way audio and custom support for select Aqara and IKEA devices, while upgrading its Matter.JS engine to prepare for Matter 1.6.1. The update matters to smart-home users because it adds capabilities such as camera talkback and IKEA radiator-valve calibration, although the source report says many features still need work in Home Assistant Core before they are readily available to users.
According to the 1.5.0 changelog cited by Matter Alpha, the server moves to Matter.JS 0.18.0 and introduces WebSocket Schema version 14. Its new camera API manages WebRTC sessions and stream negotiation for connected clients. A stream can be started with the talkback: true parameter, allowing users to speak through compatible Matter cameras and video doorbells. The report names Aqara’s Camera Hub G350 as an example. The update also addresses some WebRTC session drops and adds error codes intended to make stream problems easier to diagnose.
The release adds definitions and Python client support for custom Aqara clusters used by the FP400 spatial multi-sensor. The report says these clusters cover ambient-sensing configuration, radar sensing and occupant location, enabling detection zones and real-time target-position events over Matter. It also describes a fix for transmitting zone-configuration data. For IKEA’s LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostat, the server adds a custom ValveCalibration cluster and a dashboard control panel for calibrating compatible valves without an IKEA hub.
Other changes include removing a fixed three-minute delay before an unreachable device is marked offline, and updating network-graph labels to use Thread 1.4 role names. The dashboard also gains support for temporary guest lock PINs with expiration times, clearer device details when opening a commissioning window, and interactive command panels for several device categories. Older Eve Energy plugs get a command-line option to set polling intervals for custom attributes.
Camera Control and Device Support
The camera API could make two-way audio available through Home Assistant clients for compatible Matter cameras, rather than leaving users with streaming alone. For owners of supported hardware, the Aqara and IKEA additions may also expose manufacturer-specific functions through the Matter Server, including sensor detection zones and radiator-valve calibration.
The Matter 1.6.1 work is groundwork, not confirmation that every group command will now act simultaneously in Home Assistant. The report says the server is preparing for native IPv6 multicast Groupcast, which is intended to replace sequential commands in supported group operations. If and when the capability is implemented across the relevant software and devices, it could reduce the staggered response users may see when controlling groups of lights. The report does not establish when that user-facing behavior will arrive.
Home Assistant Matter camera with two-way audio
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From Server Upgrade to Matter 1.6.1
Matter Server is the controller layer used by Home Assistant to communicate with Matter devices. Matter Alpha reports that version 1.5.0 updates its Matter.JS engine and adds the APIs and device definitions described here. The number in the server release, 1.5.0, is distinct from the protocol version Matter 1.6.1 that the update is preparing to support.
The report says the Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.6.1 in September and moved Groupcast out of provisional status, while adding independent volume and mute controls for doorbell chimes. It describes Home Assistant’s prior group handling as sequential unicast commands, which can make grouped devices respond at different times. The new server lays protocol-level groundwork for multicast over Thread, Wi-Fi and Ethernet; the source does not say that all compatible devices or Home Assistant features already use it.
“The server is upgrading to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine to introduce official support for Matter 1.6.1 alongside a dedicated WebRTC camera API.”
— Matter Alpha, describing the Matter 1.5.0 changelog
IKEA LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostat
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Stable Release and Core Integration
The source describes version 1.5.0 as beta and gives no date for a stable release. It also says many features still require changes in Home Assistant Core to become more accessible, but does not identify which features will be available immediately or specify the Core changes needed. Compatibility may also depend on individual cameras, sensors, thermostats and their firmware; the report does not provide a full tested-device list.
Although the server is described as adding official Matter 1.6.1 support and Groupcast foundations, the extent of practical Groupcast behavior in Home Assistant is not specified. The report does not confirm that grouped devices will respond together across all networks, manufacturers or Matter controllers. It also does not provide benchmarks for offline detection or quantify how much faster devices will be marked unavailable.
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Beta Testing Before Stable Rollout
Users can opt into testing through the beta option in Matter Server settings, according to the source report. The next milestone is a stable release of the 1.5.0 add-on, which the report says is expected soon but does not date. Users testing the beta will need to check whether their devices and Home Assistant clients support the features they want to use.
Further details to watch for include the stable release notes, any required Home Assistant Core updates, and clearer compatibility guidance for camera talkback, Aqara’s FP400 clusters, IKEA valve calibration and Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast. Until those details are published, the listed additions should be treated as beta capabilities rather than universally available functions.
WebRTC compatible smart security cameras
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Key Questions
Is Matter Server 1.5.0 available as a stable release?
No. The source report says version 1.5.0 is in beta and is expected to reach the stable add-on soon, without giving a date.
What does camera talkback add?
The new camera API supports a talkback: true parameter when starting a stream, allowing speech through compatible Matter cameras and video doorbells. Device and client compatibility may vary.
Which Aqara and IKEA devices are named?
The report names Aqara’s FP400 spatial multi-sensor and IKEA’s LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostat. It describes custom-cluster support for FP400 sensing features and a dashboard calibration panel for compatible IKEA valves.
Does the update mean Matter group commands are already simultaneous?
Not necessarily. The server adds groundwork for Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast, but the report does not confirm that all group commands now use multicast or that every compatible device will respond at once.
Do all the new features work immediately in Home Assistant?
The report says many features still need work in Home Assistant Core to become more accessible. It does not specify which features are ready without further Core changes.
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