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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 camera API with two-way audio. It also lays protocol groundwork for Matter 1.6.1 group messaging and adds custom support for Aqara’s FP400 sensor and IKEA radiator thermostats. Stable release timing and the availability of features through Home Assistant Core remain unclear.
The Home Assistant Matter Server 1.5.0 beta adds a dedicated camera API with two-way audio, custom support for Aqara and IKEA hardware, and groundwork for Matter 1.6.1 group messaging. The update moves the server to the Matter.JS 0.18.0 engine; it is not yet a stable release, and several features still need work in Home Assistant Core before users can access them more fully.
According to the release notes reported by Matter Alpha, the server’s new camera API is part of WebSocket Schema version 14. It lets the server manage WebRTC sessions and stream negotiation for connected clients. A new talkback: true parameter can enable users to speak through compatible Matter cameras and video doorbells, including the Aqara Camera Hub G350, from supported dashboards or client apps. The update also addresses WebRTC session drops and adds specific error codes for troubleshooting.
The beta introduces custom cluster definitions and Python client support for the Aqara Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400. Those definitions cover ambient-sensing configuration, radar sensing and occupant location, and are intended to expose detection zones and target-position events over Matter. The report 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 affect device status and administration. The server removes its fixed three-minute offline grace period, so a device can be marked unavailable once Matter.JS determines it cannot be reached. It also adds temporary guest PIN controls for supported door locks and clearer network-graph labels. Owners of older Eve Energy plugs gain a command-line option to set polling intervals for custom attributes.
New Camera and Device Controls
The camera API makes two-way audio a server-level capability rather than relying only on raw Matter cluster commands. For users with compatible cameras, that could make speaking through a device possible from Home Assistant-connected clients. Actual access will depend on device compatibility and on the Home Assistant components that expose the capability.
The Aqara and IKEA additions address functions that manufacturers implement through custom clusters, beyond Matter’s standard device controls. Native handling could let Home Assistant communicate with features such as sensor detection zones or radiator-valve calibration without routing those tasks through the manufacturers’ hubs. The reported changes establish server support; they do not establish that every feature is already available in the stable Home Assistant interface.
Matter 1.6.1’s Groupcast support also matters for homes with multiple devices in a group. The report says Home Assistant has previously sent group actions as separate commands, which can make devices respond at different times. The new server provides a protocol-level foundation for multicast group messaging, but the source does not say that faster, synchronized group control is already active for users.
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From Matter 1.6.1 to Beta
The Open Home Foundation maintains the Matter.JS Server used as Home Assistant’s Matter controller. The report says the server’s 1.5.0 changelog records the move to Matter.JS 0.18.0 and support foundations for Matter 1.6.1. The Matter Alpha article says the Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.6.1 in September and describes Groupcast as moving out of provisional status, alongside independent volume and mute controls for doorbell chimes. The source does not specify the year of that September release.
Version 1.5.0 is currently in beta. The report says users can opt into testing through the Matter Server settings and that a stable add-on rollout is expected soon. It also cautions that most new features require further work in Home Assistant Core to become more accessible. That distinction matters: server-side support in a beta does not mean a feature is ready for all Home Assistant users.
“The new Matter Server establishes the protocol-level foundation required for native IPv6 multicast group messaging over Thread, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet.”
— Matter Alpha, describing the Matter 1.5.0 release notes
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Stable Release and Feature Access
The source does not provide a firm date for the stable release, nor a full list of which features will be available immediately after rollout. It says most new features need further Home Assistant Core work, but does not identify completion dates or specify which dashboards and client apps will expose each control.
It is also unclear from the report which Matter cameras beyond the cited Aqara Camera Hub G350 support talkback, and whether the Groupcast foundation will produce a particular user-visible improvement in the beta. The described IKEA calibration support applies to compatible hardware; the article does not provide a broader compatibility list. These points should not be treated as confirmed availability across devices or installations.
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Beta Testing Before Stable Rollout
Home Assistant users can opt into the Matter Server 1.5.0 beta through the Matter Server settings, according to the report. Testing may help reveal how camera streaming, device-specific clusters, and network changes work across supported setups. Users should expect beta behavior rather than assume every new function is ready for everyday use.
The next milestones are a stable add-on release and the related changes in Home Assistant Core that make the server features accessible through supported interfaces. The source says stable rollout is expected soon but gives no date. Until release notes or Home Assistant documentation confirm the scope, users will need to check compatibility and availability for their particular devices and clients.
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Key Questions
Is Matter Server 1.5.0 available as a stable release?
No. The report describes version 1.5.0 as a beta and says a stable rollout is expected soon, without giving a release date.
What does camera talkback add?
A new camera API supports WebRTC session management, and a talkback: true parameter can enable two-way audio on compatible cameras or video doorbells through supported clients. Device and client compatibility still applies.
Which Aqara and IKEA devices are named?
The update adds custom cluster support for the Aqara Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400 and calibration support for compatible IKEA LILJEBAGGE radiator thermostats. The report does not give a complete compatibility list.
Does the update already make Matter group commands faster?
Not necessarily. The server adds a protocol-level foundation for Matter 1.6.1 Groupcast. The source does not confirm that native multicast group messaging is already active for all Home Assistant users.
Source: rss
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